Landscape architect Jennifer Jones took advantage of the site's …
“The weather on the Cape is unpredictable, so we set up these spaces to be used all year,” says Steven Foote, FAIA, of his latest alterations to this Cape Cod summer and weekend home. Foote recently added a 2,800-square-foot pool house with the requisite pool as well as several outdoor gathering spaces. Should that unpredictable weather turn chilly, the pool and the glass façade of the pool house face due south to take advantage of warm rays.
In the event of too many rays, Foote devised a trellised brisesoleil. Large openings in the sunscreen wall are aligned to focus breezes toward the glass doors lining the living/entertainment room.
One of the owners’ kids is a competitive swimmer, so they needed a pool that is actually two pools in one. Situated in the primary sightline of the main house and pool house is a conventional recreational swimming pool. Perpendicular to the “fun” pool is a regulation 25-meter-long racing pool. Foote worked with landscape architect Jennifer Jones to blend the racing lane smoothly into the scene. The lap lane crosses the top of the recreational pool and then extends into the woods. This sets up a terrace extension that trails the lap lane part way then fades to a point by following the curve of the pool house. The overall shape of the conjoined pools shadows that of the main house with its pool house appendage. A wooded path stretches from the pool to the tennis courts, guest house, and the original farmhouse, which was renovated for the owners’ parents. Foote’s goal was to allow everyone easy access to the pool and outdoor spaces without anyone being underfoot. The extra pool perimeter also eases congestion during the large gatherings that are frequently hosted outdoors.
For winter fun, a circular spa takes center stage inside the pool house. It sits on a prominent pedestal within a 26-foot-tall cylinder encased in cedar and topped by skylights. If hot, bubbling water doesn’t do the trick, a steam sauna and a two-story shower are steps away. For s’more lovers, there’s an outdoor fire pit beneath a covered pavilion on the far side of the pool house. The pavilion was intended to extend outdoor lounging from spring through fall, however, Foote (who is also a family friend) notes, “I’ve seen [the owners] sit out there in the middle of a snowstorm.”
Project Credits: Builder: Robert Bowman, Falmouth, Mass.; Architect: Steven M. Foote, Perry Dean Rogers Partners, Boston; Landscape architect: Carol R. Johnson Associates, Boston; Photographer: Brian Vanden Brink; Illustration: Rick Vitullo.
