rain. Contrasting dramatically with the ipe box is the frameless glass window wall with large operable sliding panels that open to the pool. The most dramatic feature of the house, the wall literally floats on the terrace with only the silicon joints to separate the panels of glass. This tour de force counterpoint to the visually dense box of ipe heightens the transparency and interconnection between the interior and exterior spaces. The primary interior spaces designed for use when entertaining are stacked one above the other and focus outward to the terrace and garden, making exterior spaces the focal point of the rooms and bringing those spaces into the house. The upper-level sitting and library areas share a balcony overlooking the space below and an elevated view to the terrace and garden. The high level of detailing continues here: joint patterns and reveals reinforce the structure of the exposed beams and steel frame that support the cantilever behind the glass wall. The exposed ceiling decking is tongue-and-groove Douglas fir, the floors exposed concrete. Millwork, doors, and paneling are cherry. On the first level, immediately behind the main living space is the garage and on the level above, a guest room and painting studio. These somewhat more pedestrian rooms share the same level of spatial sensibility and careful detailing found in the rest of the house. The garden design seems casual, but upon observation is as carefully organized as the house itself. A previously existing single-family home was demolished to make way for the new guest house, but the mature red oaks and elms were retained in place. (The house and pool foundations are floated on piers to provide the least stressful structural solution for the trees.) The rest of the garden is defined primarily by the pool terrace and its adjacent deck and the broad lawn that rolls down to the street, interrupted only by the iconic sculptural wall. The wall is placed along the primary setback line of the front of the other houses on the street and provides visual continuity. Passage up to and through the wall, as it is through the entire garden, is on random flagstones set in the grass. These free-flowing paths link the terraces, decks, and seating areas while still allowing the green of the lawn to dominate the visual field from the house. All of these elements, supported by the detailing, tie together to form a rigorous but welcoming environment that is at once private and relaxing, perfect for any pool structure. Michael Malone, AIA, is a studio director at WKMC Architects in Dallas.
r e s o u r c e s building insulation : Johns Manville; wood and plastic doors : Loewen (Central Hardwoods), Simpson
Door Company (Davis Hawn Lumber), Weiland Sliding Doors and Windows (Central Hardwoods); wood windows :
Loewen (Central Hardwoods); laminate flooring : Pergo; exterior wood : IPE (Central Hardwoods);
tub and shower doors and enclosures :
Kohler; kitchen / bath cabinets , unit kitchens : bulthaup; design software :
Autocad, Autodesk
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