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What good is a breathtaking view if you can’t see it?
That’s the dilemma that faced a couple whose home overlooks the Blue Ridge Mountains in Charlottesville, Virginia. Their picturesque vista was obstructed by a pool house and cedar grove. To find a solution, they approached architecture and design firm Purple Cherry Architects. The end goal: to construct a new pool house positioned to blend seamlessly into the Virginia countryside and restore their panoramic views.
The first step in the process was to remove the cedar grove and existing pool house. Cathy Purple Cherry, owner of Purple Cherry Architects (PCA), recommended building the new pool house to the left of and parallel to the existing pool, which is perpendicular to the mountain range. Aspiring to keep the design as open as possible, she planned the new structure to blend in with the wooded area and afford a full view of the mountain range.
With this openness in mind, PCA designed three pods to be connected by two halls, one between each pair. The first pod contains the full bathroom, the second, the changing room, and the third, the storage room. PCA intentionally kept an open concept in the passageways between the pods, connecting the TV wall and entertainment space to the forest view.
“We not only wanted to see the incredible view of the mountains but to see everything about the property,” said Purple Cherry, who provided the clients with a 3D photo rendering of the completed pool house before construction started.
To achieve this goal, PCA added eight feet of patio to the structure and extended the roofline, keeping it level with the tree line. To camouflage the structural steel posts that anchored the roof, PCA hired a local craftsman, Edward Pelton of Pelton Metalworks, to enclose the posts in forged bronze columns, textured to resemble a pitted old casting.
“I wanted it to create an old-world feeling,” said Purple Cherry.Purple Cherry worked with contractor Greer & Associates to salvage as much material as they could while building the new pool house. As they worked on the new structure, they kept the existing landscape walls and matched the new sections to the stone and height of the original structure so that it was completely seamless, said Adam Shoup, the Greer & Associates onsite project manager.
Shoup said one of the biggest challenges was reusing and relocating all the pool equipment onsite. To do this, they used existing infrastructure—all the pumps, etc.—and relocated the equipment to a massive walk-out storage area behind and underneath the new pool house.
The structure is not without practicality. On the far right of the 1,500 square foot building, an electric retractable screen filters out sunlight and blocks the wind without compromising the views. Recessed lighting showcases the design without taking center stage, and the large TV can be seen from the pool. Infrared ceiling heaters and large fans ensure that the pool house can be used in all types of weather.
The homeowners said their favorite thing about the new pool house is the wide-open views from almost every angle. And that was the goal of PCA—to accommodate the need for a gathering space with plenty of seating, a changing room, a large screen TV, a full bathroom, a storage area, and a mechanical equipment room—all without compromising the majestic views of the surrounding vista. The blend of materials used with their contrasting textures and styles all balance to provide an organic structure that’s functional as well as artistic.
ARCHITECTURE AND INTERIOR DESIGN: Cathy Purple Cherry, Purple Cherry Architects, purplecherry.com, Annapolis, Maryland | CONTRACTOR: Greer & Associates, greerandassociates.net, Charlottesville, Virginia | LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT: Rachel Lilly Landscape, Port Republic, Virginia | COLUMN CRAFTSMAN: Edward Pelton, Pelton Metalworks, peltonmetalworks.com, Charlottesville, Virginia | CABINET MAKER: Russ’ Fine Woods Inc., russfinewoods.com, Charlottesville, Virginia | BACKSPLASH SUPPLIER: Sarisand Tile, sarisandtile.com, Charlottesville, Virginia | COUNTERTOP: Cogswell Stone, cogswellstone.com, Palmyra, Virginia
Annapolis Home Magazine
Vol. 11, No. 3 2020