"These homeowners wanted a destination where they could spend the whole day outside," says architect Andrew B. Cogar of Historical Concepts of conjuring this low-profile poolhouse. Cogar and Charlie Marder, garden designer, horticulturist, and plant collection curator of Marders in the Hamptons, dreamed up “a sensible evolution,” says Cogar, for how this poolside compound came to be on the property of an 1840s Bridgehampton, New York, home. What if, they wondered, it began as a farm shed, repurposed as a single-car garage in the 1900s when automobiles emerged, and then morphed into a greenhouse? “It’s unexpected and that’s precisely what makes it feel just right,” says Cogar.
Imagining new access to industrial materials in the 1930s, he used steel windows and doors to line the westward-facing walls. “Structurally, they allowed us to vault the pitch of the buildings higher and also make the view to the pool so clear that it’s like watching a movie,” he notes.
“The color of this poolhouse works so well with its surroundings. And the steel-framed windows are fabulous.” —Peter Lyden, president of the Institute of Classical Architecture & Art (ICAA)
Marder matched Cogar’s effort by sourcing corrugated wire glass from decommissioned 1920s and ’30s warehouse-type buildings for the pergola. “I wanted something that felt expansive overhead. And this is really strong stuff,” he says. “I love the way it shows off the wisteria growing above it.” With the manufactured elements riveted in place, the two doubled down on contrasting softness with a hornbeam hedge, glossy boxwood, and numerous fastigiate tulip trees, which are quite rare. “This is comfort food for the garden,” says Marder. Green paint echoes the colors of the hedges, while dark grey tumbled Kota stone pavers and pool coping help integrate the square pool and spa into the landscape. “It’s a restrained palette designed to blend in more than it stands out,” says Cogar. “It’s understated, which is what makes the area so welcoming."
More From Veranda
2022 Outdoor Living Award Winner for Chicest Poolside Lounge. Design by Historical Concepts And Marders.
