The Srygley Pool House is located within a suburban neighborhood that offers little variation from the typical single-family house model. The simple form of the building strikes a bold pose within this landscape. The pool house is wrapped in subdued cedar siding, allowing the seemingly foreign form to coexist with the surrounding brick and cedar residences.
photograph by © Timothy Hursley
The lower level opens up onto the pool terrace, establishing a transparent base that allows visitors to flow freely from outside to inside. This transparency and the volume of the living room that extends up to the second level allows the building to feel larger than itself.
photograph by © Timothy Hursley
Along the pool-side of the second level, stacked bunk alcoves provide space for six guest, extending the use of the modest structure from pool house to bunk house. The bunks are illuminated by a horizontal band of light. Cubbies and closets are carefully integrated into the bunks recalling the interior of a ship’s cabin with a continuous wall of storage and sleeping quarters.
The subdued gesture of the building form is juxtaposed with a landscape of plants, bushes, and trees that is inhabited by ceramic alligators, carved stone birds, and an imposing 3000 lb. dinosaur. However, rather than contrasting, the relatively wild backyard seems the perfect setting for the Pool House. They work as opposites often do: the building calms the wild landscape and together they provide a place of refuge and retreat.
photograph by © Timothy Hursleyphotograph by © Timothy Hursley
Project Info :
Architects : Marlon Blackwell Architects
Cost : $178,000
Project Year : 2013
Project Area : 945.0 ft2
Photographs : Timothy Hursley
General contractor : Blessings Construction
Project Location : Springdale, United States
Structural Engineer Myers-Beatty Engineering, PLLC
Design Team : Marlon Blackwell, FAIA / Meryati Johari Blackwell, AIA, NCIDQ, ASID, LEED AP BD+D / William Burks, Assoc. AIA / Bradford Payne, Assoc. AIA / Stephen Kesel
Sophie Tremblay is a Montreal-based architectural editor and designer with a focus on sustainable urban development. A McGill University architecture graduate, she began her career in adaptive reuse, blending modern design with historical structures. As a Project Editor at Arch2O, she curates stories that connect traditional practice with forward-thinking design. Her writing highlights architecture's role in community engagement and social impact. Sophie has contributed to Canadian Architect and continues to collaborate with local studios on community-driven projects throughout Quebec, maintaining a hands-on approach that informs both her design sensibility and editorial perspective.