Dry Creek Poolhouse / Ro I Rockett Design

Architects: Ro I Rockett Design
Location: United States
Area: 301.0 m2
Project Year: 2016
Photographs: Adam Rouse Photography

Structural Engineer: Berkeley Structural Design
Civil Engineer: Kelder Engineering, Kurt T. Kelder
General Contractor: JMH Consultants, Jon Hallengren

Text description provided by the architects. Anchored by an inventive reuse of local materials on a constrained lot in a beautiful Sonoma County landscape, this project started as a country retreat and evolved into a full-time residence. The desired program added a pool, poolhouse, outdoor living area, gardens, bocce court and guest arrival with overflow parking. The property was long and narrow, hugging a busy roadway but situated to look beyond the constraints to spectacular vistas of rolling vineyards and classic coastal California ridgelines beyond.

The budget was tight and the aspirations were large. The design raises the pool high on the prop-erty and cuts the pool house into the hillside – allowing the horizon of the pool edge to edit the view to the road below. Nestled into the hill with its back to the trees, the new, earthen ground plane acts as a primitive plinth that supports a rustic enclosure. The prime program of the pool house is wrapped in grape stakes gathered from the property and re-sawn to operate as a shroud to the private innards of the building.

This cladding provides solid walls where necessary and opens to the view where desirable. The modest interior footprint seamlessly expands to the terrace beyond with the help of a rough-sawn trellis that floats overhead, providing needed shade in the hottest times of day.

Conceived as a rustic retreat for a couple of city dwellers, the property quickly became a full-time respite that lives and breathes the Sonoma County lifestyle.