Option 1: ‘Grass Bank’ scheme

We were invited by the owner of a large luxury country house hotel in the UK to provide some design options to explore the feasibility of building a new swimming pool complex within the grounds. The site selected by the owner included an old grade 2 listed bothy structure that needed to be incorporated.

The main concept behind this scheme is to minimise the impact to the landscape and to be deferential (almost subservient) to the existing bothy structure.

In this option, the entire enclosure is covered with a grass roof that slopes up very gently from an existing wide ‘boulevard’ route up to a grass area for sun-lounging that will have amazing views of the surrounding countryside. This grass ‘lid’ will read as though the existing land has been peeled up to reveal a glazed wall around a swimming pool below. Idea being that the existing landscape is still in place. The glazed wall is further animated with expressed timber structural beams and columns like an insect’s legs almost giving the impression that the whole structure could ‘walk off’ into the landscape.

A number of windows would slide open in warmer weather to further promote this idea of being ‘at one’ with nature. The grass roof is also very eco-friendly and improves thermal massing and insulation to the pool building.

 Like the alternative ‘Farmyard’ scheme, the idea here is to keep it very simple, calm and peaceful. A feeling of serenity in the middle of the English countryside is the aim here.