London studio Knox Bhavan has completed a brick pool house project for the owners of a Georgian property in Pembury, Kent
Knox Bhavan has produced a handsome pool and brick pavilion located in Pembury, a stone’s throw away from Tunbridge Wells in Kent. The studio was given an open brief to build an “unobtrusive pool house,” which the practice fulfilled by creating a hardwearing brick structure that embeds itself into the surrounding landscape, being part of a garden scheme involving landscaping by Lloyd Brunt.
Built on top of an existing retaining wall, the pool house boasts a 400mm thick green roof, which acts as a biodiverse mound providing protection and thermal mass. When viewed from the main house, the pool building almost can’t be seen, with only its longitudinal brick spine giving it away. From above, the structure is subsumed into the landscape, making it virtually invisible.
Knox Bhavan ‘s design features a sweeping helix-like curve within this brick spine, which ‘unzips’ to hold back the earth on one side and respond to the swimming pool on the other. The walls later re-join at the rear end of the building, creating an elegant trailing edge that runs into the lawn. The building’s red bricks follow the slope of the hill behind, with its gentle curves in dialogue with the low mound it sits on. This structure is supported by four piers that create a shaded colonnade with a brick soffit and larch shutters to hide the openings. The retaining wall is built in a blockwork system, while the roof is timber and features a drainage mat that funnels water into gullies on the perimeter, irrigating the land in front of the pool.
Inside, the pool house features a simple yet effective design, with a space for storing sun loungers and hanging towels, as well as a sink and fridge. To the right is a circular shower room — complete with oculus, a changing room, and toilet, with the brick continuing to become the interior floor finish. The shower enclosure has a tube-like form, with walls clad in simple white tiles and natural daylight coming from a glazed circular opening above. A storage area, meanwhile, features a simple screed floor and utilitarian plywood finish.
The new pool house is a stark contrast to its predecessor: a black monolithic box with a floor-to-ceiling glazed frontage. The new structure is smaller, 50 per cent smaller in fact, and unlike the previous structure, opens up views from the main house onto the landscape beyond.
“The Pembury pool house is a self-effacing building that manages to be both modest yet striking,” Sasha Bhavan, founding partner at Knox Bhavan, said in a statement. “Built in response to the landscape, it is entirely respectful of what was already there. Our idea was that, upon entering it, you would feel as if you were going into the earth. We anticipate this hardwearing structure will stand for hundreds of years, becoming an elemental component of the surrounding garden.”
“What we wanted to achieve was a pool house that was completely integrated into the landscape,” the client, Paul Hilgers added. “It had to both blend with the garden and also match the over 250-year-old house. It’s been a tremendous success. I really enjoyed working with the team at Knox Bhavan – the execution of the project was great and the budget came in as expected.”
Credits
Client
Paul Hilgers
Architect
Knox Bhavan Architects
Structural engineer
Cooper Associates
Landscape designer
Lloyd Brunt
Contractor
Gardenlink, Andrew Penny Construction
Joinery
Andrew Penny Construction
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Source: Architecture Today
