"A Simple Pool House, A Shed, Really": The Story of Glennifer Farm
[Residential/Custom Build]
The poolhouse, perfectly sunkissed and surrounded by the historic buildings on the site
It started, as so many beloved projects do, with a modest request: "a simple pool house, a shed, really." It ended as the home the owners couldn't wait to move into.
The Poolhouse at Glennifer Farm is among the projects dearest to LMA, set on two adjoining farms that have been in the same family for generations. From the beginning, this was never just a building on a site, it was a new chapter in a family's long relationship with a piece of land, designed for both the immediate family and the extended family who gather there.
The land came first
The site's original structure was a modest brick house built by the local blacksmith, its three-wythe-thick masonry walls constructed from brick sourced from the property itself. A house literally made of the land it stands on set a high bar for anything built beside it.
Today the farm holds two large homes. One of them is the poolhouse LMA designed.
The poolhouse through the window of the original house
Designed from what the farm already knew
The home is unmistakably modern, but its DNA comes from the farm. LMA measured the siding spacing of the property's corn crib to match it on the new exterior, and drew the window proportions from both the crib and the historic main house. The result: a brand-new building with the shape, proportions, and textures of a farm it has always belonged to.
The poolhouse beside the corn crib The great room in the center of the poolhouse
And one thread runs the other direction. From the beginning, the owners wanted blue in the design, not as an accent, but as part of the form itself. The boxed entry form of the entrance hall is painted blue with white windows, and the main volumes of the house (living area and bedrooms) have white siding with blue window frames and trim. Then the owners went a step further: they painted the historic house's windows blue, too. The old farm shaped the new home; the new home now colors the old.
The blue of the windows on the original home The blue in the entrance hall of the poolhouse
An evolving design
What began as a request for a recreation space evolved, through close collaboration with the owners, into something far more: a permanent residence designed for everyday living and large family gatherings alike. An adaptable great room anchors the home, private bedroom suites offer retreat, and the pool integrates seamlessly with the house, spaces for connection and spaces for quiet, under one roof.
The plan also looks to the future. A flexible layout allows the home to function as a rental if ever needed, and a dedicated lower-level suite awaits a live-in caregiver, supporting the owners' long-term goal of aging in place, on the land their family has always called home.
The rear of the poolhouse under construction
The poolhouse reflected beautifully in the pool An at-home office with a beautiful view
The twist
While the home was designed for a later stage of life, the owners moved in just a few years after completion. They simply loved it too much to wait. Enriched by their thoughtfully curated art collection, the residence has become a welcoming home that honors the property's history while making room for celebration, family, and ordinary days.
On LMA's most recent visit, the owners pulled out a few rolls of drawings from a closet, the original construction documents used to build the home. A firm can receive no better review: they love living in this home as much as LMA loved designing it.
The original construction documents used to build the poolhouse
Read more about the early process in this project on the blog, Three New Projects!
Comments