The homeowners had reached out to me pre-COVID-19,” recalls architect Jim Rill when referencing the pool house and pavilion he designed in the tree-filled backyard of a Great Falls residence.
“They had wanted to better utilize their outdoors space for entertaining. They have two older daughters, so they wanted a place for cookouts, graduation parties [and] family events and to be able to spend more time outdoors,” he says.
Though the concept was originally for a screened unit, the pool house quickly evolved into a wood-framed structure, with a standing seam metal roof, sliding stacking glass doors, a kitchen and a bar.
“It became a room that was big enough for eating, lounging and cooking, with heating and air, surround sound, all the bells and whistles,” adds Rill.
The space also has exposed 1-by-4-inch rafters of stained fir carried over as detailing into the kitchen and bar, which feature custom cabinetry and quartzite counters.
“The natural materials give you that feeling of indoor-outdoor connectivity,” says Rill, adding that “even the flooring is flush with the Pennsylvania bluestone from the pavilion outside.”
Interior designer Annette Hannon helped with furnishings and selections, and the landscaping was done by Jay Graham. The Alpine Pools full-length pool has integrated LED lighting.
“Our vision was to create a pavilion that worked within the context of the site and created a symbiotic indoor-outdoor space with seamless transition between the two,” says Rill, who adds that there has been a great deal of interest in designing or upgrading a variety of outdoor spaces since the pandemic.
This story appeared in our March issue as part of a roundup on luxury outdoor spaces. For more stories like this, subscribe to our monthly magazine.
