Photography by Dror Baldinger courtesy of Poteet Architects.
In the King William neighborhood of San Antonio, behind a house dating from the 1890s, architect Jim Poteet designed a modern pool and pavilion of uncommon synergy.
For the patio, “We didn’t want one of those big stone expanses” that are so common in Texas, says Poteet, so they used Texas limestone slabs interlaid with gapped 2-inch by 2-inch garapa wood decking.
One of the project’s main design challenges was to create the right exit out of the pavilion. Poteet’s solution is a sliding door that opens directly over the pool, so (adventuresome) occupants exit straight into the water.
Poteet worked with the contractor to create the pavilion’s sliding door.
Poteet is especially proud of his firm’s solution to the common problem of “the spa ruining the geometry of the pool.” They created a runnel—an “architects-only word,” meaning a channel—about 12 feet long and cut into the limestone, linking the spa and pool.
The pavilion itself is three parts: the main lounge space, an adjunct storage space, and an outdoor shower. The outdoor shower—an oversized barrel in blue and white—sits on a gravel plot for drainage.
The pavilion’s screen walls are made of copper, confusingly called “bronze screen.” Poteet likes it for durability and warmth.
The wet bar inside the pavilion is not a full kitchen—there are no cooking appliances—but an outdoor kitchen with grill sits nearby. The kitchenette is actually recessed into the bike storage volume so it doesn’t take up space inside the pavilion.
The other end of the pavilion is anchored by a chimney volume of waxed, hard-troweled plaster.
Rather, says Poteet, “It’s just a wonderful thing to have. It’s there for Christmas day when it’s 50 degree outside, or on those odd times when it actually feels cool.”
Poteet says this project “offers everything that makes life in South Texas pleasant,” including freedom from mosquitoes, easy access to cocktails, ceiling fans for breeze, and a wood-burning fire.
The backyard extends beyond the pool to include an outdoor kitchen (at far left) and seating area with wood-burning fire pit.
“It’s a fairly subtle project from the photos,” says Poteet, “But the actual reality of it—going to a party there, at night—is really impressive.” His clients have hosted sit-down dinners in the pavilion, and parties for 200 people spread across the grounds.
Shortly after the project’s completion, Poteet’s clients posted a photo on Facebook of the family enjoying their new backyard.
The site plan shows the location of the outdoor kitchen, with easy access to both the pool and fire pit.
The lateral section shows the outbuilding floating over the edge of the pool, and a slight slope beneath the pavilion to allow for drainage.
The pool and pavilion in the neighborhood context shows the property just across the street from the San Antonio River.