The Old School House

A luxury pool house and leisure space

“The whole project looks ace. The space and look that Ashleigh created is just what we wanted. We use it virtually every day.”

Charlie Playfair

Our brief

Nestled in a much sought-after corner of the Cotswolds, The Old School House is a highly desirable private residence, possibly dating back to the early eighteenth century. Set in extensive grounds, the house already had an outdoor swimming pool, but the current owners could see that building a brand new pool house would give them the opportunity to add a fitness and leisure suite and a playroom at the same time.

This was an ambitious project in both scope and scale. So we were delighted to be invited to respond to the brief.

Our proposal

Right from the first walk-through, the potential of The Old School House inspired both us and our client

By demolishing an existing outbuilding, we would be able to site the new pool house in a prime position between the main property and the patio and pool area. The newly imagined space would incorporate changing facilities, showers, a fully equipped gym and a games area on the upper storey for the couple’s children and their friends.

The finished pool house would be completed in a semi-rustic style, similar to a traditional Cotswold barn but with a contemporary interior throughout the gym, changing rooms and open plan playroom.

The pool house would sit snugly between the main house and the existing pool, allowing breathtaking views of the surrounding hills and valleys. The less attractive plant machinery, including a large oil tank, would be housed behind a stone wall.

We proposed sustainably sourced larch timber cladding on the exterior, rather than a heavier stone, to give the building the feel of a classic Cotswolds barn, with a long, low sloping roof of more traditional slate tiles. “I often choose larch for these projects,” Ashleigh explains. “Larch weathers down naturally over time to a lovely silver look. “

“This makes the building look older than it actually is – as though it’s been there almost as long as the original property.”

Working alongside other contractors

No architect works in isolation. We pride ourselves on clear and collaborative communication with all the different contractors and suppliers involved in bringing a project to life. Adding to our excitement about The Old School House project was the opportunity to collaborate with one of our longstanding associates, Susan Dunstall of Susan Dunstall Garden Design who designed and created the stunning poolside landscaping. Surrounding the new pool house is the patio area, with an outdoor barbecue and kitchen, a shaded area beneath a vine-covered pergola and Mediterranean-inspired planting interspersed with lavender bushes.

Designing with ambition

“The balancing act with any historical or heritage project is creating something new that looks like it’s always been there.”

Ashleigh Clarke, Architect

The Old School House is already built on a grand scale. “But we were always encouraged and supported by our client to ‘think bigger!’” says Ashleigh. “We both shared that ambition to create a new building that looked like it belonged there.”

“That was really exciting. We made the new pool house as big as it could be, without sacrificing the integrity of the whole property. ”

As experts in historic and heritage buildings, we made sure that everything – from the size of the building to the materials we chose – was in sympathy with the style and size of the Old School House itself.

A vaulted ceiling – and a ‘secret hideout’ for the kids

Our initial brief had included the creation of a playroom and games area in the new building, so we designed an airy open plan space in the upper storey that would run the entire length of the pool house. The choice to build a one and a half storey allowed us to create a delightful, vaulted ceiling, with four conservation roof lights. From the outside, this means that the roofline is still subservient to the main house, but inside, the children’s games area feels like a ’secret hideaway’ – well away from the grown-ups. Plus, there was plenty of room for a pool table.

“When the client emailed to say his kids absolutely loved their upstairs play area and would sleep there given half the chance,” Ashleigh smiles, “It made our day. We’d probably join them!”

The Old School House – designed for living

It’s been a joy to be part of this transformational project. The new pool house is a perfect balance of form and function, blending into its new surroundings as if to the manor born.

Read our other case study here.