Structure. Bailey House Pierre Koenig Los Angeles, California defining tool for pools capabilities

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1 defining tool for pools capabilities Bailey House Pierre Koenig Los Angeles, California 1959 Structure plays a seminal role in the organization of pools within architecture. Pools can become a part of the structural symphony in the way columns and beams are placed, or they can play an influential role in the strategic positioning of buildings to incorporate pools at large civic scales. In the domestic home, it is often seen that structure and pools intertwine to create spatial suggestions. In the Bailey House, steel columns are placed in a large L-shape with beams spanning horizontally. The pool then wraps the perimeter of the building, with columns ending flush with the edge of the moat. In civic projects with pools at much larger scales than the domestic, structure is defined at the urban scale, with buildings used to frame the parameters of the pool, as seen in the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool and the Oklahoma City Bombing Memorial. In some instances, such as Herzog & de Meuron s Serpentine Pavilion and the Walterbos Complex, the structure of the architecture and the theatrics of the pool become one, with structure providing the actual framework in which the pool can exist. Bedroom 1 Bedroom 2 Living Room Kitchen Carport Structure pushes the pool to the perimeter of the building, visually suggesting the house is gently floating on a small pond Columns end flush with the edge of the pool structure beam column float scale

2 Serpentine Pavilion Herzog & de Meuron Hyde Park, London 2012 pool slab The structure of HdM s Serpentine Pavilion allows for the formation of a shallow pool on top of the roof. By sinking the pavilion into the ground while maintaining 2 feet of clearance between the highest ground point and the roof, HdM s pool hovers effortlessly above the ground, transforming ideas about how pools should interact with their environment. In this instance, the pool is separated from ground and provides shelter for visitors. structural columns columns represent each of the previous serpentine pavilions, while supporting the pool slab 2 feet above grade, giving the sensation the pool is floating sunken floor plate the primary space is lowered into the ground, creating seating and impromptu stages structure shelter function grade hover

3 Singleton House Richard Neutra Los Angeles, California 1959 The structure of the Singleton House phyiscally incorporates the small reflecting pool, producing a suggestive frame in which the pool sits. Unlike the Serpentine Pavilion, where structure lifts the pool off the ground allwoing it to become shelter for visitors, the beam and clumn that wraps the Singleton Pool exists to provide a frame through which the pool and surrounding nature can be viewed. structure is pushed to the outer edge of the pool, suggesting the pool is part of the entire spatial sequence glass corners allow for the visual continuation of the living room into the pool the pool physically hugs the corner of the interior floor slab, providing both continuity of space, and juxtaposition of material frame created by the extension of structure over the pool structure visual continuity frame

4 Structural Organization Bailey House Pierre Koenig Los Angeles, California 1959 Serpentine Pavilion Herzog & de Meuron Hyde Park, London 2012

5 Therme Vals Peter Zumthor Vals, Switzerland 1996 The Therme Vals by Peter Zumthor offer an interesting look at the relationship between structure, planometric organization, and pool architecture. Pools, rooms, and circulation were roughly organized by large blocks of stone. These blocks were then carved into to create a spatial choreography that defines the usage of pools. For each pool, circulation leads directly into the body of water, which blurs the transition between pool and space. Beyond their performative functions, the pools are considered part of the elaborate spatial sequence that offer a break from the consistent stone ground. In addition, the placement of certain pools within small chambers or outside adds to the importance the pools have on the spatial experience of the user. carve block organize circulation

6 Therme Vals Peter Zumthor Vals, Switzerland 1996