When our clients returned from a tropical vacation with daily enjoyment of a plunge pool to face the realities of a deteriorating elevated wooden deck, their dreams of swimming regularly mixed with the pragmatic need to replace the deck and our backyard oasis project was born. The existing deck off the 1st floor Family and Dining Rooms sits a level above the walk-out finished basement. The rear yard slopes down to the southeast toward the adjacent Wissahickon Valley Park, a preserved and naturally wild forest habitat.
We designed an enlarged deck off the 1st-floor living spaces with ample space for casual seating, dining and grilling. Down a short half-flight of stairs, we created the plunge pool and a bluestone terrace. The 14’ square plunge pool features bi-level underwater bench seating and chest-deep water at the infinity edge overlooking the natural beauty of the park.
Over the pool, we designed a timber frame roof canopy to provide shade and concealed uplighting creates a soft warm glow on the wooden ceiling at night. Local Wissahickon schist and PA bluestone are featured prominently and complement the warmth of the Douglas Fir timbers and Craftsman-inspired columns and carpentry.
