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Perhaps the only way to improve upon a 35-acre property that has a modern, resort-inspired home and panoramas of the rugged Elk Mountains and the gorgeous Lenado valley is to build a lap pool and pavilion on the site. So that’s precisely what the owners of this property did—with help from the architect who designed their home a decade ago, Sarah Broughton of Rowland & Broughton Architecture and Urban Design.
“The property is on a mesa, and we positioned the pool and pavilion to take advantage of the surrounding mountains and the views,” Broughton says. Situated on an elevated patio at the end of a meandering stone path that begins at the main house, the flat-roofed, 500-square-foot pavilion riffs on the home’s design with a broad, horizontal overhang and an edited palette of materials in neutral tones. Its abundant glass walls are complemented by zinc and Parklex (a resin wood material) cladding on the exterior. Inside the pavilion are a comfortable lounge space, small kitchen, and guest bath/changing area; lift-and-slide glass doors open to the outdoor cooking and dining spaces, complete with a fire pit and custom sofas.
The sleek structure delivers a satisfying contrast to the craggy beauty of the surrounding mountaintops. “The landscape is so rugged that there’s something pleasing about having very clean lines juxtaposing the mountains,” Broughton says. “I love that the pavilion is part of the larger, 35-acre master plan, but it has its own spirit and soul. It invites you to discover another part of the property and allows this new experience to unfold.”