Jester Estates Pool Center

Austin, Texas

The Jester Estates Pool Center was developed to provide private recreational facilities for a hilltop residential development west of downtown Austin. The design is a small village of simple stucco forms that enclose a long pool, buffering it from the street and turning it into a classic reflecting surface. Oriented to capture the prevailing breezes, the structures cast shadows, provide an armature for vines that create dappled light, and channel cool air across the water toward the pavilion, yielding a respite from the hot Texas sun. The bathhouse extends its roof in the form of a trellis to create an entry. The shade pavilion offers a screened view of the woods and playscape, allowing for simultaneous monitoring of children in the pool and on the playscape. Iconic forms and color reminiscent of sea-side architecture mix to create the illusion of vacationing on the islands.