NATATORIUM
Newton, MA.
The Natatorium addition to a Dutch Colonial Revival home is a swimmer’s respite. Located in the Boston suburbs, the structure for a two lane Olympic-size pool offers a family of swimmers a calm location for exercise and play away from the rush of modern life.
Contrasting from the roof lines of the surrounding vernacular New England homes, a central design feature is an undulating triangulated array of wood beams that create a shallow parabolic shape, giving the entire 100’ long room a sense of motion and rhythym meant to reference both waves and the rhythmic pattern of swimming strokes. Exposed structural glulam beams zig zagging across the ceiling emphasize the roof’s twisting geometry from the interior.
The primary palette of materials is an intentional application of wood, plaster, and porcelain tile that consider the conditions of light and the characteristics of a dynamic surface of water. Introducing natural light while maintaining privacy and minimizing glare on the water’s surface is achieved through incorporating protruding bay windows along the south wall that diffuse direct light by bouncing it off the opaque interior surfaces of the bay windows. Along the north wall, a skylight captures ambient light and illuminates a feature wall of grooved douglas fir. To supplement the abundant natural light, the pool room is illuminated by light fixtures carefully designed to softly uplight and reflect off of the wood ceiling such that no light sources aim towards the water to distract the swimmer's focus.
The contrasting climates of the cold winter conditions of New England and the warm and humid conditions of the pool are critical variables in the detailing of the building assembly and present a challenge in sustainably maintaining a constant temperature. A variety of technologies will be used to offset the energy consumption of the pool. A continuous vapor barrier and rigid polyiso insulation will be applied to the exterior side of the stud cavity to prevent thermal bridging through the wall and roof structure. Where windows and skylights are located, triple-pane glazing will be used, and supply air provided to prevent condensation. Heat generated by the humidity control system offsets the energy load to heat the pool. A large array of geothermal wells makes use of the ground temperature's consistency to both assist in heating and cooling the pool house and the main residence.
