ranch recreation

structural: smith structural engineers
photographer: whit preston

Swimming Pavilion

The site is located on a Texas hill country ranch of live oaks and cedar-covered craggy hills, within a deep valley of creeks feeding a pond, 30 minutes remote from the nearest town.  The client wished to create a destination for family and friends, taking advantage of the pond, with accommodation enough to be comfortable for a day-long outing of swimming and fishing.       

Skeet Shooting Platform

Safety and enjoyment of the setting were the primary goals for the design of the structure, high on a hill.  An asymmetrical gable lifts toward the eastward valley view with the extended side shading the west, like a visor.

There is no infrastructure in the vicinity; a rooftop solar array provides power, and water is hand-carried in by visitors to the site.  To protect local flora, the construction zone was tightly restricted and native plants were introduced for revegetation.