2025 Outdoor Design (Landscape with Pool) Winner: Notch House

Photos by Jamie Salomon / Andrew Treworgy

After the clients found a plot of land with an amazing view of Mount Lafayette and Franconia Notch, they met with the architect on the site and began to design a house. The striking profile of the mountains became the inspiration for the massing of the house. The pool was one of the major features in the view of the mountains from the living room. It is designed to be a foreground element, its dark bottom chosen to reflect the color of the mountains. Tinted precast pavers in charcoal with a smooth finish were arranged in a stacked bond pattern to reflect the lines of the house. The wood decking makes a direct material connection to some of the house accents. The landscape includes very few manicured areas; most have been left in a natural state. The lawn near the pool was arranged in rectangular panels to reflect the house again and also to treat it more like an outdoor carpet. The proportion of pavers to the size of the pool was designed to make the pool feel connected to the landscape but not dominate it.

What the judges said: The clean, crisp lines of the swimming pool juxtapose beautifully with the mountainous surroundings. The careful attention to the pool paving details and interplay with wood is exemplary. Especially notable is the ecological advantage and resiliency of a bio pool with less dependence on chemical intervention. It will be exciting to watch the maturation of this new ecosystem.

Paul Lewandowski, AIA
Paul Designs Project in Portland, Maine
207-747-5080
www.pauldesignsproject.com