Black vertical cladding and broad sheets of glass set the tone before you even reach the door. The pool house sits beside the water with a sharp profile, while the terrace and swimming pool stretch out in front of it. From the outside, the building reads as a compact volume with clear lines; inside, the plan opens into a lounge, sauna, bathroom and technical room. Douglas timber and a concrete floor give the project its material base.

Dark cladding beside the water

The exterior is built from black profiled cladding with a strong vertical rhythm. That surface catches the light differently across each rib, so the walls never read as flat. Large windows and sliding doors break up the dark shell and draw the eye straight into the interior. This is where the modern pool house becomes legible as a lived-in annex rather than a closed utility block: glazing, doors and openings keep the lounge in view and tie the building to the terrace with swimming pool.

Douglas timber appears in the project as a counterweight to the darker shell. It softens the harder lines of glass and sheet material, and it also shows up inside, where the finish shifts toward lighter surfaces. The concrete floor keeps the base plain and direct. Together these materials keep attention on the geometry of the building: long lines, clear corners and openings placed exactly where the use of the rooms demands them.

The terrace and swimming pool set the scene

The terrace does more than frame the house. It extends the pool house into the garden and gives the glazed side a place to open out. Pale paving runs along the pool edge, reflecting daylight back toward the interior. In the photos, the water sits close to the building, so the lounge and wellness rooms are always read against the pool surface and the hard paving around it. That proximity is what makes the building feel tied to daily use, not set apart from it.

From this side, the pool house glass facade acts as a visual hinge. Open doors expose the lounge furniture, while the black frame of the building holds the view in a tight rectangle. The exterior remains sober, but it is not sealed off. Every opening points back to the terrace with swimming pool, and that repeated connection gives the project its clear indoor-outdoor movement.

A lounge arranged around light and heat

Inside, the lounge is anchored by a built-in fireplace set into a light wall. The firebox sits low and square, which keeps the wall calm while giving the room a clear focal point. A long table and seating group occupy the floor in front of the glazing, so the room can be read as both sitting area and informal gathering space. With the doors open, the lounge extends directly to the terrace; with them closed, the glass still keeps the pool visible.

The room is not overloaded with finish or decoration. White surfaces, dark frames and the concrete floor do most of the work. The result is a pool house lounge that feels measured by its openings rather than by ornament. Light comes in from the terrace side, while the fireplace adds a fixed element on the opposite wall. That contrast between glass and masonry-like surface keeps the room grounded and easy to read.

Openings that keep the interior connected

The large doors do the most important spatial work here. When they are open, the edge between inside and outside almost disappears; when they are shut, the reflections in the glass still pull the pool into the room. This makes the lounge a space of movement rather than enclosure. Chairs, table and fireplace remain visible from the terrace, so the interior becomes part of the pool setting instead of a separate annex behind it.

Sauna and bathroom behind a glass division

The wellness zone sits behind a glazed partition, which keeps the rooms legible without making them fully closed off. A sauna with light timber lining and built-in benches occupies one side. On the other side, the bathroom area includes a toilet and shower, all within the same cluster of rooms. The glass division brings a little distance between them, but the layout remains compact and easy to follow.

This is the part of the project where the pool house sauna becomes a clear functional sequence. You move from the lounge toward the wellness rooms, and then into the smaller sanitary zone. The timber inside the sauna changes the material mood, but the floor and glass keep the transition controlled. Nothing is hidden by decorative layers; the rooms are defined by surfaces, fixtures and the way the door swings open.

Materials that keep the plan readable

Douglas timber, glass and concrete are the three materials that hold the project together. Each one appears in a different role. The timber gives the structure warmth without pushing it into rustic language. The glass removes visual weight from the walls and keeps the pool in sight. Concrete forms a steady base underfoot. Because the materials are so clearly assigned, the plan remains easy to understand even when the programme shifts from lounge to sauna to technical room.

A compact plan with room for practical use

Alongside the living and wellness spaces, the pool house also includes a technical room for the swimming pool. That detail matters, because it places the practical support spaces inside the same building rather than behind it. The volume therefore works on two levels: it serves the pool terrace and it houses the rooms that make the outdoor setting usable. The plan stays compact, but it is not reduced to one function.

Seen as a whole, the project depends on proportion more than on gesture. The black cladding gives the exterior its dark frame, the glazing opens the lounge toward the terrace, and the sauna and bathroom are tucked behind a glass division. That sequence makes the pool house easy to read from both sides of the glass. It is a direct project, built around the pool, the terrace and the rooms that sit beside them.

For readers looking for more completed examples, see the pool house projects, explore other sauna and wellness rooms, browse similar garden room projects or view more outdoor living projects.