Free Float: A 2020 Winner for Outdoor Spaces

At first thought, the owners of a 3-acre estate in Sands Point, N.Y., were interested in building a traditional poolside cabana that matched the style of their existing house on the property. Soon, they discovered that the restrictions of the neo-traditional aesthetic were preventing them from meeting their goals. They hired local architecture firm The Up Studio and builder True North Development to create a modern design that could achieve the unobstructed views and flexibility they desired.

The result—Free Float—is a modern pool house meant to juxtapose the existing traditional home. The required program was merged into one massing, located on the northeast corner of the site, creating open views of the Long Island Sound and surrounding beaches. Then, a simple shading area was created to protect occupants from the summer sun while still allowing the structure to feel light and open.

For the design to be free of columns, the team embedded steel into the massing block in order to create the open floor plan below. Plus, the firm incorporated generous can lighting in the shade cover to ensure the structure could also be utilized at night.

A small bar area with a sink was added, in addition to an outdoor shower on the exterior. And inside the 588-square-foot pool house, owners have access to a bathroom outfitted with a toilet, a sink, and a bench area with hooks to hang towels and other belongings.