This Pavilion-Style Pool House In Northern Spain Is Inspired By Japanese Design Philosophy

This stunning pool house designed by Spanish studio Baldó Arquitectura is called the Godai Pavilion, and it is characterized by a generous use of bamboo and an impressive overhanging roof. The pool house was created for a home located in rural Cantabria, in northern Spain. The structure is heavily inspired by Japanese design and features many of its unique details.

Designer: Baldó Arquitectura

The Godai Pavilion was designed in accordance with the local climate, and to boast the natural materials used to build it. The pool house is built to the south of the site, in turn building an enclosed courtyard garden with other pre-existing buildings on the site. “The pavilion [creates] a dialogue between different architectures, with the pool as a central element and a link between the existing home and the new pavilion,” the studio said.

The name and design of the pool house are inspired by the Japanese philosophy of godai, which is based on the five fundamental elements – fire, earth, water, wind, and space. You can see the concept in the structure’s large roof, and the sheer transparency of the facades, which showcase the surrounding landscape. You can see that the facades of the structure make a slow shift from solid to void, and are covered with bamboo slats. The slats follow the Fibonacci sequence and are designed to offer privacy to the building and control the natural lighting. The pavilion was constructed using bamboo, which brings to mind the image of Japanese-style tatami rooms. The ceilings are also inspired by the art of origami.

The interior of the pavilion is marked by a triple-aspect living space, which leads to a timber deck, where steps take you to the pool. Besides bamboo other materials were also integrated into the pavilion such as cork, local pine, mineral rock wool insulation, and recycled oriented strand board panels.

Various passive design systems for solar and rain protection were also integrated into the structure, for example, a large roof that offers plenty of shade and reduces solar gain. “The local climate takes on a fundamental value, where strong winds, rain, and summer sun become protagonists,” explained the studio.