Set in a bucolic residential neighborhood in Ithaca, this spare guest house rests on an existing pool house foundation. Nestled across from an elegant brick main house and complemented by a steel and wood pergola, the guest house creates an intimate setting for an outdoor stone-terraced swimming pool court. The lofty, open plan house soars above the landscape, enjoying views of Lake Cayuga and the far hills beyond. With its clean white walls, black-honed granite floors and minimalist appointments, the house is a contemporary counterpoint to its natural surroundings. Windows frame views to the lake and together with the clerestory windows bathe the house in natural light throughout the day.