The River Oaks Boulevard Garden Pavilion was a building conceived to replace an existing garage. As the focus of a redesigned pool and garden, it was to combine utility with the architectural flourish of a garden folly. The challenge was to include the different programs—garage, kitchenette, guest suite—in a single structure. We settled on a rectangular plan, rotated 90 degrees with respect to the old garage, and gave it two uniquely articulated façades. The side facing the drive marks the entry to a double-bay garage with a bracketed canopy and two immured second-story dormers. On the garden side, a wide portico runs almost the full length of the building, supported by columns in a scaled, canonical Ionic order and arched side entries. The portico provides a sheltered sitting area adjacent to the pool, while sliding doors give access to the ground-floor kitchenette and second-floor guest suite. A copper-topped roof lantern, the crowning feature of both façades, intimates the building’s affinity with the role of folly.
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