In early 2017, a family commissioned Josh McCullar Architects to design an innovative modern subterranean health spa and pool nestled beneath a hillside behind their elegant Italianate estate located in Montpelier, Virginia. The owner, architect, and engineers embarked upon an extensive five-year creative venture that involved exploring multiple design iterations to ultimately create a space that transcended the conventional definition of a pool or spa. Our goal was to craft a Gallery in the truest sense, harmonizing artful architecture with the serene experience of contemplation, wellness, and relaxation.

It is a place for experiencing modern art and a place for camaraderie, performance, memory making, and the pure beautiful spectacle that a fully embraced life has the potential to become.

The cast-in-place concrete structure supports a sunny rooftop event lawn and a beautifully terraced landscape surgically embedded into the hillside, creating a harmonious relationship with the existing house above. The lower level indoor space is crafted as a modern natatorium, showcasing an impressive 50-foot lap pool with depths that vary between 3 feet and 5 feet to accommodate a variety of aquatic activities and preferences.

At the back of the space, parallel to the pool, is a custom 50-foot-long vented operable linear skylight that invites an abundance of natural light in, positioned above a structurally robust 26-foot-deep cast-in-place concrete retaining wall that shores up the foundation and existing basement of the adjacent residence. A 50-foot-long sliding glass paneled wall defines the opposite edge of this space, effortlessly opening eastward into an expansive, rolling Piedmont meadow, significantly enhancing the connection to the natural surroundings. The materials used—concrete, plaster, and travertine—evoke a profound sense of weightiness and the enduring permanence reminiscent of a Roman Bath, creating a unique atmosphere that embodies both elegance and strength. The overall design endeavors to unite the essential elements of earth, sky, and water in the service of spa and retreat.

Commissioned works in concrete and glass by mid-western artist, Rob Mathews hang along the back 26’ tall retaining wall below the skylight, and hand-blown glass coral polyps by Richmond & Barcelona artist Kiara Pelissier are displayed at the far end of the space on axis with the shimmering pool.

• Design 2017 - 2021 | Construction 2021 - 2022

• Contractor: Pitts & Associates (Tony Pitts)

• Structural Engineer: Louisa Engineering with Delta Engineers

• Stay tuned for additional photography soon of the exterior roof terraces