Poolhouse

Quite close to where I live is a house that encapsulates some of the tensions that I think have gripped Boulder for the past few decades. They’re not so much the tensions of the type that might grip neighborhoods in places like DC: endemic and engrained crime, gentrification, and poverty. Rather, these are strains of a different sort – over identity and the perceived or desired character of community.

This house began like this –

A fairly unassuming early twentieth century cottage, and – importantly – one that fit into the neighborhood rather innocuously. Relatively recently, I understand, the house was sold and the new owner decided to make some changes…

This new addition, currently under construction, will hold an indoor pool.

This is certainly quite an addition. And, I think, regardless of how one ultimately feels about it, an extravagance. A pool – let alone an indoor pool – is not the norm for a neighborhood house.

Some folks around here like it, some don’t care, and others are appalled. Fairly soon after I moved here, someone from the latter camp scrawled something to the effect of ‘THIS IS DISGUSTING!!’ across the fence in front of the house. In response, the owner cleaned up the graffiti, and indignantly hung a piece of 8”x11” paper and asked future taggers to please write their comments and complaints on that instead. Perhaps that’s just the en vogue conflict resolution strategy around here…

My thoughts? Sure, as I noted above, I do think it is extravagant – but if the neighborhood disgruntlement with the house is ultimately based in some type of class critique, I really couldn’t care. Boulder has money now – lots of it. That is just the reality. To pretend that it remains the wholly bohemian community of memory or myth is to willingly ignore the here and now. (Note - that is not to say that such values should not be prized.)

At the end of the day, I think the architecture of the poolhouse is unique. And I certainly find it more aesthetically appealing than those McMansions on mansion-sized blocks: i.e., those new or renovated houses that seem to take up nearly every square foot of their property. I suppose I’d rather have differentiation and character in the neighborhood than sameness for the sake of a remembered or misremembered past.