Image Credit: Gardner Architects LLC

Cordova Farm

Cordova, Maryland.  Gardner Architects LLC.

Set amidst sweeping cornfields, the Cordova Farm project is a study in threshold and contrast. The intervention introduces a crisp, modern volume that touches the existing historic farmhouse lightly, establishing a clear, respectful separation between old and new while creating a hybrid program that seamlessly marries a family room, an entertaining porch, and a pool house.

The addition is designed to reach directly out into the agrarian landscape. To resolve a change in grade, two strategically planted earthen berms elevate the pool terrace to meet the finished floor of the new family room. When the expansive bi-fold doors are thrown open, the interior and exterior merge into one another, inviting the sights and textures of the surrounding fields into the heart of the home. A cantilevered roofline hovers over the terrace, visually drawing the water of the pool deep into the interior spaces.

Key Design Strategies:

  • The Cantilevered Threshold: A deep cantilevered roof projects over the lounge terrace, creating a shaded transition zone that visually pulls the pool water into the interior.

  • Dissolving Enclosures: When the high-performance bi-fold doors are retracted, the family room opens completely to the elements, allowing a seamless flow of air, light, and view.

  • Elevating the Terrain: Two engineered, planted berms raise the pool terrace, ensuring a completely flush, barrier-free connection between the indoor living spaces and the pool deck.

  • The Windbreak Wall: The pool axis terminates at a robust concrete plank wall facing the northwest. This structural element provides crucial wind protection while serving as a stark, beautiful boundary line between the refined pool deck and the wild cornstalks beyond.

Through a disciplined material palette and thoughtful site grading, Cordova Farm creates a harmonious dialogue between historic rural architecture and minimalist modern design.

Project Team

  • Gardner Architects LLC - Architect

  • Lane Engineering - Civil Engineer

  • Campion Hruby Landscape Architects - Landscape Architect

  • Cobb Architectural Engineers - Structural Engineer