On a high hill in East Haddam, Connecticut, there is a 25-acre site with gently rolling fields, bluffs, and a spectacular, long-range view of layered hills to the south. An existing three-story house built in the 1990s occupied the site when the present owners acquired this property. Their programming needs included house renovations, kitchen and patio porch expansions, new pool house with outdoor pool, new six-car garage, new tennis pavilion and tennis court, along with extensive new retaining walls, patio areas, driveways, and landscaping. Fellner Architects designed all of the architectural elements to be coherent with the existing home’s hybrid Queen Anne Victorian/Colonial Farmhouse Style, with a touch of 1990s Post-modern flavor.

The 220 s.f. tennis pavilion consists of a low, enveloping stone wall base and an array of classical columns with perimeter entablature. In turn, this supports an elongated hipped roof, traversed by an arch on the central axis. The wood finish material, cedar shingles, and arched metal roof match the materials of the other structures. A stone patio with steps cascade down to the tennis court. 

The simple geometry and form of the tennis pavilion evokes the notion of a temple, serving as a cradle for leisure and recreational viewing. Its placement in the landscape responds to the site’s terrain and rural character, as well as forming a perpetual dialogue with the tennis court, while being cognizant and in harmony with scenic vistas.