Imagine the luxury of having a U.S. Tennis Association regulation tennis court fit for professionals in your back yard. Then imagine being able to enjoy it 365 days per year, rain or shine. This indoor tennis court is unique to Englewood and unrivaled in Bergen. Sitting on 3.8 acres of woods, the building is described as a "green building" by Paul Keyes, principal, Paul Keyes Associates, who conceived the plan for the court and its surrounding building and grounds. The three-year, multi-million-dollar facility is environmentally friendly, maintenance-free with a low site impact.
There is a house attached to the structure with a bedroom, bath and kitchen. The natural environment that surrounds both buildings will eventually conceal the contemporary structures. Covering only seven percent of the property, the 7,000 sq. ft. building is essentially a home health club with sauna, gym and deluxe audio-visual system.
When the homeowner approached Paul Keyes to assume control of the project, Keyes made it clear that he wanted to preserve the woods. The court would be built on the same footprint as the structure that had been there before, preserving the streams and trees on either side. To reach the building, the owner walks along a gravel trail that leads him to the court. Keyes, who has a bachelor's degree in environmental planning and design and a master's degree in environmental studies, wanted to take advantage of the natural light whenever possible. The building features a translucent roof and numerous glass windows that drench the space with light each day. The beauty of the roof is that it allows colors to come through and to be seen from the court below. "In autumn, it's like viewing a Monet wash with the colors and patterns of the trees seeping through," says Keyes. In the evening, indirect lighting shines up to the ceiling and then reflects down to light the court.
Paul Keyes Associates, Landscape Design and Estate Management Services, 111 North Summit Street, Tenafly, (201) 568-1660, www.paulkeyes.com.
Photos by Michael Bocchieri
