Fargo lies along the Red River, part of the Great Plains region, where massive herds of bison once roamed its vast, flat expanse, and some of the richest farmland in the world yields bumper crops of sugar beets and spring wheat. The climate here is considered “continental.” Translation: frigid winters and hot, humid summers. Suitable for crops, more challenging for people. “We enjoy winter when it’s in the 20s–40s with no wind, but that doesn’t happen very often,” says homeowner Austin Morris, explaining one reason why he decided to ask his friend, architect Jackson Strom, to design a backyard pool house for his family’s home along the river.
Photography by Spacecrafting
Morris and his wife built the main house eight years ago. At that time, the couple didn’t consider a pool because they had access to their parent’s lake cabins within about an hour’s drive from Fargo. However, as their family grew to include three children, and they began having their kids’ friends and parents over for casual dinners, outdoor movies and yard games, the idea of a backyard pool began to take root. “There’s something special about kids having an incredible time creating games and laughing for hours in and out of the water,” explains Morris.
As they thought about it and cruised the internet for inspiration, the backyard pool morphed into a backyard pool structure for swimming and entertainment — an all-weather, year-round getaway. They wanted it to have a more modern look than the main house but not so modern that they didn’t relate to each other. That’s when the Morrises brought in the professionals — Strom and kitchen designer Kaitlyn Stokes of Belle Kitchen. “They had so many great ideas,” recalls Strom. “Our challenge was to refine all the elements to make them work together.” Stokes agrees, “Our goal was to combine function and beauty.”
Strom delivered a modern aesthetic in a simple 20-by-62-foot structure topped with a dramatic shed roof to capture the backyard, river bluff and open sky views. They employed the same horizontal siding, cedar soffits and color palette as the main house to ensure their compatibility. Clerestory windows, skylights and retractable window walls make the space feel like being outside, catching breezes off the river and the sounds of crickets at night when open while preserving privacy year-round from neighbors.
Inside, there’s a promise of fun and escape, beginning with the 14-by-14-foot saltwater pool, a perfect size for kids yet plenty big enough for adults who want to cool off or enjoy the unique pleasure of swimming while snow falls outside the clear windows. On one end, a waterfall cascades from a copper scupper with a variable flow rate so the Morrises can adjust the vibe from a tranquil burble to a lively deluge. It’s set in a verdant moss wall that operates like visual oxygen in the depths of winter. An adjacent seating area is warmed by radiant tile floors that keep the space toasty year-round.
And since this is more than just a place for swimming — it’s a veritable vacation destination in the backyard — the Morrises also incorporated a high-end kitchen and dining area where they can celebrate kids’ birthdays, watch parties for sporting events and host movie and pizza nights. “They have almost a full kitchen with a refrigerator, Wolf speed oven, ice maker, dishwasher and sink,” Stokes points out. “The only thing we didn’t put in was a cooktop.” A two-tiered island built by general contractor Eric Berg was a practical choice, with table seating for kids, a beverage fridge and storage at counter height. The back wall of the kitchen is taken up by a bank of European-style cabinetry from Leicht, a mix of reeded walnut and carbon lacquer that fit the warm modern look and — because they’re made of MDF and veneer — won’t warp in the high-humidity space. A Shou Sugi Ban (Japanese for “charred cedar or cypress”) wall behind the island anchors the long room, providing a stylishly textured natural element.
“This couple knew what they wanted and were willing to take it all the way there,” says Strom. “They were such a joy to work with, and none of it would have been possible without our project manager, Shea Selly, who brought everything together and made even the most complex details feel seamless.”
When the weather is warm and mild, the glass walls slide back, and the property’s full potential is realized with a thoughtful landscape design by Bryan Leininger of AGL Landscape Architects. An amenity-rich extension of the pool house, this area includes a dropdown video screen with cozy seating for outdoor family movie nights, various outdoor lighting (subtle or festive), unobtrusive speakers hidden in the cedar steps and a gas fire pit. Leininger also used his knowledge of the native tallgrass to evoke a sense of place, installing plants like prairie dropseed, miscanthus and specimen prairie flowers to soften the harder edges of the patio and pool house, focus views and create a sense of enclosure around outdoor spaces. The Red River got its due, too. “A flood levee sits between the Morrises’ home and the river itself, so we used a plant palette that obscured the levee and focused views towards the wooded riverfront in the background,” says Leininger.
The whole setting has given the family a one-stop shop for fun — and a much-appreciated way to make winter more enjoyable. “Jackson is a genuine and kind person who’s also a talented designer,” says Morris. “He showed us early on what it could look like through interior and exterior renderings, which was helpful, and it turned out even better than we could have ever imagined.”
Architect: Strom Architecture
Kitchen Designer: Belle Kitchen
Builder: Eric Berg Construction
Landscape Architect: AGL Landscape Architects
