Behind the Build: Wellesley Sports Barn & Guest House

When longtime clients purchased the property next door to their previously renovated Wellesley home, they came to Slocum Hall with a vision that was anything but ordinary. They wanted to create a dedicated space for their four athletic sons, while also adding a guest residence that felt fully integrated with the existing estate. The result was a thoughtfully designed two-structure project: a Sports Barn and a Guest House, each serving a distinct purpose yet united architecturally.

Because Wellesley zoning requires a dwelling on a property, the guest house became both a practical solution and an opportunity. Designed to include a small guest apartment, garage parking for four cars with lifts, and a dramatic Lodge Room inspired by one of the family’s favorite Vermont hotels, the building balances utility with warmth. A steel-framed superstructure allowed our team to create a vast, uninterrupted entertaining space complete with a full bar, pool table, and multiple seating areas. A place designed as much for gathering as for overflow accommodations.

Wellesley Sports Barn & Guest House

The Sports Barn was conceived with equal intention. From the exterior, it reads as a classic barn, carefully scaled and detailed to maintain the architectural integrity of the neighborhood and echo the main house. Arched windows and subtle barn-inspired touches elevate the aesthetic, including a distinctive arched window that breaks the cornice at the gambrel gable end. Inside, however, the structure reveals its true purpose: a full-sized basketball court on the main level, and below it, a turf training space ideal for pitching and batting practice, along with locker rooms and baths.

Engineering this vision came with challenges. Achieving the ceiling height required for the lower-level turf field demanded an extra-deep foundation pour, complicated by a high water table. The foundation was designed to act as ballast, allowing groundwater to flow around it, and an intricate pump system was installed to manage any potential infiltration. Both structures rely heavily on structural steel to support the large, uninterrupted spans necessary for the court and lodge spaces.

The Wellesley Sports Barn & Guest House stands as a testament to collaboration, creativity, and technical problem-solving – a project as fun as it was complex. It was recognized with a Silver PRISM Award from the Builders and Remodelers Association of Greater Boston for Best Living Area: Private Residence – Living (Great) Room / Dining Room / Specialty Room.

Most importantly, it’s a place built for movement, gathering, and family. Designed to grow alongside the people who use it every day.