BOURIL

DESIGN

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Indoor Recreation

Designing spaces for sports, recreation, and play at home requires more than simply finding room for a court. From indoor basketball and pickleball, to private bowling alleys, these spaces bring unique challenges in the scape, structure, and integration with the surrounding home.

PROJECT CHALLENGES

FEATURED PROJECTS

Lake Mendota

Nestled beside the attached garage, this double height space provides a place for pickleball all year round. The upper windows allow for natural light and create exterior continuity with the rest of the home.

Luxury basement golf simulator with padded walls, putting turf, and adjacent bar seating.

Bishops Bay

This basement golf simulator steps down to allow for taller ceilings, the location of the display and seating allow for everyone in the basement living space to participate.

Residential indoor basketball court with hardwood flooring, tall windows, and wall padding.

Cottage Grove

Tucked behind your average suburban home, this double height addition brings the gym to the backyard for drills all year long.

Private indoor recreation facility with pickleball court, exposed steel structure, and upper-level gym.

Verona

Dual indoor courts open to a lower lounge equipped with a bar and golf simulator and an upper level home gym large enough for a whole team of friends.

Private residential bowling alley with two lanes, colorful bowling balls, and modern finishes.

Janesville

This lower level bowling alley takes advantage of a long narrow space created by the floor above for unlimited games all night long.

Custom home addition with indoor basketball court, screened porch, and landscaped backyard.

Verona

This addition houses an indoor basketball court and a screen porch leading to the pool deck. The addition was designed to blend with the existing architectural character of this transitional home.

OUR APPROACH

Room to Play

Recreational spaces often have requirements that differ significantly from those of a typical home. Basketball and pickleball courts need generous floor areas and ceiling heights, while bowling alleys require careful consideration of length, equipment, and circulation.

Accommodating these activities can influence everything from the building's footprint and roof structure to lighting, acoustics, and mechanical systems. Tall spaces require careful consideration of lateral stability, while long spans may call for structural systems not commonly found in residential construction. Fast-moving balls introduce additional considerations for window placement and protection, while natural light and desirable views must be balanced against glare on the playing surface.

Acoustics present another unique challenge. Hard playing surfaces and tall ceilings can amplify echoes and the sounds of activity, while the impact of bouncing balls can transmit noise and vibration into adjacent living spaces. Thoughtful material selection, sound isolation, and the placement of surrounding rooms can help keep recreation spaces lively without disrupting the quieter areas of the home.

The challenge becomes particularly interesting when adding a recreational space to an existing home. Large, open volumes must connect naturally to smaller residential rooms, both functionally and architecturally.

At Bouril Design, we approach these spaces as part of the overall home rather than isolated amenities. Whether the goal is a dedicated court, a flexible family recreation area, or a gathering space built around a favorite activity, thoughtful planning makes these specialized spaces feel like a natural extension of everyday life.