Pool or water feature? At some level it doesn’t really matter considering the role that this particular pool/ water feature has to play. But it is very unique – at least in my world. If I was keeping count (and I’m not so this is a complete guess), I have had something to do with 40+/- pools – either through designing them, coordinating them, or simply watching them get built on one of my projects. This pool/ water feature falls mostly into the last category but I have been a part of a few programmatic concerns where this pool is concerned.
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So here it is … in all of its not-quite-finished glory. I am standing on the balcony off the mater bedroom looking down on this water feature just soaking it all in. Technically it is a pool – it has all the components and moving parts that a pool of almost any size would contain. But it’s pretty compact and I don’t really think that the owners are going to do any swimming in this particular pool (hence the “pool/water feature” conundrum).
Either way, this pool is unique and I thought that as we head into the home stretch of this project, I had better get a bunch of before pictures done and out-of-the-way so that you can appreciate the after pictures just a little but more. This pool was designed and detailed by Hocker Design Group and is being built by Pool Environments. I have worked with both of these folks before and while I have absolutely nothing to do with selecting the pool contractor, I will admit that I’m glad when I learn that they are working on one of my projects. They are professionals and I know that I am going to end up with a great finished product.
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This is a close-up look at the Bluestone ‘Premiere’ slabs that will cover the entire courtyard deck and the interior of the pool. It is quite beautiful and has a timeless aesthetic to it. We are using is 24″ x 48″ x 1.25″ monolithic slabs to cover everything – but the courtyard isn’t really that large so the impact here is tangible and apparent.
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Some dudes laying the slabs into place … it takes more than two guys to move and set these slabs.
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This is a picture when the Bluestone slabs were just starting to get set inside the pool. We call this a “party” pool because of its shallow depth. (I am going to avoid the obvious joke here, I need more of a challenge). In the design, the deck comes right up to the edge of the pool and turns down to cover the surface of the entire shell of the pool. This is unique to me, at least I’ve never seen it done quite this way before.
Originally the owners thought that the only “people” who would be using the pool would be their golden retriever dogs … but they have changed their minds since grandchildren have started to arrive on the scene. This required a design modification after the pool had already been cast … a pool cover became a requirement. Not an easy retrofit into a pool such as this but we made it happen AND look like it was supposed to be like that from the beginning.
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If you look at the picture above, you can see the roller that will house the cover and the metal guides running parallel to the pool located on each side. These guides will sit down flush with the top of the Bluestone slabs so that their visual impact is diminished.
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This is a close up look at the pool cover housing and guides. Eventually a raised ipê wood deck will cover the roller so you won’t see the cover unless it has been put to use and is covering the pool.
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This is a picture looking down the length of the pool after the interior of the pool has been (mostly) covered in the stone slabs. Seriously, this is going to look unbelievable when it’s finished. The color of the stone is going to have an amazing impact on the color of the water. Once the pool is filled, instead of the water looking a bright sky blue, it will take on the appearance of a deep water blue. Here in Texas, when the summers get really hot, the darker blue makes the water look a whole lot more inviting – definitely more appealing and cooler.
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Yes, even in the pool, the alignment of joints matter, and time was spent making sure where each line would fall so that everything inside the pool matched up with everything outside the pool. Attention to details – not sure if the owners will specifically pick up on this but I think they will pick up on the ambiance of the entire area.
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This is a little thing, but one that I picked up on immediately. This pool is narrow and long and it wouldn’t have looked quite right if the drains for the pool were their typical circular pattern, so instead, these thin and wide drains were used. Before I get any comments about the drains not aligning with the slab joints, let me stop you and say there is some limits to the level of coordination that anyone has a right to expect without resorting to herculean efforts and 2x herculean price tags. The drains were set into concrete about 18 months before any stone slab joints showed up on site so cut those guys a break. (I will tell you that if I had made a stink about this, they assuredly would have changed it – although I would have a hard time justifying the additional cost).
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This is a partial detail through the end of the pool where you can see for yourself that based on the depth, this is not a true swimming pool. Basically, you have a play pool for babies and dogs … but if it were my pool, I know that I would probably drag a chair into the water (along with a cold beverage of my choosing) and enjoy myself immensely. Pools are for relaxing, not swimming laps, I don’t care what anybody has to say on the matter.
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Lastly, I am going to leave you a final edge condition photo and detail. The water level in this pool will be even with the deck – which further adds to the internal pool or water feature debate I have been waging with myself. This end condition is put into place to deal with what happens when your water level is even with your deck and some decides to get in the water – its got to go somewhere and having it spill out all over the place is decidedly not cool. This end condition is a water overflow and catchment basin … water surges over the edge, down the angled face of the end wall, and into a basin that will catch and relocate the water. If you read the notes on the detail, you will see that a plastic grating is going to be inserted (you can see the groves that will hold this grate in the photo above) and then crushed basalt (or rocks to you and me) will cover the grating so that you aren’t looking at the basin.
I know … try to wrap your head around that one for a while but don’t worry if you can’t visualize it, your trusty design professionals can. Once the pool is finished and filled with water, I will take a picture to show you … a light bulb will go off in your head and an angel will get their wings.
Cheers,
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