The clients had a self-cleaning pool before and this was their second one.

Negative edge serving as a barrier

The Vogue was a Maxi Rib free-standing pool that had a purpose-built edge made during the manufacturing of the pool shell – a small drop which then allowed us to build an overflow edge into a catchment tank below. This edge was the required 1.2m in height which means the pool wall acted as the pool barrier or pool fence. By not having to see the fence this negative edge enhanced the view even more.

Choosing the right pool colour

They wanted the colour of the pool to be in complete contrast with the green view of the Gippsland hills and wanted the colour to make a splash. They loved that the pool was always blue and felt it was a very inviting colour to swim. ‘Pool water should be a definite blue’ and sapphire blue created different versions of blue water depending on the sun and clouds.

Designing the pool

We had a 1-meter fall from one end of the pool to the other. We designed this pool with an engineered retaining wall to build the pool against. By excavating down a bit further, the wall then was 1200mm and with no climbable areas it because the pool barrier. They did not need to put a traditional pool fence along the edge and as such the view from the house was unrestricted.

Large property

They liked the seat area of the Vogue to allow for kids to play and sit. Though this was a large property the actual location they wanted the pool had some size restrictions. They wanted the water line and overall walls around the pool to fit in with the footprint of their outdoor living space.

Extending the living space

They could have saved money by having more steps down and installing the pool further in the ground but that would take away from enhancing their living space and view. By investing in the walls to support the pool at house level it opened the space.

Fantastic family pool

This is a great family pool that extends their outdoor living space.

Pool waiting for the house to be finished

The pool and spa was installed after the house was knocked down & cleared allowing great access for the pool build. The pool needed a protection cover on the pool during the entire house build which was bolted onto the concrete beam so that a temporary fence was not needed and pool and spa was made safe.

Pool finalisation and landscaping

After the house was at lockup the house builder allowed us back on site to remove the protection cover and then hook up the pool equipment. This meant the client could continue on with the landscaping whilst the house was being completed.

Pool and spa combo with Sunpod

There is a Sunpod water feature between the pool and the spa so that the water runs off the pod into the pool and spa. It makes the pod glisten and provide a soft and subtle water feature. It also connects the pool and spa visually.

Managing / heating different parts of the pool

The spa can be managed either independently to the pool or with the pool. This means they can heat the spa on its own OR together OR just the pool on its own. You have all those options via valves that close off the different options. When they have finished with the spa they can go back to normal pool mode which means the water mixes with the pool making the spa clean so easy.

A project with difficult access

A family home that had tricky access through a well established garden. The dig was restricted with their existing brick fence so smaller machinery had to be brought in to do the excavation. The pool placement was easy as it was just over the top but digging the hole and removing the soil was the more challenging part of this project.

Positioning the spa

The spa was also installed 600mm higher than the pool for two reasons. Firstly, it created a seating area when in the pool zone and secondly, it was easier to step up and into the spa – rather than step down to the spa.

Pool heating

The gas booster heating allowed the spa quick heat up time and was a backup to the solar system for the pool. This was a family pool area and they could also heat the pool up for birthday parties all year round.

Decisions regarding the difficult site

This site was a difficult site for our client as there was only 7m between the neighbours’ garage and their new house. Normally this is plenty of space however there was a fall of 1.5m. A retaining wall was going to be needed. Given the neighbours’ garage was on the boundary, to build the wall on the boundary it would have been a very expensive wall. They would also have had to cut the entire area so that the pool was level with the finished floor level of their house – this would have also cost more.

A pool with a glass window/wall

Instead, they invested this money into the window of their pool. They installed the pool almost like the retaining wall. Rather than looking at the 1m wall we built a special concrete retaining beam and customised a window in that structure. The cost of the window (noting windows do add between $12,000 and $20,000) meant that they could view the water every day from inside the house. They look at the water 24/7. They needed retaining walls anyway so they invested more in the pool so the overall end solution meant they could enjoy the water view all the time.
It’s a clever way to use the aesthetic of the water with the structural problem of a sloping site when you don’t have much room.

A pool that cleans itself

They also decided the pool had to be self-cleaning as every night when the lights come on they didn’t want to see water that needed cleaning.

The Vogue swimming pool has been installed to take advantage of the design of the home allowing for the indoor-outdoor feel and flow from living to entertaining. The pool is finished with a silver travertine natural stone paver both on the waterline and around the pool surround.

The hardwood timber deck features LED lights installed flush for an added wow factor.

Compass Vogue pool in Royal Blue colour

This awesome pool was built for Chris & Tony by Compass Pools Melbourne who worked closely with the house builder to time the pool installation. It was what they refer to as a sleeper pool – the house builder did the site cut on the entire block and Compass Pools Melbourne then installed the pool, including filling with water and installing the concrete beam.

Building the pool before the house

The pool was then protected using a protection lid and the pool builder has run the pool pipes to the final pool equipment location. The house builder then built the house. Afterwards, Compass Pools Melbourne came back at lock up and removed the cover and installed the pool equipment and turned it on. While Chris and her family were moving into the house the landscapers were finishing off the paving. There would have been very little access to the backyard after the house would have been built so it would have cost them so much more to install after.

Features of this pool

The pool features the Vantage self-cleaning system which takes care of the pool cleaning. It’s heated up by a 400mj gas heater and has an automatic water filler so that Chris & Tony do not need to check and adjust the water level. The deck jet water feature with a separate pump adds to the amazing look of this Royal Blue fibreglass pool.

Get your own Compass pool

If you are thinking of a swimming pool and would like to have a similar one built in your backyard, please fill out the free pool quote request and an authorised Compass Pools dealer nearest to you will provide you with a customised non-obligatory pool quote.

Complete backyard transformation

This pool is the gem of the backyard. Nicole and her family love it even when they are not swimming in it as it is such a pleasure to look at it. This Vogue fibreglass pool in the Pearl Bi-luminite colour completely transformed their backyard and just adds to the feeling of beauty and luxury. This swimming pool featured the Vantage self-cleaning system which automatically takes care of cleaning the pool, without the owner needing to lift the finger. The attached Sunpod (sometimes called “Bubbler”) water feature also contributes to the amazing look & feel of this beautiful pool installation by Compass Pools Melbourne.

Some of the features of this swimming pool

The hidden solar pool cover (Sunbather hidden blanket) keeps the heat inside the pool, minimising both heat and water losses. The pool is heated by a combination of an Astral gas heater and Sunbather solar heating. The Sunpod water feature runs on a separate pump. Another feature of this pool is the automatic water leveller so that the pool owners do not need to check the water level and adjust it manually.

The Alfresco area

When installing the pool, Compass Pools Melbourne, the Compass Pools authorised pool dealer for the Greater Melbourne area, worked with the landscaper to lift the height of the pool by 300mm. This has assisted them in matching the future Alfresco area with the pool area to achieve the feeling of one integrated zone.