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.

Choosing between concrete and fibreglass

The pool itself was not fully confirmed when we met the client. They did not know if they wanted fibreglass or concrete. He had owned a concrete lap indoor pool at his previous house and wanted to create another indoor pool with his new build.

Importance of weight

Given the lightweight pool meant less in support for the pool (as it was not sitting on the natural ground) the 12.3 m Fastlane Maxi rib was the perfect solution. The timing of the pool build had to be co-ordinated with the house builder Grollo Homes over a 15-month house build project. We had to place the pool and then return once some walls were constructed to run the pool pipes.

Automated pool cover

The client invested in an automated Remco cover. The pool was indoor so managing the water condensation is something that an automated cover can assist with.

26 degrees year-round

This client keeps the pool at 26 degrees all year round and swims nearly every day.

The owners had had a big old concrete pool in their family home which was great when the kids were young but the maintenance of it became harder as the years went by. They installed an 8.3m Contemporary Compass pool with the Logic circulation system to allow their new home and new life easier maintenance.

They experienced a beautifully clean and modern pool with a coastal theme. Though only a 5-minute drive to the beach they love their courtyard oasis all year round.