Lifting the swimming pool to the house level

The pool had to be at the house living level. The deck and pool sit at the kitchen level as the pool is part of their everyday living. It was not just about ease of use but about being able to see the water day and night. The pool lights are on at night and the pool water reflects colour and movement inside and out. Though it cost this client more to have the pool and spa at this height (it is a Maxi rib pool sitting over a meter out of the ground) it was an investment they felt important. They could have reduced their extra build cost (maxi rib pools add $15 – $20,000) by having 7 steps down to the lawn area however it would have affected their view and single living level. It brings the pool zone into the house zone.

Cost-effective gas pool heating

They have an LPG gas heater which they use as secondary heat for the spa (and sometimes a sneaky pool party on a long weekend). Even the LPG gas does not cost a great deal more. ‘Sometimes we find the food costs greater than any gas costs when we have family come over and heat up the pool for a weekend party’

Unique pool design

When designing this pool with the client we had to work out where the glass port holes could be positioned so they were ‘balanced’ with the courtyard yet had to be built between the fibreglass structural support ribs. These engineered free standing support were non-negotiable as to their position.  We had to work with a prefabricated product and manoeuvre it in an existing space and we needed to make it look ‘balanced’ and not have the windows ‘off centre’.

Degree of difficulty

This site proved to be somewhat difficult for many reasons. Inner city Melbourne (Richmond) meant that the fibreglass pool delivery had to consider trams / clearways and working in a small space. The house was existing and with the tight space in Richmond we couldn’t have our normal small crane options to lift the pool into space. We had to use two small gantry cranes and a custom built trolley to end up wheeling it through the kitchen area into position.

Port holes

The fibreglass shell was manufactured with recesses built into it. These recesses were trimmed out on site. Glass was measured up and glued into position and sealed watertight.

The landscaper installed a second piece of glass flush against the tiling so they could comply with fencing regulations of non climbable zones in the 1200mm high pool barrier (which is the wall of the pool).

Plunge pool innovation

This client wanted the colour of the water visual from the house. This plunge pool was only able to be positioned free standing (due to site conditions) and they did not want to look at ‘a box or wall’. The port holes bring the pool and the life of the pool into the house. Glass allows them to use their pool all year round (visually they look at the water every day & night) as pools are not just for when they are swimming. At family meal times, the pool lights are on, the pool has in-floor cleaning so it always looks crisp and clean.

It had to have infloor cleaning given it was on show every time anyone was in the kitchen. The beautiful colour had to be sparkling all the time. The clients say ‘they wish their kitchen bench was self cleaning like their pool’.

Pool colour

The client wanted the benefits of fibreglass pool with the smooth surface and ease of maintenance and they loved the Quartz colour that made the pool blend in with their modern colour scheme.