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.

Joining two standards 12.3m Fastlane lap pools

He had a very technical background and was very thorough in his understanding of the different layers of the fibreglass ceramic pool and also how the joins work with the 24 meter lap pool. The pool was designed in 3 pieces with the unique Compass Manufacturing link joining technique which allowed the pool to be built to his desired length.

Central solar heating for house and pool

Interestingly with this project, our client had a German solar heating unit that heated his house and he build his own heat exchanger to tap into this system. This was something we had not seen before.

Designing elements for the pool

He didn’t want a dark blue colour so the more softer blue water from the Quartz was the look he liked. The spa has a Nexus link between the pool and spa and allows for a water bridge between the two.

Gas and solar pool heating

She had solar heating as the base heat with a large gas heater for purpose of heating the spa. In the warmer months, it took less than half an hour to get it the desired temperature.

Self-cleaning lap pool

It was very important that it was self-cleaning as she needed a clean pool that did not need physically work. She had to swim to improve her health and the lap pool suited this as well.

Maxi Rib above ground pool installation

It was also a maxi rib pool at house level with the pool sitting out of the ground by 1.2m. The long side of the pool had the maxi rib side clad to the fencing regulations to act as the fence barrier. It wasn’t unusual to be swimming and then look over the edge to see a cow eating the grass 1m away.

The water wall water feature

The water wall was designed with the developer and we ran the pipe work to the location. They chose bright tiles to give it a modern look.

Choosing the pool colour

The colour needed to compliment a natural colour palate so a blue pool would have been too contrasting. By choosing the Quartz colour it tied in with his natural timbers and also the natural stone around the pool and in the penthouse.

Getting the pool to the top

We used the tower crane to place the pool into location and had to manage city traffic and trams for delivery.

Our build team really enjoyed working on the project as the views from the top across the city and also across the bay were so spectacular and different depending on the weather.

The client had to get permission from the neighbouring Body Corp of units next door to allow access for the dig and pool placement.

Lap pools were always considered just for water-view houses in Sydney previously however lap pools were not just about swimming laps. The simple clean design gives a beautiful look and in the ever-narrowing backyards – the Lap pool is very practical and beautiful.

Choosing the pool colour

The owners wanted a dark blue colour giving the courtyard space a sophisticated look. We provided the provisional pipework for the water feature and they created the water wall that also enhanced the space.

Gas pool heater

It was heated with a gas heater for the times when their family visited, and they could heat up the pool anytime of the year.

Installing the pool during the house build

The pool had to go in halfway through the house build as we were not able to get access once the front part of the house was built. We fully installed the pool and ran the pipe work and capped them off at the final equipment location. They put a protection cover over the pool during the remainder of the house build.

Pool landscaping

When the house was nearly at completion, we returned to remove the protection cover and install the pool filtration equipment. Most of the installation had been done at stage one so this stage was only the equipment. We connected everything up and then they brought in the landscapers to do the paving and finish of the waterwall they had built.

Lap pool for family entertainment

Though it is a lap pool for swimming it really got much more use as a family entertaining pool. They had a spot at the rear of the property they could have positioned the pool but they wanted the pool to be part of their everyday living hence why it almost became like a courtyard pool / alfresco zone.

Why choose a lap pool

The space in this property was not strictly limited but it was quite narrow. The owners could have put in a wider pool, but they wanted the lines to work with their wall and house. They also wanted the spa to look like it was part of the pool and not ‘just added to the end.

Heating the pool

They had a big gas heater for the spa for quick heat up on demand which also allowed them to heat the pool when they wanted. The pool is visible from many areas of the house hence they needed it to be self cleaning so it was always clean.

Choosing a Vivid pool colour

They chose royal blue as they wanted a deeper looking blue colour. They have the pool lights on at night regularly which means it doesn’t matter what colour pool at night it was given the multi colour lights gives them green, magenta, red and several different shades of blue. However, during the day the sun gives the pool different shades of the royal blue, when overcast it is quite a dark blue and then the water colour becomes very radiant when the sun shines. They love the colour. 50 shades of blue they call it.

Degree of difficulty

There was a restriction on height for this 6 story apartment block and the client who was developing the entire site and had the penthouse at the top. To comply with boundary fencing regulations and height restrictions our standard range of swimming pool was 300mm too high. The pool was free standing.  The pool shell had to be customised in the factory and adjusted on all 4 sides so that the pool mould (when sprayed in the factory) was 300mm lower.  Visually this caused a design concern that because the pool could not sit down lower in the subfloor (due to the lift system in the high-rise) the customer was going to then be looking at the wall of the pool.

We designed a window into the pool so that when they were in their living area of the penthouse the pool water could be viewed. They were not looking at a box but at water. It brings the life of the pool into their living space – even at night when the pool lights are on they can view and use their pool visually.  The idea would be to sit and look out over the city view and have the pool light on and see the water.

Site difficulty

Inner-city had many issues with permits / trams / local council permit requirements. The site was ‘fairly easy with area to allow us to have cranes set up for the main lift (after the base preparation was done) – though the times were restricted so we needed to have the pool truck sit several suburbs away and wait for the allotted time to lift the pool. This is something the commercial construction builders are used to however when you specialise in the backyard domestic market like most of the industry it was quite new to many of our operators.

Unbelievable transformation

Thanks to thoughtful landscaping, choice of materials and, of course, the best pool & spa combination, this backyard was completely transformed. The 10.3 Fastlane fibreglass pool is long enough to swim laps. It features amazing views of the surroundings thanks to the innovative acrylic wall that has been built, replacing the standard fibreglass wall on the long side of the pool.

Spa, beach and beyond

This is ana amazing place for the whole family. The kids can play in the beach area, attached to the pool. You can also move to the spa and watch others playing in the pool. The pool is built on the sloping site, utilising proprietary Compass Pools Maxi Rib technology, enabling building pools partially or completely above the ground.

3 Gold Spasa Awards

This pool has won multiple 2019 SPASA pool awards of excellence: Best Residential Fibreglass Pool Over – $60,000, Best Residential Fibreglass, Acrylic or Vinyl-Lined Pool and Best Residential Fibreglass, Acrylic, or Vinyl-Lined Pool and Spa Combination.

Turn your backyard into an oasis

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.