This dramatic Swimming Pool and poolside area, located atop a cliff in the hinterland of Sydney’s northern beaches, was designed to serve as both a visual and a recreational asset. The existing steep and rugged terrain, with difficult access and steep drops, presented many challenges and required the design expertise of a professional landscape architectural company experienced in both Swimming Pool design and dealing with difficult sites. We were very pleased to have been recommended to the owners of this property by past clients and, as Australia’s longest established and most specialized firm of landscape architects and swimming pool designers, we knew that we were well able to look after this complex and exciting project.
The Pool, approximately 8.0 x 5.0 metres in size, was designed with careful consideration of the Clients’ requirements and the existing natural surrounds. Forming an elegant extension of the existing Residence, the Pool captures the spectacular views of the valley and the waters of Pittwater beyond, and reflects the sun’s rays into the adjacent family room. Unique landscape features such as the existing sandstone rock outcrops and the magnificent Angophora costata (Sydney Red Gum) and other native trees were able to be preserved, and in the case of the Angophora, made a feature of.
Our design and planning ensured absolutely minimal impact on the surrounding environment, and the clever resolution of the site levels ensured that costs were able to be minimised by the careful balancing of cut and fill on this difficult site.
A glass edge was incorporated into the entire external perimeter of the pool, so as to provide uninterrupted views across the pool and to establish a direct relationship to the surrounding landscape setting. A weir was incorporated into one small section to enable leaves falling from the surrounding trees to be automatically skimmed off the surface of the pool. The balance tank incorporated into the design relates to the Clients’ existing Koi ponds and provides the Clients with a dramatic water feature that can be viewed from the main living areas of the Residence. A large, shallow Pool entry and waterplay area, designed also to provide extended in-pool seating and entertaining areas. was incorporated into the Pool for use by the young and the ‘not-so-young’.