The owners of this acreage property wanted the highest quality in swimming pool design and landscape architecture, in order to achieve a dramatic and innovative design solution for their stunning bushland property. We were very pleased that they selected ourselves, Australia’s longest established and most specialised landscape architectural and pool design practice, to design and project manage the construction of the Swimming Pool, Spa, Shade Structure, Gymnasium, landscaping and associated facilities for this unique project, including the organisation of council approval and total construction documentation.
This project, set in the Blue Mountains west of Sydney, stands out for many reasons, including the amazing visual contrast between this dramatic one-third Olympic size Pool and its steep, rocky, natural bushland setting. Our Clients’ brief for their project was specifically to not design a ‘natural’ pool – they did however want a Pool that would be large enough to swim in for exercise purposes and also suitable for large scale entertaining of friends and family.
Other features of this 16.7m long x 6.0m wide Pool include the very wide infinity edge that looks spectacular from every angle and creates the illusion of the entire surface of the Pool spilling over into the adjacent bushland, and sounds magnificent as the falling water dances down the rocks and then echoes gently through the trees; the raised Spa with glass edge, plus the glass edge along a portion of the side of the Pool; the wonderful stone-faced walling over which the cascade spills; the large number of magnificent eucalypts that were able to be retained during the design and construction of this project; the efficient methods of addressing the access and construction challenges presented by this project, together with the magnificent appearance of the Pool and surrounds at night.
In addition to the creation of a magnificent water feature, the extensive weir and cascades provide the further benefit of ensuring that the inevitably large number of leaves that land in the Pool from the adjacent and overhead trees are sent over the weir, where they are easily collected from below. Further still, the design also includes provision for the water in the pool to be used for bushfire fighting purposes - something which should never be taken for granted in a location such as this.
Our company is committed to environmentally sustainable design. Potentially saving hundreds of thousands of litres of water a year, a 25,000-litre rainwater storage tank has been constructed in a discrete location adjacent to the Pool, enabling the adjacent rainfall to be harvested and then used for both garden irrigation and pool top-up purposes. In addition, stone excavated for the Pool was reused for the construction of garden walling.
A large shade pavilion, which also serves as a dramatic focal point at the upper end of the Pool, was designed for the Spa area. In addition, substantial Gymnasium and bathroom facilities, together with a large filtration room and storeroom, were constructed beneath a section of the Pool concourse at the other end of the Pool, with the Gym having spectacular views out into the bushland. Finishes include Italian glass mosaic tiles for the Pool and Spa interiors and dense, rustic sandstone-quartz paving for the surrounds.