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Your backyards don’t look that plush without a pool, we say. Be it a silent retreat on a summer evening or a night of food and fun and dance with a large group of friends, a pool by your house completes everything. Pools could be just a part of the landscape or you could have a full fledges swimming pool. These could, further, be either inside your house or on the outside, like the backyard, or even on the terrace.
Be it the shape and size of the pool, the materials used within and on the surrounds, or the functions and adornments of the pool, each factor needs to be carefully assessed and taken into account while designing. Let us discuss a few salient points here.
The Shape
The shape of your pool is an important consideration while in the process of designing. This is because of a number of special factors. Firstly, the shape of the pool depends a lot on the functionality. Allotting a shape to a pool which doesn’t befit its utility makes no sense at all.
Some people might not want to go for rectangular pools because that is very common and boring. At the same time, some might want to restrict themselves to rectangles and squares because of the sophistication it brings with itself and also because the space surrounding it can also be used judiciously.
The size
If it’s a swimming pool you are designing, restrict its depth to about 1 metre on the shallower side and 1.6 metres on the deeper one. If the pool is only meant to immerse your feet or as a landscape element, the depth reduces to a considerable extent; keep it about 0.5 – 0.8 metres deep.
Swimming Pools
The Infinity Pool
The most expensive one on the cards, infinity pools are for those who can have a captivating view from the roof or any of the upper floors. Infinity pools give you the sense of being extended into infinity as the merge with the sea or sky in front. Ideal for seaside houses, penthouses and apartments on soaring heights, splurge a generous amount on infinity pools for some unmatched luxury.
The Plunge Pool
Plunge pools are small in diameter and are meant for, as the name suggests, taking a plunge on those hot afternoons. Ideally not more than 1.2 metres in depth, plunge pools are a go-to option for backyards and lawns. Their dimensions may vary accordingly, generally 7m x 3m.
The Lap Pool
Lap pools are everything chic and modern. You can take a cue from international example for the same, and have a lap pool within your backyard for an arresting design. The space could serve as a multipurpose region, and prepping up for pool parties would never be more fun.
Landscaping Around The Pool
Pavilion
A pool pavilion is what we colloquially call the pool room – detached from the rest of the house; meant for changing or relaxing or for small gatherings by the pool. For designing your very own customised pool pavilion, you can take a cue from the beach cottage shacks – light, open and rejuvenating.
Use plenty of curtains to add a sense of flow. Also play up with the furniture – you can have an outdoor kitchen or barbeque set up, teamed up with different types of chairs – bean bags, lounge chairs and so on.
Decking
This could be given either an artificial look or a natural feel. Using natural rocks in the form of big and small boulders, you could not only create a zone for seating and relaxing, but also one that resembles a natural water body. On the contrary, creating decks with wood and adorned with elements like tall lamps, unique landscaping ideas and gas lanterns, you could add an element of utmost relaxation by the pool.
Paving
You should always keep in mind that it is not just the pool, but also its surroundings that constitute a brilliant design. Appropriate and attractive paving all the way up from the adjacent areas to the pool is something that should be cleverly conceived. Natural stone pavers alternated with green paving are an ideal choice.
Lighting And ventilation
If you are placing the pool in the backyard or on the terrace, it isn’t a big issue. If, however, you are planning to have it designed indoors, you need to devote special concern to the factors of lighting and ventilation. Placing the pool in a dark zone is a big no-no. Ideally, the pool must be surrounded by a number of windows or topped with a brilliant skylight to maximize the amount of natural daylight. These days there is no limit to the number and types of lighting designs available for adorning the poolside. You might even opt for ceiling fixtures and optical cables.
Another important factor is the extent of adjustment when it comes to dimming and brightening of the lights. There might be occasions such as pool parties when you wish to have a brighter ambience, while there might be nights when you want the entire ambience to be very cosy and dim. This needs to be controlled to a great extent.
Sufficient ventilation filters are a requisite when it comes to evacuating excess moisture and humidity from the pool area and letting in fresh air and the warmth of the outer surroundings. If you have placed the pool in the basement, there should be special considerations in the matters of basement indoor air quality and damping.
Drinage
The pool area needs to be kept essentially dry. Hence it is important to consider the scenarios when there are cases of splasing, of overflowing and of evaporation under the sun. This becomes an even greater concern in the case of indoor pools. Make sure you avoid wood and textiles in the area adjacent to the pool.
Drainage has an important role to play here. You could position artificial turf in strategic positions so that water could be channelled there. You could choose to slope the adjacent ground such that all the water goes back into the pool. You could provide holes for percolation of water into the ground. You could use materials like natural concrete for paving the area around the pool so that there aren’t issues of damping and water is allowed to either evaporate or redirect its channel.
– Sourav Suman