Let's wrap it up

Many an architect and designer relishesthe creative freedom to incorporate the outdoor area of a house when setting out the floor plans, as this ensures spatial planning and style is carried through.

When architectural designer Greg Young designed this family home beside a meandering stream, a lap pool was the natural choice for the narrow site.

"The swimming pool fits snugly between the house and stream, so that the owners can now look from the living room to the pool and river beyond," he says.

L-shaped, the swimming pool frames the northern corner of the house. This is the shallow end and entry to the pool, accessed via a patio which connects to the kitchen, ideal for children with wet feet. To maintain symmetry, a spa pool was placed at the other corner of the house, in the formal entertaining area. Access to this formal patio is via the dining room.

As well as responding to a tight site, Young had to find a creative solution to meet pool fencing requirements. The house is wedged into a slope, with the eastern side above ground. Some digging work was required to form the deep end of the swimming pool, and a retaining wall provides it with a hard edge.

To prevent swimmers from sitting directly on the retaining wall and to meet the required fence height, a low glass edge was installed along this side of the pool. The glass also improves the view through to the stream. The homeowner specified a self-clean shielding glass that prevents chlorine build-up, ensuring a flawless, almost invisible pool edge.

Honed marble terrazzo provides a non-slip surface outside and matches the polished terrazzo flooring inside. The light colour palette is carried through in the choice of white outdoor furniture.

Story by: Frederique Gulcher