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For this project, Luijten Landscaping achieved improved connections, an expanded deck with seating area, barbecue and morning coffee spot, lush plantings and a pool to really swim in

Designed by Luijten Landscaping

From the landscape architect:

Brief

The owners wanted a large functional pool to allow them to swim laps and that would also be suitable for their teenagers to enjoy. 

They also wanted a sun lounger area next to the pool.

The existing deck area by the house and connection between the house and yard was not well established and needed a total revamp.

The deck needed to have the functions of a seating area, barbecue area and morning coffee spot. 

The pathway to the second dwelling on the property which is used as a study and guest house, needed to be maintained from the main house, and this path needed to fit in with the overall redesign.

Essentially, pathway connections between deck, pool and house need to be established.


It was also important to emphasise the views to the pool area from the deck, to optimise indoor/outdoor flow, and to ensure the family can enjoy the different areas without being visually cut off.

The family are keen gardeners and wanted to both retain the existing tropical planting onsite and to plant interesting tropical plants which would bring colour and life into their new garden.

Design inspiration

The well-established collection of palm trees influenced our design style – we aimed to build on these and create a suburban tropical oasis. 

The approach was for a modern style designed to complement the existing house and materials.

It was important for all the functions of the design to be integrated and so we used the glass fence and overall design planning to achieve this. 

The glass fence allows the pool area to be part of the larger backyard space and for the family to enjoy the different areas without being visually cut off. 

The site and contours required the pool to be 1/3 cut into the ground and for this purpose, we have a retaining wall around the sun lounge area which has been built as a platform, one step (150mm) above the pool coping level. 

This allowed us to have an underground pool cover that comes out from the coping and has minimal, or no visual impact on the overall aesthetics of the pool area.

Star jasmine was chosen as a climber to cover and hide the raked metal fencing on one side of the pool area and provide a beautiful scent to the lounging area. 

Red cannas and strelizias were chosen to bring in colour to the mostly green foliage surrounding the property and to complement the overall tropical theme.

We kept the mature palms along the property boundary and filled the area with more tropical planting such as Chamaedorea costaricana palms – providing a lush green boundary inside the pool area. 

Grasses were chosen for softening the glass fence spigots.

The connections throughout the different functions of the outdoor living project have been creatively addressed. 

A path with concrete slabs as stepping stones and quirky stairs achieved an interesting pathway to the secondary dwelling. 

Areas between path, garden and pool are interconnected with large extended decks and large custom concrete steps with mondo grass in between – overall, modernising the property with a creative design.

Sustainable strategies

The design aims for efficient water use – and to this end, mulch is used for all the planting beds to assist in retaining moisture and because it requires less regular watering. 

Many of the existing large plants were retained in the project, this helped to retain the character and preserve the existing biodiversity.

Credit list

Concrete – stepping-stone pads & concrete steps
Design Concrete & Paving
Glass pool fencing & gate
Glass Vice
Photography
Chris Cameron
Swimming pool excavation
Dreadnought Civil
Swimming pool
Pools by Design
Awards
Registered Master Landscapers, Landscapes of Distinction – Silver

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