“The clients wanted room to swim, a multiple jetted attached spa, entertainment areas including a large gazebo as part of the pool, and a place to lounge in the water.”

The gazebo provides a cool spot to relax, surrounded by shallow water over a glass tile mosaic that creates a look reminiscent of Roman and Islamic baths.

Form & Color


In terms of functional design, the swimming pool integrates the surrounding deck with a series of stepping pads covered in Egyptian marble limestone.  The stepping pads lead across shallow water to a raised platform surmounted by a columned gazebo.  Within a few short steps, the homeowners and their guests have immediate access to the shallow lounging area, the gazebo, and the attached spa.

    The stepping pads and the steps of the raised gazebo platform are cantilevered, giving them the appearance of floating on the water.  Beneath the surface, Tisherman and Fleming used a glass tile mosaic for a look slightly reminiscent of Roman and Islamic baths.

    A shallow lounging shelf - complete with a sleeve for an umbrella - leads to a step treatment accessing the main swimming pool, roughly 40 by 21 feet, large enough for swimming short laps.  Because it’s all-shallow, the pool is also suitable for a variety of games and aquatic exercise, all finished in a smooth, exposed-pebble finish.

    The key to integrating the different parts of the project, Tisherman says, is the color palette.  “The idea is to blend the materials with the architecture of the home,” he says.  In this case that meant using a blend of cream, brown in the tile mosaic, and subtle teal in the exposed pebble finish to harmonize with the stucco and stone used on the home and to pick up the greens from the landscape.  Fleming designed and installed the plant material on the property through his landscaping firm, Contrast Design in Medford.

    “The water has a deep reflective quality that enhances the environment without making a big statement,” Tisherman adds.  “In a situation like this, you don’t want to notice the pool so much as feel like you’re in a beautiful space.”

    A rectilinear fire feature finishes the scene.  Filled with blue thermal glass, the feature introduces a soft glow courtesy of low flames, just enough to create a romantic ambience and dancing reflections on the water’s surface.

    “It’s a wonderful touch that makes a strong statement about pleasure and enjoyment,” Tisherman says.  “That’s what these types of projects are all about.”



   

Above: Egyptian marble limestone deck integrates the pool, spa, and gazebo with the home

Above:  Stepping pads and steps to the gazebo platform appear to float on water.  Shades of cream, brown, and teal harmonize with the stucco and stone used on the home and the greens in the landscape.  The lounging shelf, including a sleeve for the umbrella, has steps that lead into the deeper part of the pool.

The water in the pool has a reflective quality that emphasizes the architecture of the home.

The outdoor barbecue and dining area enhances use of the backyard and stays within the color palette for a uniform appearance.

Kevin Fleming, through his landscaping firm, Contrast Design, also landscaped the property.  In the front yard, dark brown pottery holds colorful orange cannas.  The landscaping plan included retaining walls veneered with the same cultured stone that trims the house and capped with limestone as well as limestone walkways and steps, a custom-designed and colored concrete driveway, and low-voltage lighting and irrigation systems.

How to Make it Happen


SWIMMING POOLS like those depicted in these pages are beautiful, readily available in most areas and, according to David Tisherman and Kevin Fleming of Liquid Design in Cherry Hill, can be very expensive.  Much of the reason boils down to the level of design and engineering required to execute complex projects correctly.  Here’s an approximate breakdown of design and engineering requirements and associated costs for the project described in this story.


Architectural design: In this phase, the designer meets with the clients, architect, and other project team members; establishes a budget; selects materials; and generates a scale drawing and color rendering for the clients approval. Cost: $3,500.


Soil testing and geotechnical analysis:  The cost of building a swimming pool’s basic structure and foundation is determined by soil conditions.  Therefore, the earth must be tested prior to final structural design.  Cost: $4,000.  (In this case, the ground conditions required an elaborate drainage system.  Cost: $12,000.)


Structural engineering:  Required for all projects.  If the structure is not properly designed for the soil conditions, it will likely experience structural failures, which can be catastrophic.  Cost:  $4,000.


Civil engineering:  Often determined by local codes, civil engineering includes generating a site plan, topographical survey drawings, existing and proposed grading and drainage details, a calculation of impervious surface coverage, and fencing.  Cost:  $2,500.


Project management:  Swimming pool construction requires constant supervision to ensure that it conforms to the plans, meaning a qualified construction manager must be on site for all critical phases.  For this project, Fleming was on site almost every day to ensure that all the details were completed correctly.  Cost:  included in the price of construction.


Total “soft costs” for this project $14,000.  As a general rule this will run 5 to 10 percent of the finished cost; in this case, the final tally for the project was $225,000.

Blending In


ARCHITECTURE AND THE ENVIRONMENT always determine outstanding swimming pool design, with variations in the materials, colors, line, and use of reflection.  The spectrum of styles, materials, and features can be mind-bending, requiring the work of a skilled designer to help homeowners sort out the options that best suit their wish lists and physical settings.

    The six projects here, all by Liquid Design in Cherry Hill, demonstrate a range of creative touches that can be used to define paradise in private.

  1. 1. The aim of this design is to draw the eyes into the natural landscape and blend the pool with the home;s craftsman architecture.  The chair and lounge area appear to float over a deep green surface that reflects the surrounding woods and appears to be unbroken with the view of a distant pond, courtesy of the vanishing edge effect.


  1. 2. This exercise in contemporary design features walls rising above the water finished in a soft Mediterranean mottled plaster.  A vanishing edge flows toward paneled floating walls, creating an almost surreal effect.  At night a light show of moving reflections dances of the walls.  Soft colors and rich limestone hardscape soften the otherwise stark shapes.


  1. 3. You can achieve rich yet subtle effects with an all-glass-tile surface.  Though a simple rectangle, the pool includes a shallow lounging shelf, a spa with complex jet configurations, and linear step details that enhance access in and out of the water.  The simplicity of design coupled with the materials and surrounding landscape transform this pool into a piece of functional art. (For more on this project, see “Elegance by the Sea,” April/May 2008, Design NJ.)

  1. 4. A spa tucked under a cantilevered deck achieves the client’s desire for an intimate indoor/outdoor effect.  Water trickles down the walls, creating the feeling of a grotto.  The flickering fire creates complex colors by interacting with the glass tile.


  1. 5. The raised pool and spa, all clad in a tile mosaic, offer an environment for socializing, both in and out of the water.  The crisp lines accentuate the home’s architecture, while the light hues of the glass tile celebrate the brilliant sky and ocean beyond.


  1. 6. A vanishing edge visually links the swimming pool surface with an ocean view, making the pool appear as though it’s of infinite volume.  A lone tree disrupts the seamless view, as it appears to be growing out of the water, creating a distinct sculptural statement.

    Tisherman adds, “In a small yard with such a complex design as this one, you’re always in danger of the pool taking over the space and feeling cramped.  By harmonizing with the home’s architecture, using scale, proportion, and color, we were able to bring it together without feeling forced.”

    “Of the projects we’ve done,” Fleming says, “this one is arguably the most similar to a typical West Coast project, largely because we were working with such a small space.  Rather than having the pool serve as a destination away from the house on a large property, this one is essentially an architectural extension of the home, where everything is functionally and visually integrated.”

SOURCES: watershapes, design and installation, Liquid Design in Cherry Hill; custom glass tile mosaic, Sicis in Ravena, Italy, designed by David Tisherman and distributed in the United States by Cactus Stone & Tile in Phoenix; all landscape design and installation, Kevin Fleming, Contrast Design in Medford; Pebble Fina interior finish, Pebble Technology in Scottsdale, Arizona; Egyptian marble limestone, imported by Liquid Design; fire feature equipment and thermal stone, Fire by Design in Henderson, Nevada; barbecue appliances, Bull Outdoor Products in Rialto, California.

Eric Herman is editor of WaterShapes, a national magazine serving professionals who specialize in decorative and recreational aquatic features.  He is a career writer and editor with nearly 30 years of experience covering science, culture, and technology.