Pool 9489, Plunge pool and Spa, Richmond

Pool 9489, Plunge pool and Spa, Richmond

Plunge pool packed with great features to enhance this small inner city backyard!

We were contacted by clients who wanted to see if we could fit a small pool or water feature in their tiny inner city backyard of a recently completed new home. The area was 9.8m x 6.2m, less than 60sq/m in total. The existing house was built boundary to boundary with the only access via a small dead end lane at the rear.

They wanted to keep some grass for the dog and playing ball sports, screening around the boundary and try to keep an open feel within the yard. The pool had to be big enough to be practical but not take up the whole yard.

Our design proposed installing a pool on the rear boundary, adjacent to the lane. The pool was linked to the alfresco area via a deck walkway to one side.  The pool was raised by 300mm with the glass fence becoming a window into the water, creating an exhilarating feature. This detail assisted in opening up the yard, allowing more grass than would have been possible with a paved area between the pool and fence.

Not only were we able to get a decent sized plunge pool, 5m x 2.5m, but a five person spa at the end. For this sporting family, the spa is a central feature and includes single, dual and quadruple jets to assist with massage, a jet set up not common with most concrete pools. The spa and pool are separated by a glass wall also which helps the total body of water appear larger.

Materials were chosen to compliment the modern home and assist with creating light and space. The white pool tiles reflect the rich blue of the sky creating light in the small area. The rear boundary was finished with a polished concrete render with bluestone coping wrapping the pool.

The pool plant area is cleverly housed behind a hardwood timber batten screen which blends into the side boundary. A water feature has been installed in this wall to dull the inner city noise. Timber battens were sourced from the same timber used on the upper level of the house for consistency.

The pool features gas heating, multi-coloured lights and fully automated mineral chlorination with an automation system allowing control from a phone or tablet over pool, spa, heating, lighting and all other functions.

The greatest success in this design has been the number of features packed in to a small space, while meeting the customer’s requirements and making the yard feel bigger than it was before landscaping.