Create a holiday vibe at home all year round and turn your backyard into resort-style living that looks and feels inviting by installing a plunge pool from Brisbane Prestige Plunge Pools.

Enjoy lazy days at home filled with fun and family by creating an outdoor oasis that gives you space to relax and recharge. Swim peacefully and in harmony with the earth to restore your soul, skin, and connection with nature in unique, enriched, Dead Sea magnesium mineral water. Focus on relaxation by incorporating a Champagne Spa Seat. The addition of an energy-efficient heater will allow for year-round enjoyment, and all without breaking the bank.

These stunning precast plunge pools are custom-made to order right here in South East Queensland. Available in a variety of shapes, sizes, and depths, the pool arrives at your doorstep with a premium, fully tiled interior and finished with a luxurious natural stone coping (both included as standard) – ready to install the same day and swim in the next.

Let the team from Brisbane Prestige Plunge Pools manage the entire process of your new plunge pool from council approval through to handover. All you need to do is slide on in and enjoy the year-round benefits of your beautiful new pool. Now that\’s the way to create pure backyard bliss!

So what are you waiting for?  Get in touch with the team at Brisbane Prestige Plunge Pools about incorporating a plunge pool and bringing the holiday vibe home. Create a space not just to cool down when it\’s hot but also to rest your mind and body to recover from the stresses of everyday life.

The post Enjoy an endless summer at home with these cost-savvy plunge pools! first appeared on Queensland Homes.

Plunge pools continue to be a popular choice with Australian homeowners, offering many of their bigger counterparts\’ benefits without consuming the whole backyard.

Brisbane Prestige Plunge Pools offer cost-effective, Climate Care Certified swimming pools empowering consumers to minimise their environmental footprint while not having to compromise on style or quality. And all the while enhancing a relaxed year-round outdoor lifestyle so quintessential to Queensland homes.

These stunning pools are fully tiled in luxuriously silky smooth ceramic mosaic tiles, with a choice of either natural stone or polished concrete coping.

And with Brisbane Prestige Plunge Pools, a magnesium mineral pool is not a costly upgrade but comes as a standard inclusion with all of their plunge pools.

The feeling of instant gratification is also appealing. Most of the work is completed in a factory environment, and gone are the days of weeks and months of a building site in your backyard (and all the mess and upheaval that can bring).

With Brisbane Prestige Plunge Pools, the finished product is delivered to your home ready to install, so you\’ll be swimming and enjoying your new pool within two days.

Discover the range of possibilities with Brisbane Prestige Plunge Pools and welcome in a whole new way of year-round living, adding value to your property while maximising your home and lifestyle.

The post These space-saving and budget-friendly pool options are small on size but massive on impact first appeared on Queensland Homes.

With the size of urban housing blocks shrinking, a precast plunge pool is a perfect solution for realising the Aussie backyard pool dream.

These awesome high-quality precast plunge pools are architecturally designed and manufactured, waterproofed, tiled and delivered by industry leaders Allcast Precast before being installed by Brisbane Prestige Plunge Pools.

For an innovative twist on the modern backyard poolscape, the precast plunge pools arrive at your doorstep completely finished, ready to install and swim in on the same day. Easy to maintain and available in a choice of shapes and sizes, the precast plunge pools create a unique feature for year-round outdoor living, delivering a functional swimming pool that looks incredible and adds value to your home.

Related article: A lush tropical poolscape completes this West End home

The team at Brisbane Prestige Plunge Pools have responded to consumer demands to provide an eco-smart swimming pool, recently becoming the first pool company in Australia to achieve Climate Care Certified status. Through the Climate Care Certified initiative, homeowners are empowered and supported to reduce water and energy consumption by making a positive decision to own an environmentally sustainable swimming pool while saving money at the same time.

Water and energy are precious resources and commodities in Australia, particularly during periods of prolonged drought and peak energy demands. Having a swimming pool with Climate Care Certification provides homeowners with the knowledge that their investment will provide their family with years of enjoyment and at the same time, deliver independently verified water and energy savings all year-round.

It\’s a smart and savvy solution for creating that dream pool design to suit your home and lifestyle, regardless of the size of your backyard.

The post Check out these awesome precast plunge pools to suit the modern Australian backyard first appeared on Queensland Homes.

‘Golden Pond\’ seems to be the perfect description of this courtyard poolscape at dusk, but during the day, it transforms into a tropical retreat richly infused with silver, copper and wood tones. Designed by Will Marcus and Dylan Chen at ARGO (Architects and Landscape Architects), it was a response to the clients’ need to keep their three very active young men well occupied and to be an extension of their beautiful architect-designed home in the Brisbane suburb of West End.

The house features lovely timber panelling and louvres with orange and golden features, and these distinct visual keys informed Will and Dylan\’s material selections. The client had also requested that a high-performance solar absorber be incorporated on to the roof of the house, complete with a dedicated control system to monitor sun, rain and cloud cover to ensure premium delivery of heat from the roof to the pool water.

The engineers at Solarwise gave great comfort to the team by being able to accurately simulate the pool’s water temperatures right across the year, thus ensuring that the desired outcome is delivered. “Because of Solarwise and the black Jewels4Pools glass bead interior we have used, this pool is able to maintain 28 degrees Celsius throughout autumn and spring, and during the peak heat of summer,” explains Will of the innovative selections. “The solar system can actually reverse cycle and chill the pool water at night to ensure that ideal temperature is maintained, even on the hottest days.”

The project was from the outset a difficult one due to a lack of easy access on the site. “Several pool builders actually walked away from the job because of the site difficulties,” says Will. “Brandon Appleton from Genesis Pools, however, thrived in this tricky backyard – he and his team excavated the pool by hand (yes – bare hands, shovels, picks and jackhammers!) and ferried the soil to skips on the street down the side of the house using wheelbarrows and buckets.” A tough gig, no doubt!

Additionally, the pool was mainly set out of the ground, but the specialised structural engineering of the swimming pool by the design team from Newport Consulting Engineers ensured a buildable solution – including bored piers, out of ground pool walls and cantilevered timber decking. Newport Consulting Engineers also oversaw all inspections during the construction, which was undertaken by Director and Senior Engineer, Matthew Yourell.

As with many of ARGO\’s innovative pool designs, colour and character have been introduced with the use of feature tiles, like the bronze tiled wall on the boundary. “It\’s actually a ‘splash wall’ – or anti-splash wall so that the neighbour doesn\’t ‘cop’ a bomb-dive while gardening!” says Will.

Jewels4Pools black glass bead interior was selected specifically because of its ability to reflect the feature tiles, but the premium matrix has proven to make this interior last a long time. “Also, dark pool interiors tend to hold the heat better when they get sunlight,” adds Will. “The touch of green glass in the mix brought out the stunning complimentary colour match with the metallic tiles (orange-green), and we brought the timber decking down almost to water level so the decks look like they float on the pool surface.”

These decks are a great feature of this landscape, with each planned to have a very specific use. One is a long bridge that links the back yard to the verandah and on to the pool entry steps. The larger main deck, which is slightly higher for aspect (and to reduce the possibility of splash) provides the stage for an outdoor dining setting, protected by a large black retractable market umbrella. Another smaller deck is the home of the Webber BBQ but also sun lounges.

“Effectively, the entire back yard is now either elevated timber deck or water and all surrounded by rich tropical planting by Paul Byrne, whose landscaping talents often grace Argo’s designs,” says Will of the lush, layered effects. Paul, the client and ARGO were very conscious of the famous Sri Lankan architect, Geoffrey Manning Bawa, when designing this poolscape and selecting plants, and Bawa’s influence with the landscaped garden integrated into the architecture is evident throughout.

Tropical plantings make this poolscape feel like an oasis with bamboo to screen out neighbours and gingers, Heliconias and Frangipanis creating a flowering backdrop to each deck. “The main deck is like a garden room because the plants are enclosing it on three sides and the market umbrella covers it almost entirely,” adds Will.

Technically, this swimming pool represents state of the art mechanicals with assistance from Genesis Pools, Legend Products & Services and Australian Innovative Systems (AIS) guiding ARGO\’s selections to ensure high performance, low maintenance equipment that will last for many years.

Will advises his clients how surprisingly little extra cost there is to have the premium equipment on your pool, working with them to select high-quality pool innovations that offer ease of maintenance and long life. “All are worthwhile objectives … unless you love cleaning out filters on your weekends!” says Will.

The Baker Hydro Sand Filter from Legends Products & Services uses glass beads to filter more finely and both pumps (pool filter circulation and solar heater circulation) have DC motors with variable speed which ensures high performance when you need it but also extremely cost-effective operation. AIS manufactured Autochlor salt water chlorinator is the sanitation powerhouse of this system, creating chlorine from the pool salts very efficiently while cleaning itself. “The salt level of the pool is less than the salinity of human tears, so it is very pleasant to swim in and no harm to the plants.”

Poolscapes are becoming more complex as Australian’s tastes develop towards backyard resorts. As a direct result, the teamwork required to bring these built dreams to fruition is now more and more an important part of any poolscape project, as experts like Will and his team from ARGO can attest. “If you are after an outstanding poolscape, you need a team who know how, as not all backyard swimming pools are created equal.”

Photography: Glenn Weiss

The post A lush tropical poolscape completes this West End home first appeared on Queensland Homes.

“I used to make toy boats from sticks and bits of wood, sometimes even folded paper and race them down the local creek or wander through everyone’s backyards through the inevitable gaps in the fencing, exploring and making new friends. That’s how the neighbourhood gang in our street was formed – we just had a ball, and so long as we were back before the streetlights came on, all was well,” muses Will Marcus, Principle Architect at ARGO, Architects & Landscape Architects, on the humble backyard\’s evolution. “Today it\’s a very, very different streetscape in suburbia. Neighbours all have tight security, motion detectors on floodlights, guard dogs and fencing everywhere, usually to protect children from drowning in pools. And no one would dream anymore of ‘trespassing’ across the neighbourhood as we did. Sadly, the creeks are all ‘no go’ zones or filled in and modernised using concrete stormwater pipes. These changes in how we live have impacted garden design, especially the backyards of Australia, in a very special way and to my mind, in a very good way.”

Australians are embracing their backyards more than ever before in our short history, and our modern Queensland home demands a backyard that is more like a showpiece of resort quality landscaping and poolscape for recreation and entertainment.

Related article: Pool party decor essentials for summer

a start, pools have all suddenly become resort quality.  The tile selections from overseas, the use of stone and tiles of very high quality and landscape detailing is at an all-time high. Underwater ledges are a ‘must have’ item because they are just so useful. Most people sit and relax when in their pool – at least for 80% of the time. And the sit out areas around swimming pools have become more sophisticated. “Elevated decks with market umbrellas and special zones for outdoor lounges are really useful because, in fact, most use of any poolscape these days is done sitting around the pool and a shady, comfortable place to drink, eat tapas and entertain,” adds Will. “Just about every project we complete at ARGO now comes complete with these items, and if you add an outdoor kitchen and pizza oven, day bed, fire pit and a hammock, outdoor shower and change room/toilet, there really isn’t much else that you would need to live most of the time in the \’great outdoors\’ … unless, of course, you also have a half court to practice shooting hoops!”

This home showcases all of that, and so much more. It\’s typical of the standard of design and quality craftsmanship delivered with each and every ARGO project, bringing together the talents and expertise of some of Queensland\’s best suppliers and specialists in landscape and poolscapes. Quality tiles, selected from Italy, were supplied by Tile Solutions; The swimming pool and hardscape was built by Fowke Design and Construction; Landscaping and timber decking was built by Byrne Landscape Design and Construction; Pool heating and a photovoltaic solar collector to offset the power costs in the home was designed and installed by QIS Solarwise; Structural engineering design was by Newport Consulting Engineers; and the architectural design and project management was by ARGO, Architects & Landscape Architects.

PHOTOGRAPHY: Glenn Weiss

The post The 21st-century backyard poolscape first appeared on Queensland Homes.

Amongst the excitement of putting in a pool, it can be easy to overlook a few simple steps in the planning process. To ensure you choose the right pool for your family and to avoid making any costly mistakes, here\’s what you need to know before putting in a pool.

According to Sean Lynch, managing director at Poolfab with more than 30 years’ experience in the industry, the three key points to consider when putting in a pool are your lifestyle, your site, and your budget, are:

1. Decide what design will suit your lifestyle

The purpose of your pool should, of course, influence the design. Is it going to be a family pool that needs to be kid-friendly and not too fussy? Or it just for yourself and your partner with a desire to reflect your love of design? Make sure you have a clear idea of the pool’s purpose before you discuss the design with your pool builder, as they may be able to incorporate interesting elements you may not have considered such as waterfall features, shallower sections for the kids and so on.

Even if you’ve had your heart set on a particular design for years, there may be some technologies you’re not aware of that will make your pool more enjoyable and easier to maintain. To hone in on your design, sift through magazines and websites and start collecting images of pools that you like. Sean says this is a great way to show your pool designer the styles you like and helps them incorporate your design preferences into the final product.

2. Consider the site

It can be tempting think along the lines of the bigger the better, but if you have a small yard keep in mind you may want to save some space for landscaping around the pool, or for designated spaces for lounging. If you have an odd-shaped space, a freeform pool could be ideal to make the most of it. Consider your pool shape options knowing that it doesn’t have to be rectangular.

Related article: Top 5 swimming pool shapes

While most pool construction companies will take care of the legal nitty-gritty for you, it can help to know the council rules yourself when considering your design in order to save you time. Some areas require perimeter fences of a certain height, while others just require a fence around the pool itself.

Sean says you’ll also want to enquire about building permits, building restrictions, noise policies, and property tax concerns.

“Keeping on top of the local codes will mean you won’t be disappointed if you aren’t able to have the pool design of your dreams,” he says.

The climate can also impact your pool needs. For example in windy, hot areas such as North Queensland, a pool cover can be a good way to reduce evaporation (and therefore time and cost) as well as keeping debris out of the pool.

3. Decide on a budget (and a long-term budget)

When budgeting for your pool construction, keep in mind you will have ongoing maintenance costs for the pool as well as potential additional costs in the construction process.

“Some people don’t consider all of the costs in relation to the complete pool and landscape project,” Sean says.

You may need to factor in turf laying, retaining walls, garden beds, and so on into your budget.

As for maintenance for your pool, Sean says that owning a swimming pool can actually be very affordable if you take energy-saving measures in the design phase.

“Enclosures, pool covers, and pump and lighting timers can all pay for themselves in energy savings in a short amount of time,” he says.

Related article: Designing Eco-Smart swimming pools and landscapes

Now that you know the basics, it’s time to start collecting images and ideas to take to your pool designer. You’ll be relaxing poolside in your own backyard before you know it.

Words: Nichola Davies

The post Thinking of putting in a pool? Here’s what you need to know first appeared on Queensland Homes.

1. Rectangle

A rectangular pool shape is simple and classy and can be made ultra-modern with quality design and materials. Rectangular pools are great for lapping, and have a more formal appearance than many other designs. For a softer look, opt for rounded corners.

Related article: This stunning poolscape feels like it\’s on top of the world

2. Free-form

Make the most of the space you have with a free-form design that follows the contours of your property. The most natural-looking pool shape, freeform pools are perfect for creating a little backyard oasis surrounded by landscaping, and they can look stunning with boulders, rocks or waterfall features.

3. Geometric

Geometric pool shapes come in an infinite number of designs but always have a modern, interesting and sophisticated appeal. Geometric pools work perfectly in new home builds and allow you to customise different square and rectangular aspects of the pool as well as creating unique and interesting design features.

4. Infinity

Infinity pools are designed so that the edge merges into the surroundings – usually the sea or sky. Reminding us of luxury holidays in exotic places, if you live near the water or on a higher vantage point, an infinity pool can bring that luxury holiday feel home.

5. Plunge

A plunge pool is a perfect option for those who don’t have a lot of yard space. Plunge pools still offer room to wade around, as well as being a little deeper than a regular pool, making them good for rehabilitation, relaxation, and exercise.

Whichever swimming pool design you choose, you’ll not only be set for summer but add value to your home as well. Browse our favourite swimming pool designers and builders here.

Words: Nichola Davies

The post Top 5 swimming pool shapes first appeared on Queensland Homes.

Although small, the garden was a delightful place, and the design team didn\’t want to lose its cottage-like charm, with flowers, vegetables, orchids and other epiphytes and ferns, as well as a frangipani tree already established in the courtyard which created dappled shade in summer and plenty of light in winter.

“The original backyard gave us clues to where we went with the design,” says Will Marcus, Principle Designer at Argo Architects. “As a heritage workers cottage, which was well over 100 years old, the home had only a small backyard filled with a mixture of bricks from all eras, as well as paving stones. The effect was so lovely that we decided to mimic it in the new pool design.”

The mixing and matching of the old and new bricks proved to be a superb design feature. “We used an architectural advisor from PGH Bricks, and he was tremendously helpful in advising us of which bricks to use and where to buy them to make the final surfaces work best with the small space we had to work with,” explains Will. “This allowed the charm of the old bricks to assist with the new work – about 3/4 of the bricks were re-used in the paving and pool coping. The client was very much in line with our philosophy of recycling materials where possible.”

The main sewer and stormwater connections posed a significant issue, as they eliminated the use of the entire eastern edge of the (already tiny!) yard. “Given the small space, we had to work hard to fit everything in while excluding that zone,” says Will. Matthew Yourell from Newport Consulting Engineers worked closely with Argo Architects and their builders, Fowke Design Construction, to ensure that the pool structure did not interfere with the adjacent sewer main. They also designed the structural aspects of the pool shell, feature wall, and concourse slabs.

The selection of the glass tile for the feature wall was a brave, but ultimately successful, decision. Will was certain of his choice in materials, knowing from previous projects just how sensational the glass tiles can look, but the owners, on the other hand, took it as a leap of faith – and they\’re very pleasantly surprised by the finished result! Soured from Tile Solutions, Argo\’s go-to team for tiles for many years now, the Bisazza glass mosaic tiles from the Le Gemme range were a perfect choice.

Related article: These designer cement tiles from Bisazza look sensational! 

“Tile Solutions source whatever we need and give us personal service rarely matched in the industry. This way, we can make sure that we get just what we want,” says a satisfied Will. The feature wall can be illuminated by a focused LED ‘projector’ spotlight located under the deck at the end of the pool, allowing the family to use the pool, both day and night.

The clients were interested in a smooth glass bead finish for their new pool, and Argo recommended a Beadcrete finish. “The subsequent Beadcrete Black glass and black dyed matrix interior finish that we developed for this project is now available in a non-standard colour, thanks to Beadcrete.”

The pool has a floating blanket which was custom made, supplied and installed by QIS Solarwise, and is stored under the back verandah, concealed from view with batten gates designed by Argo. The blanket is the first black pool blanket used in Australia, the colour chosen to merge into the landscape when installed.

The pool blanket prevents water loss but mainly preserves the heat that is put into the water every day. “We also heated the pool with a combination of solar pool heating and an electric heat pump, both installed by QIS Solarwise,” says Will. “We were after hydrotherapy water temperatures of 30 degrees all year, and that is just not possible using solar pool heating alone.”

Additionally, a solar system was installed by QIS Solarwise on the roof to generate electricity to offset the running cost of the pumps and electric heat pump, effectively making the running costs neutral. “QIS did a great job and even provided our client with several options to consider mapping the likely water temperature every month through the year and the actual power consumption. They made this complex system a breeze to navigate,” says Will.

A fully automated Zodiac filter, pump, and steriliser, as well as the hydrotherapy spa jets and the micro-massage embedded into the spa ledge which releases tiny streams of bubbles, complete the hydrotherapy idyll that the clients wanted.

The character of this project is its real standout feature. “It\’s not often that we get to design with bricks these days – most people have a preconceived idea that they are going to get the 1970s or 1980s style pool, but it\’s a building material prejudice,” says Will from Argo Architects. “We loved exploring the small cottage garden theme here, making it as useful as possible and creating a beautiful place to be in for the family.”

Photography: Glenn Weiss

The post A therapeutic workers cottage pool design first appeared on Queensland Homes.

Check out Ecozen Pools + Landscapes and Pool Fab\’s incredible showcase of pool projects to stoke the inspiration for your own dream pool design.

See more at www.ecozen.com.au and www.poolfab.com.au 

The post Inspired poolscapes by Ecozen and Pool Fab first appeared on Queensland Homes.

An innovator in the field of eco-responsible swimming pool and landscape design and construction, Environmental Science graduate and Landscape Architect Sean Lynch is leading the charge to adopt a progressive, smart choice into the future of pool building.

Heading up Ecozen Pools + Landscapes, Sean believes in environmentally sustainable pool technology and that incorporating these eco-smart carbon offset pool and landscapes have immense value for clients.

An environmentally friendly outdoor garden and entertaining space is growing in desirability and is one that will always be a smart and a cost-effective long-term choice. And with energy costs continuing to rise, Sean reckons that the most eco-friendly thing you can do with your pool is to reduce its energy consumption and demand, therefore, achieving significant savings to the home energy budget.

“Through the understanding of science and ecology and using the latest technology to deliver low energy costs, these days a ‘green’ – environmentally friendly and highly energy efficient pool is the way of the future,” Sean says.

Related article: Guide to eco-friendly coastal gardens

Sean also adds that more and more clients are now wanting to achieve a green design. “Our community is now more educated about the impact we have on our planet and with this awareness comes a responsibility to do our share to preserve our natural environment.”

Ecozen Pools + Landscapes also focus on creating water-wise gardens. ““We combine water-wise plant design with site placement to reduce evaporation, watering needs and upkeep costs. We plant trees and other plants that benefit each other via natural pest control and water catchment. Not only does it save water and resources, but it also saves time and money on maintenance, and you require less fertiliser and pesticides. It is better for the environment, and better for you,” Sean says.

When designing a new pool and garden, or during a time of renovation or update, take the time to consider if you are doing all that you can to reduce your pool’s environmental effect. These measures will not only make a world of difference to the planet, but also to your wallet over the long run.

Related article: Dive into your new pool with this cool 3D technology

Start planning your new pool with our directory of South East Queensland experts

The post Designing Eco-Smart swimming pools and landscapes first appeared on Queensland Homes.

Sitting as it was on a small 343 square metre-sized block of land in inner suburban Brisbane, this home only left one option for pool placement – the narrow side yard. With only 10 metres by 3.5 metres to work in, Argo Architect’s principal architect Will Marcus and Argo’s poolscape architect Dylan Chen had to come up with some savvy ways to connect the new poolscape to the home\’s architecture.

Working with Fowke Design & Construction, they removed the western wall of the house and installed large picture windows to offer views straight out onto the new pool area from the ground floor.

“The poolscape became so much more, as it was now part of the architecture and the main feature of the living, dining, kitchen areas, ” explains Will of the project’s evolution.

Related article: Splash down in this stunning resort-inspired poolscape

The new western facing picture windows had to be protected from the harsh rays of the setting sun, so an aluminium loggia was designed using brown powder coated aluminium. An aquamarine palette of green and sky blue offset each other in this cool and calming space. Underwater benches and a spa pool are separated by the shallowest of weirs, all tiled with Bisazza’s stunning glass mosaic from their Le Gemme range, while a series of glass tiled steppers blend with the water and the spa and feature wall.

Functionally, the pool is fitted with a Paramount PCC 2000 built-in automatic cleaning system, a QIS Solarwise solar pool heater, a Zodiac variable speed DC pump, glass bead filter and salt water chlorinator. RGB LED underwater lights, air injected spa ledge and four rotating Gatling-gun spa jets imported from the US finish off the hydrotherapy spa.

The result is a pool that allows its owners to go on holidays for up to eight weeks without any maintenance required. “The maintenance is so low that we are still waiting for the first necessary backwash of the filter some six months after completion – and we expect that this task may only need to be done annually!” says Argo\’s Will.

Want to stay in the pool? Dive into our directory of South East Queensland experts 

Photography: Glenn Weiss

The post A savvy poolscape design becomes an architectural extension first appeared on Queensland Homes.

When tasked with designing a poolscape that would merge with the wilderness beyond, Argo Architects knew they were in for something special. “This site was the most spectacular we had worked on this year, and arguably over the last decade,” says Will Marcus, Principle Architect at Argo Architects. “The panoramic views made master planning this magnificent site a challenge, but also a very rewarding one.”

Designed by Will and documented by Peter Choi and Dylan Chen at Argo Architects, this impressive project included not only the poolscape, but also the entire two-hectare landscape around the modern Colonial home.

“Our clients, recently retired, wanted the design to allow extended family gatherings but also offer a ‘resort quality’ lifestyle for themselves daily. It had to include a real hydrotherapy spa, and the views out to the Great Dividing Range ‘begged’ for a horizon edge,” says Will.

Inspired by the surrounding bushland, the team selected tones and colours that would blend into the landscape, harmonising with the green, gold and blue Eucalyptus haze beyond.

Related article: Clever pool design makes the most of a suburban block

“The colours of the landscape drove our material selections immediately,” Will continues. “The concourses selected are Cobb & Co from Eco Outdoor – unfortunately, the stone is no longer available on the market as the quarry it was hewn from has closed.”

The pool’s interior finish was Beadcrete by concrete and pool construction suppliers Designerite, and is a mixture of clear, blue and green glass beads and white quartzite crushed pebbles all at around 3mm diameter – a blend designed specifically for this project.“The Beadcrete system is of particular value for our clients when it comes to warranties,” says Will. “The specially formulated, pre-mixed and bagged materials create a far greater quality control than a casual mix on site using untested admixtures. This is important, especially if you want to ensure that the pebbles and glass beads do not start falling out a few years down the track.”

With the colour of the sky reflected in the water, the pool’s colour develops into a deep aquamarine. Green by day and enhanced at night with blue lensed LED underwater lights, the whole space takes on that longed for resort atmosphere.

“Especially important in defining the pool colour was the waterline, ledge and spa tiling; a Bisazza glass tile from the La Gemme range which features splashes of gold in the glass,” says Will. “The reflected and refracted colour lifts the pool water colour significantly.”

Tile Solutions, Argo’s preferred tile supplier, partnered in this project, delivering the glass tiles, their glues and the specialised epoxy grout and ensuring the finish was superb. “Tile Solutions’ expertise and advice guided us through to this right solution at the right price. Tile selections for pools are critical if you are to enjoy decades of troublefree ownership – and only expert advice will give you a properly warranted tile solution.”

Heating the pool and spa was a must-have for the owners, too. “We decided to use a QIS Solarwise pool heater on the main roof of the house,” says Will. “It brings the pool and the spa water up to swimmable temperatures, with an electric heat pump to then boost the spa pool temperature when in use.”

The thermal calculations required by the QIS Solarwise pool heater called for specifically sized equipment prepared by QIS Solarwise, who have modified standard computation algorithms unique to their product. “QIS Solarwse assisted greatly with the design and install of the heating mat located on the house roof so that it is invisible from all aspects,” adds Will. “This was critical, given the Colonial roof shape.”

The spa pool features glass walls to three sides and is contoured to the client’s body shapes. Double air bed systems inject small beads of air in a ‘micro-massage’ system developed by Argo and rotating double waterjet inlets with a ‘Gatling Gun’ action imported from the USA allow for effective therapy.

Related article: A highly-creative yet low-maintenance poolscape 

Particular attention was given to the spa entry, which has been designed to allow easy entry for all users regardless of their age. The most spectacular feature of the pool is the curved horizon edge. “The big open sky made it imperative we establish a gentle curve to the outside of the poolscape, to mimic the curvature of the eye.” The specially designed sitting areas, especially the fire pit, create a sense of place for this home in the vast wilderness. “The view here is so spectacular,” says Will, “we\’ve designed these spaces to allow us mere humans the chance of looking more deeply into nature.”

PARTNERS: Argo Architects Master Planners, Solar Wise Solutions PTY LTD, Designer Beadcrete Designerite, Tile Solutions

The post Resort Style Living first appeared on Queensland Homes.