By Barry Justus
Life is fragile. As designers and builders of pools, spas and water features, it is all too easy to become consumed with the daily rigours of operating the business that the simple pleasures in life, such as waking up pain free, are often taken for granted.
This became a reality when Poolscape was contacted last year by a couple in Milton, Ont., who were left handicapped after a motorcycle accident and were in need of a therapy pool to help with their extensive, lifelong physical therapy program.
Creating balance
To configure the pool’s design, both the clients and their therapy advisors were consulted to establish the unique design parameters the pool would require. A design that facilitated the client’s therapy requirements, while balancing the needs of their friends and relatives who would also use the pool, was important. As with any project, there is a fine line between ‘custom’ and the ability to sell the pool and home to a future owner.
Energy efficiency was also important to the client. By visiting the construction site of Poolscape’s green swimming pool project in Georgetown, Ont., the client had the opportunity to view the design/build process, which helped them decide which components they wanted to include in their project.
To balance the needs for conservation, efficiency, esthetics, functionality, budget and economics, it was decided that an indoor pool, chill pool and hot sauna, contained in a frame-and-stone building, rather than a retractable enclosure, would suit the client best due to sunlight sensitivity.
Not only would these amenities help with the clients’ ongoing physical therapy routine, they would also provide a place of refuge and tranquility with views of the Niagara escarpment and a wood-burning fireplace.
The foremost concern, however, was to provide a safe therapy pool that used ‘green’ technology to minimize the long-term costs of maintaining and operating a pool of this nature.
Therapeutic features
One of the best forms of physical therapy is to exercise in an aquatic environment. The buoyancy of water takes stress off of muscles and ligaments and allows those with limited mobility the freedom to exercise. Balance also becomes easier in an aquatic environment, allowing for range of motion and mobility exercises that are not possible on land. A number of features where built into the project to facilitate the clients therapy needs.
Perimeter overflow
A ‘soft’ knife-edge, deck-level perimeter overflow was installed for a variety of reasons. When people are using a standard pool for therapeutic exercise, water tends to get choppy and small waves develop on the water’s surface. This is not normally an issue, but with limited mobility, waves become a challenge and interfere with therapy and exercise. A perimeter overflow pool maintains precise and constant water levels where choppy water and waves are not able to develop, thus providing a safer aquatic environment.
In terms of esthetics, perimeter overflow pools are also quite striking, as the motionless water creates a glass-like effect and reflects light like a mirror when the pool is not in use. Part of the appeal of these types of pools is the soothing sounds produced by the water trickling over the wet edge into the gutter, and eventually, the surge tank. A properly designed edge and drain system produces pleasant white noise, which is especially important in an indoor environment where acoustic issues are magnified.
Pool interior details
Careful attention was paid to the pool’s interior details. Entry steps were designed to have 152-mm (6-in.) risers (compared to the typical 178-mm [7 in.] riser), with 457-mm (18-in.) treads (normally 254 to 305 mm [10 to 12 in.]). The client decided not to install obvious handrails purely for esthetic reasons. The swim-up bar and water feature at the pool entrance, however, doubled as a handrail for accessing the pool.
All interior surfaces were tiled with bull-nosed coping to prevent injuries during therapy. These edges were further refined by wet sanding all exposed pool interior surfaces to prevent even minor scratches from occurring while exercising.
