By Tom Dankel
Designing award-winning projects takes a team, and the whirlpool and lap pool built for this sophisticated residence was no exception. This ultra-contemporary home was built to Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED)-certified specifications; therefore, the aquatic features needed to include the best in pump, filtration, and energy-saving devices currently available in the marketplace.
Likewise, each team member involved on the project are companies and individuals who are at the highpoint of their respective fields—from the architect, Bohlin Cywinski Jackson, general contractor, Durfeld Constructors, and the pool contractor, Alka Pool Construction Ltd., to the specialty product suppliers. Each played an integral role in creating a practical and esthetically pleasing design for a home that is not just a comfortable living space, but also an outstanding piece of functional art.
Living on the edge
Located in the ski resort town of Whistler, B.C., this west coast home’s contemporary design uses concrete, glass, and Ipe wood (a hardwood from the Southern hemisphere which is very dense and durable) as it is ideal for the harsh winters experienced in the area.
To co-ordinate with the home, these building materials were also used for the outdoor pool and whirlpool as they are the exterior focal point of the residence. Both vessels, designed and built by Alka Pools, are poured-in-place structures with the pool’s foundation also serving as the cistern for the vanishing edge, which can hold up to one third of the pool’s water volume. The overall dimension of the pool is 4.4 m (14.4 ft) wide by 20.4 m (67 ft) long with a 6.7-m2 (72-sf) whirlpool.
The only ‘basic’ component of the pool’s design is its rectilinear shape, as the vanishing edge not only juts out 6.7 m (22 ft) from the cliff-side property, but is also 12.2 m (40 ft) off of the ground at its furthest point, creating a spectacular visual looking over the valley below and mountains beyond.
For a luxurious pool finish, the client chose a 25.4-mm2 (1-sq. in.) black-glass mosaic tile for the pool’s interior. The entry point includes an extended Baja sun shelf that is illuminated by light-emitting diode (LED) lights.
The whirlpool shares the same finishing materials as the pool and is protected from the harsher elements in a covered alcove created by a cantilevered section of the home. Bathers still have a commanding view of the valley as the alcove is open to the front. A unique oculus above the whirlpool illuminates the area allowing those in the whirlpool to have a touch of sun or gaze at the stars. The whirlpool also has its own separate filtration system with the same energy-saving requirements as the pool, once again keeping the harmony of repetition in the design and finishes.
The equipment room also received a high amount of detail and finish, including sanded-wood panels to finish the walls, giving the room a clean, finished look.
