By Jason Cramp
The installation of a custom-fabricated stainless steel spa, complete with a unique water-well feature, by Diamond Spas in Frederick, Col., instantly brought warmth to the client’s three-storey courtyard by transforming the once cavernous area into a place where guests want to gather.
The 2.7- x 2.3- x 0.9-m (9- x 7.8- x 3-ft) hybrid hot tub/cold plunge pool offers the New Orleans, La., client the best of both worlds, as it can be used for both entertaining and wellness. The cold plunge pool is a nice diversion from the region’s humid, subtropical climate, which ranges between 32 and 41 C (70 and 105 F), and also provides health benefits in that the cold water often helps to stimulate blood circulation.
During colder months, with a simple flick of a switch, a huge shift in water temperature can be obtained in a few short hours to warm up the spa to soothe aching muscles.
The largest challenge Diamond Spas faced was designing the two-storey water feature, which had to work with the spa and create an interesting conversation piece. The end result was a beautiful, ribbed wet-wall feature, which circulates water into the spa.
Two stainless steel planters flank both sides of the spa to conceal access panels to the heating and chilling equipment, while also heightening the symmetrical design and placement of potted plants and trees. The sound of calming, trickling waters combined with soft lighting adds to the serenity and peace of the spa experience, creating a Zen-like atmosphere for bathers.
Diamond Spas worked closely with landscape architects, Newton Landscape Group, in Baton Rouge, La.
