The elements of design
Scale: To lessen the scale of the three-storey house, a pergola was built near the back of the home. The ceiling created by the pergola creates a calming effect and lowers the line of sight from the roof of the house. Using the same synthetic wood cladding from the home’s exterior on the pergola’s siding, as well as the elevated and lowered sections of the pool, creates a visual symmetry in the built landscape. The pergola shades a relaxing seating area and offers a tucked-away space for pool mechanical equipment, while creating subtle privacy for the pool area from the neighbouring home.
Shape: At the firepit, three posts were installed with beams to make an L-shape that is kitty corner from the L-shape created by the pergola. This creates a cozy roomed-in feeling with four implied walls around the outdoor living space.
Line: To go with the contemporary feel of the house, and to match the client’s desire for clean lines and a more modern look, a rectilinear design was used with a series of terraces to give the client a variety of spaces for family activities, as well as the ability to view the river from each space.
Simplicity: To maintain interest on the view, a simple plant palette was selected. A bright or varied plant palette risked distracting from the client’s coveted river view. The hardscape materials also followed this principle. The pavers were installed starting at the backdoor with the joints lined up across the different patio elevations. A single-size, large-format, staggered running-bond pattern was selected for the pavers to keep joints and distractions to a minimum. On the low side of the pool, Plexiglas fencing maintains the open view. For budget purposes, ornamental iron was used around the other three sides of the pool.
Emphasis: To make accessing the tanning ledge safer, a custom curved handrail was incorporated into the design. It is the only curved item in the pool area. This puts extra emphasis on the tanning ledge and draws bathers into the pool.
Colour: For the pool liner, a purple iridescent tiled pattern from LoopLoc was chosen. The various pool depths show off a gradient of tones. Beneath the tanning ledge, the liner reflects pure purple. As the pool’s water depth increases, the red hues begin to filter out and vanish, leaving a vivid cerulean blue.
