Diving into the story behind ‘Ladies of the Lake’

by arslan_ahmed | February 2, 2024 6:00 am

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By Tina Rasmussen

A boutique Kelowna, B.C., pool and landscape construction company, nestled in the heart of the Okanagan, unveiled its latest project. Hampton Pools and Landscape’s passion for redefining leisure is visible in their newest project, titled “Ladies of the Lake.” Delve into the story behind the creation, poised to challenge the way the industry envisions and experiences residential aquatic environments.

The challenges

The suburban backyard, once an overlooked and predominantly unused space, posed as a compelling canvas for Hampton’s transformation. The custom design involved collaborating with the client’s vision of integrating sleek industrial elements with nature.

Encompassed by towering trees and engulfed in untamed ground cover, the area demanded extensive tree removal and earthworks to unveil its potential. The challenges were in taming the mountainous wilderness and in meeting stringent city regulations and navigating the extremely limited access to the site. In elevating the rocky terrain to seamlessly align with the back entrance, the design could feel like a continuation of the home. The endeavour to blend the natural landscape with the architectural layout posed a considerable challenge, requiring creative design, meticulous planning, and substantial efforts to sculpt and raise the ground.

Located within a suburban enclave, directly bordered by neighbouring homes, another obstacle laid in crafting a space that ensured
the client’s privacy without compromising everyone’s scenic views. Every architectural element, from strategically placed landscaping to carefully positioned features, served as a harmonious solution for the poolscape.

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The design

Embracing nostalgia and the bygone era, Hampton embarked on a journey to revive a 1958 Shasta Airflyte trailer into a unique pool house. Honouring the client’s desire for a whimsy and vintage look, the designer crafted a meticulous refurbishment plan. Preserving the trailer’s iconic features while infusing modern functionality, this project is a fusion of old-world allure and contemporary utility.

Hampton crafted a rectangular concrete vinyl liner pool using insulated concrete form (ICF) technology. This included a tanning ledge coupled with a dropped-edge wall that incorporated an infinity illusion, allowing the client to have a swim-up effect. Having to raise the pool by building up introduced further complexities.

To meet the challenge of elevating the pool, Hampton faced the intricacies of excavating the native soil and providing new structural fill, particularly challenging due to the slope of the property and limited access for material placement. In response to this, Hampton engineered and installed a concrete sub retaining wall under the pool shell to maintain stability on the slope. This sub process of infill and geotechnical requirements took more than a month to complete.

Amidst the challenges of the terrain and the intricate engineering involved, the pool design itself emerged as elegant, with a blend of minimalism and sophistication. The pool’s blueprint embraced a straightforward yet captivating concept with a sleek oblong embracing the water’s expanse, reaching toward a vista, accentuated by the arch overhead, and the inclusion of three arched railings.

The use of the arch in the design owes its inspiration to fractals. A fractal describes a geometric shape that can be split into parts, each of which is a reduced-scale copy of the whole. The fractal came to life in the design, starting with the round sunken fire pit, flowing through the art pedestals, and ending with the round hot tub. These detailed structures mimic natural forms, and the fractal offers a visual symmetry that brings harmony directly through the design. Every detail was thoughtfully considered, including the pool liner, which was custom-made to incorporate the curved fractal.

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Sourcing and transporting the trailer, craning it over the house, and installing and stabilizing the structure on its pad, was only the beginning of this structure’s journey. Careful woodwork, artisan joinery, rounded corners, original hardware, and chrome edges were also installed, along with rewiring the insides and replacing the original exterior lights with LEDs inside their original casings so the pool house was lit up both inside and out.

Focal points and elements

The fire feature and hot tub, positioned at the endpoints of the arch or fractal, were ingeniously fashioned to create an illusion of suspension away from the deck. With keen craftsmanship, a deliberate void was designed between the deck and these features, imparting the effect if as though they float independently within the space. This carefully calculated distance added to the visual allure, creating an ambiance of depth and sophistication.

Lighting played a pivotal role in accentuating this arrangement, as it was strategically placed to cast a glow that enhances the suspended appearance, emphasizing the fire pit and hot tub as focal points within the seamless design of the arch. The play of light and shadow accentuate the illusion, rendering the fire feature and hot tub as suspended, despite being cantilevered, becoming turret-like features within the architectural narrative of the space.

Despite its sunken position, the fire feature still offers an unobstructed view of the Okanagan Valley, emphasizing its dual role: being part of the fractal design while providing an intimate, functional, and inviting conversation space.

The balance between the fire feature’s integration into the arch design and its strategic placement was for both esthetic and functional purposes. A custom fire bowl was designed by Hampton then made by a local artisan to fit the dimensions of the circle’s radius. The toppers of the art pedestals were fabricated by the same artisan to echo the same design across the various elements.

The prefabricated hot tub seems to hover in mid-air as it was lowered onto a custom-made landing. This platform, cantilevered out beyond the edge, gives the illusion of the hot tub hanging suspended out over the best vantage point on the property.

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In line with the collision of “nostalgia meets contemporary,” custom Hampton swings were installed under the existing overhang of the house, which happens to be a very popular hangout space
for guests.

“Creating conversation spaces was essential to the design and important for the client. In addition to the hot tub, sunken fire pit, the bar/pool house, the expanse of the deck made it possible to stage various areas with vintage wrought iron furniture and provided context for the art pedestals and personal features,” says Hampton Pools and Landscapes owner and chief architect designer, Tim Valerioti.

The lighting aspect

Lighting design is always a critical element in Hampton designs and this project is no exception. The Hampton team installed timed solar lights into the concrete pool deck, a vintage neon sign, hanging globe lights, and feature lighting on the pool’s retaining wall, and within the art pedestals themselves as well to fully round up the design.

Another unique feature of the design is that Valerioti even elevated the concrete deck into a canvas by painting it in a pristine white and cast a holographic sparkle dust on it. The sparkle dust created a captivating and multi-dimensional effect. It refracts light in a myriad of colours, producing a changing and iridescent display. The dust infused the pool deck’s concrete surface with a shimmer that shifts and moves as the sunlight and viewing angles change.

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Fabrication of the art pedestals

To seamlessly integrate the three art pedestals within the overall design, three concrete pads were meticulously laid and precisely levelled to match the height of the coping of the pool—an essential step in ensuring both functionality and esthetic harmony.

The pedestals are crafted from concrete industrial sewer pipes. Their robust composition, albeit unconventional, demanded a crane for installation due to their weight and the need for precise placement. The pedestal toppers, engineered with a low-profile, upheld the dual mandate of supporting weight while maintaining a visually unobtrusive presence. These pedestals serve as plinths for displaying art, both for the client privately and for the community at large from the street view.

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The current art exhibition on top of the pedestals takes its name from The Miss Kelowna Ladies of the Lake pageant, a long-standing tradition and a crowd favourite feature event of the Kelowna Regatta that started in 1931.

The Ladies of the Lake, both the above-mentioned sculpture and the entire project, were designed by Valerioti. He fashioned some old mannequins from his client’s art studio into a triptych—a diving and undulating woman enjoying the serenity of water and the stunning views of Lake Okanagan. This transformation ultimately replicated the image his client had of herself in her dreamscape.

The mannequin(s) appear to be diving into water, as the pedestal toppers are filled with river rock and covered in blue tennis balls, giving the illusion of moving water. The tennis balls were “an invention of necessity” says Valerioti. “I had originally sourced coloured glass to fill the pedestals, but the amount required was too cost prohibitive so I found a playful and more cost-effective solution. I ordered a lot of blue tennis balls, but the results are magical and surprising.”

The landscape design

The landscape design integrated round pavers embedded in pea pebble and black river rock, and black rubber mulch with white rock elements to evoke a yin and yang motif. With a blend of contrasting materials, the circular pavers and meticulously arranged white rocks suggest the iconic symbol, while the black rubber mulch complements the design. Moreover, the use of the black rubber mulch extends beyond esthetics, by being environmentally friendly and low maintenance.

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Rounding out the design meant wrapping the additive pool structure with corrugated steel. Employing industrial material accentuated the interplay between straight and curved, and industrial and natural. Recycled chain link fencing was also installed for pool safety and privacy; and artificial hedges were affixed for a softer look and zero maintenance at the clients’ behest.

Conclusion

Hampton Pools and Landscape’s latest project sets a new pinnacle of playful and evocative design as they continue to push the envelope. With this project, they crafted an architectural marvel that not only exemplifies their technical prowess, but also dedication to creating unique pool spaces that have meaning and bring joy to their clients.

“Designing amidst the interplay of public and private spheres, balancing privacy needs while allowing a glimpse of public allure, merging industrial edges with nature’s contours, constitutes a multilayered challenge that required finesse, creativity, and an astute appreciation for the harmony between water, manmade structures, and the natural environment,” added Valerioti.

Author

Tina Rasmussen is the artistic director at Culture Shark, a boutique atelier specializing in curating and producing captivating events, elevating brands through innovative marketing strategies, media relations, and offering bespoke artist consultancy.

Source URL: https://www.poolspamarketing.com/trade/features/diving-into-the-story-behind-ladies-of-the-lake/

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