How to keep projects in line with the client’s vision and budget

by jason_cramp | August 31, 2015 10:30 am

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By Barry Justus, SWD

It can be extremely difficult for potential pool owners these days when it comes to selecting a builder to create their backyard oasis. The terms custom, unique, design, designer, and experience are possibly the most overused expressions in the pool and landscape industry. Further, a quick glance at the vast majority of pool and landscape vendor websites reveals virtually the same product. As a result, it can be challenging for the consumer to differentiate between the various companies and sort through all of the marketing hype, and big promises.

Obviously, there are exceptions to this as there are a number of companies across the country capable of installing very innovative well-built projects; however, do homeowners really want a ‘cookie-cutter’ pool with a small surrounding deck, ladder, and diving board? Or, do they want a backyard retreat that co-ordinates with their lifestyle, home, budget, and surrounding environment? To do the latter successfully, there are a number of items to consider when meeting a client and reviewing their property for a potential project.t can be extremely difficult for potential pool owners these days when it comes to selecting a builder to create their backyard oasis. The terms custom, unique, design, designer, and experience are possibly the most overused expressions in the pool and landscape industry. Further, a quick glance at the vast majority of pool and landscape vendor websites reveals virtually the same product. As a result, it can be challenging for the consumer to differentiate between the various companies and sort through all of the marketing hype, and big promises.

Budget

Without a doubt, budget will dictate material choices, design elements, and the overall feel of a project. That said, this figure needs to be established prior to discussing the project. Most clients may have spoken to their friends about ‘ballpark’ pool pricing, and few will understand the nuances of design that can dramatically alter the pricing structure.

Designing a space without a budget can be an exasperating experience for all involved. One idea is to show the client a portfolio of past projects and outlining various line item costs to give them a good sense of what value can be placed on the different options. A client who says they do not have a budget can only mean one of two things: they are truly wealthy or they have no idea what the true cost will be.

Another useful approach is to design the same space with various finishes. Pricing the base structure without a finish allows the client to control budget, while giving them a well-thought-out plan. For example, walls can be clad in stone or stucco, pools can be concrete, vinyl, plaster, or all tile. It is more important to get the design elements correct by sacrificing some of the finishing materials than having a poor design with high-end finishes.

Intended use

Some clients may even have very clear ideas in mind with regard to how they plan to use the space. For example:

• They like to entertain (bar, swim-up bar, seating areas, fire pits, large patios, outdoor kitchens, bathrooms, sound systems);
• Child friendly (safety, depth, swim jets, splash pads, raised walls for jumping, automated pool covers, chemical free);
• They want to impress (fire features, all-tile pools, perimeter overflow, outdoor TV and audio systems, lighting effects, water features, custom spas, elaborate, exclusive designs and finishes);
• Fitness (large commercial style swim jets, lap pools, chill therapy pools, hot spas, climbing walls over water, sports equipment); or
• Art (highly interested in the visual component, fine finish levels, lighting, unique design elements, open to extraordinary materials and designs).

Site location

The site will have a large bearing on design. For instance, a basement indoor pool will have a much different feel than an outdoor project in cottage country. Local bylaws and building codes will provide the setbacks and allowances for intended use. Site location in proximity to conservation land and waterways may have a fairly significant number of restricted design elements (e.g., setbacks, elevations, equipment location, material choice, water discharge, drainage, landscape materials, and most importantly, construction restrictions).

North facing yards will have a much different layout than a full sun south-facing property. Every project is diverse and warrants a different design and approach. Site lines, prevailing winds, soil conditions, groundwater, neighbours, and critically, existing trees will also have a major impact on project design.

Shape

It is rare when the property, home’s architecture, and surrounding local environment will dictate an organic free-form shape. Humpback kidney and lagoon forms have dominated the industry for decades, but there has been a pronounced shift back to crisp, linear pool designs.

Classic architecture by the Romans, Turkish, and Indian empires all favour clean linear shapes, while today, architects rarely include curved walls in their designs. From a construction point of view, it is far more difficult to install an all-linear design, than a freeform layout. The reason being, slight variances in construction and layout can be easily spotted in a linear design; therefore, the various site lines in these backyards need to be perfect. Many pool designs also successfully combine crisp linear elements with some organic free-form features.

In the end, however, the pool shape, elevation, and location will be guided by a combination of the site location, intended use, and architectural style.

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Grade and elevations

Large grade variances in a backyard allow for interesting pool installations; however, these projects can be difficult when it comes to staying on budget. Retaining walls, fully engineered pools, cantilevered decks, and challenges with run off and slope retention will add significant costs.

Intelligent designs will incorporate the terrain into the final plan to balance esthetics with budgetary constraints. For example, the pool structure can be used as a retaining wall, or a raised wall to save on redundant structural costs. Further, keeping the deck away from a descending slope will save on construction costs and potential railings, while using the pool as the edge of the project will not only serve as a beautiful design element, but also provide cost savings.

As a general rule, construction costs will be significantly higher for properties with large changes in grades as opposed to those with a flat terrain. In this case, careful placement of the pool and retaining walls can result in significant cost savings for the client. Further, grades and elevation changes can be used to the designer’s advantage by incorporating swim-up bars, sunken lounges, and outdoor rooms into the project.

Depth

Water depth is often the source of great debate in pool design. Traditional vinyl pools typically had a very small 1-m (3-ft) deep shallow end and a long slope which led to a tiny 2.1-m (7-ft) deep end. This type of pool is not very practical for lounging, playing, or swimming.

Industry design trends tend to favour shallow or sport pools. These pools are less costly to construct and maintain, and the shallow depth layout can provide a lot of feature benefits for the consumer. Where budget and space permit, a combination of a deep area with either a shallow swim lane or a swim jet allow the pool to be used for a number of activities.

Diving boards and slides are becoming a rarity because of liability constrains, but jumping walls, platforms, or rocks still remain popular. In some cases, centre-deep pools are also a suitable design option, as the client can safely jump from the end of the pool towards deeper water. These pools allow for a broad spectrum of uses, ranging from lap swimming to sports and lounging activities.

Decks

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Deck design and construction elements play a crucial role in a backyard project. The industry standard 1-m (3.3-ft) perimeter deck is rarely the proper choice from a design standpoint. These decks are not compatible with lounge chairs, tables, and most outdoor entertainment accessories. Instead, this space would be better allocated for more useable areas.

For instance, the minimum space for a lounge chair and safe walking space is 2.7 m (9 ft) from the water’s edge. Some of the deck surrounding the pool can be eliminated and replaced with planting beds, keeping the deck’s square footage down, while increasing the useable space and maintaining a similar budget.

Decks can also be constructed from a large selection of materials—from concrete to various wood composites. Longevity is often directly related to price. For instance, natural stone patios or reinforced concrete decks will stand the test of time, while less expensive wood decks and interlock pavers may not be as hardy. That said, it is important to ensure the client understands the limitations of the various materials selected.

Elevated decks can be constructed of wood, composites, or more rarely, structural concrete. Price point and design flexibility will influence the client’s final decision. Initially, wood composite decks will look very attractive, but the material can degrade with prolonged exposure to the elements, particularly ultraviolet (UV) light. The high initial cost of elevated structural concrete decks will reward the clients with a waterproof ceiling and long-term low maintenance.

Energy efficiency

Every pool should be equipped with a variable-drive pump(s) and properly sized plumbing. The payback to the consumer is incredibly quick. Other more costly items should be presented to the client on a cost-benefit basis. Luxury pools, particularly built in conjunction with new homes, should be equipped with energy-efficient boilers and heat exchangers. At the very least, automatic covers, insulation, automation systems, water levellers, and auto pool drains should be presented as additional upgrades available to the client.

Ergonomics

Today, an increasing number of products are designed and arranged so those who use them can interact with them more efficiently and safely. The same can be said for pool and spa/hot tub design, despite the fact ergonomics is essentially non-existent in the pool portion of residential building codes.

Often, seating (e.g. bar stools) and counter heights, depths, steps, railings, and material finishes are left up to the builder with little thought put into ergonomics. Even some prefabricated steps, shipped directly from the manufacturer, will have risers that are 229 to 279 mm (9 to 11 in.) high with even worse numbers for the first and last step. Consistency in step height is an extremely important design factor with respect to safety, but it is commonly overlooked. Unless a pool builder is aware of the exact coping and deck-stone thickness prior to construction, the first step into the pool can be extra-large.

Knowledge and skill in applying ergonomic design elements to an aquatic design will significantly benefit the project’s safety and flow. Walkways, bench heights, pathways, traffic flow, night lighting, and particularly outdoor kitchens and bars, are all important design considerations that should be emphasized with the client.

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Infrastructure

The planning and implementation of a project’s infrastructure are critical to its overall design, safety, and cost. Every light, conduit, pipe chase, return, skimmer, speaker, automation cable, equipment pad, sewage lines, waterlines, step, handrail, irrigation head, and gas line must be planned in advance. Time and money spent on the design stage for these elements pay quick and large dividends not only for the clients, but also the builder’s construction budgets. Forgotten lines and/or poorly located equipment can result in huge cost overruns and project delays.

Material choices

Every material to be used in the project should be decided in advance (where possible). This includes the colour pallet, which the client may need assistance from a professional interior/exterior designer to sort through the myriad of options. The designer should use every tool in their arsenal to help the client choose the materials for all stages of the project. For instance, Photoshop, 3D design, mock-ups, site visits, and hand-holding supplier visits can save a great deal of frustration, time, and money.

The choice of materials and finishes selected will not only determine how the completed project will look, but will also play a significant role in the overall budget. Even a bad design can look good with the right material choices, while a beautiful layout can be overshadowed by poor selections; therefore, it is important to get it right the first time.

Options

Last but not least, always provide clients alternatives. For instance, do they want to upgrade to an all-glass tile pool? Add sophistication with a perimeter overflow or suspended pool design? Or, do they want to include peripheral features such as fire features, cabanas, and/or an outdoor kitchen? The list is endless. Presented with a range of options allows the client to feel a part of the design process and allows them to take ownership of the project whereby allocating their expenditures on their wants and needs.

The beauty of design is taking an empty space and using a blank sheet of paper or computer screen to develop an idea that is in line with the client’s vision, goals, budgets, and dreams.

[5]Barry Justus is the owner of Poolscape Inc., and Justus International Consulting. He is an international lecturer and author of more than 40 articles on pool design and construction. Justus is also a fellow of the Society of Watershape Designers (SWD) and a member of Pool & Spa Marketing’s editorial advisory board (EAB). More than 90 per cent of his projects designed and built over the last decade have won a national or international award. He can be reached via e-mail at barry@poolscape.com[6].

Adding art to outdoor spaces

[7] By Claire Hall dding art to an outdoor space helps create a smooth transition from the interior to the exterior. Every indoor living space always incorporates art, so it makes sense to continue the flow and beauty to the outdoors. Art can have a positive influence in an outdoor space in several ways. It can act as a discussion piece, allowing viewers to have thought-provoking conversations. It can unify different elements that already exist outside such as incorporating colours found in the structural elements, furniture, or natural environment. Another technique is adding pop colours in the art to add more visual interest and to introduce new colours into the existing palette. Art can stir different emotions from onlookers, such as calmness and tranquility or fun and excitement—it all depends on what the client wants to achieve in their space. Art is also more affordable then changing structural elements in cases where clients want to modify the look of the space. By doing this, new colours can be introduced by replacing inexpensive décor elements such as throw pillows, umbrellas, and cushions using inspiration from the painting. The use of colour to set the mood Colour is critical when setting the mood; therefore, structural or permanent elements such as the pool tile, concrete, and feature walls should be finished in neutral tones. More specifically, it is best if some of these structural elements are colours that appear in nature so the pool blends in with its surroundings. In this case, beiges, browns, natural stone, greys, and creams will do the trick. For accent pieces such as couches, umbrellas, and drapery, this depends on what mood the client wants to set in their backyard. For example, for a vibrant, fun, and upbeat feel, reds, oranges, and yellows should be used, while greens and blues are more appropriate for creating a calm, tranquil, and peaceful setting. [8] Is furniture art? Furniture is considered a form of decorative art as it can be used to beautify an outdoor space. There are many different interesting and unique options when it comes to outdoor furniture. For instance, for a more traditional space, there are a number of tasteful patio furniture styles that are not necessarily statement pieces. However, for client’s who want more panache, there are definitely some amazingly funky options available to satisfy their taste. When working with budget conscious clients, try to stay away from trendy furniture. That said, should a client go bold in their art selection and is not concerned about the longevity of the furniture’s style, salient furnishings can add character to a space. More importantly, however, the goal is to select furniture and accessories that are cohesive with the overall style of the entire backyard design. [9]After choosing the safe path of working in the corporate world, Claire Hall realized she did not want to look back on life with any regrets, so she decided to take a chance and pursue art as a full-time career. Today, Hall creates custom art for various clients including hotels, condo corporations, corporate offices, and private collectors. Her artwork has been featured on episodes of Property Brothers and Buying and Selling. Claire’s latest venture is working with Poolscape Inc., an international award-winning company, as an exterior designer. She can be reached via e-mail at claire@clairehalldesign.com[10].

 

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