Creating a visual experience
The visual component of a project is absolutely critical to the success of a design. From small spaces to estate projects, the most striking aspect of any backyard entertainment area is the overall visual impact. Every builder has seen or been involved in a project that simply does not work from a visual perspective. Therefore, keep in mind, less is more. Too many options, bad colour choices, unnecessary design elements, and poor workmanship, will often result in plain ugly.
As pool (backyard) designers/builders, it is imperative the entire project is conceptualized from a visual perspective. Often projects are broken up into small subsections (e.g. subcontracted components such as the pool, deck, and landscaping) with no overall control or design influence, and the results can be disastrous. Attention to detail during all design stages will avoid this dilemma. A project will always have a greater chance of success by hammering out the details (e.g. design, material choices, etc.) in advance and a project manager is responsible for co-ordinating the final look, sound, and feel of every element. When there are ‘too many cooks in the kitchen’ it can spoil the project. In some cases, on large-scale jobs, there can be too many egos involved, which is why it is important to have one project leader that can accept design and construction details from other professionals.
It is best to avoid situations where the client assumes the role of designer and/or project manager. It can lead to cost overruns, poor workmanship, scheduling nightmares, bad designs and, quite often, long-term maintenance and performance-cost increases due to items omitted during the construction phase.
Having substantial control of the overall design and visual components can make a huge difference when it comes to the final impact the project has on the client. A number of design factors such as clean lines, balance, harmony, symmetry, textures, colour pallet, focal points, vertical elements, raised/sunken areas, all contribute to the overall ‘look.’
In most cases, the most striking visual elements in the pool design/build field are fire and water features. These components involve auditory, visual, and sensory components. By combining fire and water features it evokes multiple emotions for viewers. It is an incredibly powerful visual statement to watch fire near still water in a nighttime environment.
Firing it up
Flame effects can be as simple as a manual tiki torch, to elaborate flame bars, fireplaces, and other custom designed products. In this regard, fire features should be placed in a safe location within the project design and clients should be advised on their proper use.
The sound, smell, sight, and power emitted by flame features can be difficult to capture during the design phase, of course; however, it would be a rare occurrence for a client to express disappointment in adding any type of fire element to their backyard project. In this case, however, the ‘less is more’ theory still holds true when incorporating these features as it is easy, and tempting, to get carried away with this detail.
Moving water
Water features play a big part in setting the mood in an aquatic environment. Water features can take many forms in a backyard project—from mirror-like reflective surfaces created by a perimeter overflow pool, or a smooth sheet of water on a wet wall to the turbulent action of a foam jet, laminar, or waterfall.
Further, by incorporating automation features and variable-speed pumps (VSPs) into water feature designs, the client has full control of the ‘water mood’ created in their backyard. For instance, more power, equals more water, which results in an increased auditory effect, not to mention an ever-changing look and feel to their project.
Light it up
Nighttime lighting features can be used to create incredible visual displays and powerful creative effects, which also serve to dictate the mood of the entire environment. This is another advantage to 3D design programs as they can be used effectively to simulate night lighting effects, but often old- fashioned trial and error methods using portable lights will determine the final resting place for landscape lighting.
Designers can incorporate a vast array of illumination features in an aquatic design, including up/down lighting, bench lighting, hidden lights, rope lights, wide angle, spot lights, coloured lights, light-emitting diode (LED), standard lights, and back lighting. It is only the designer’s imagination, experience, and planning—in addition to the client’s budget—that controls the final result. With this, many options become available. One of the best ways to plan an illumination schematic is to install the lights in zones so different moods and scenes can be created at the touch of a button.
Using art
Incorporating a sculpture or metalworking feature as a visual design element can also take a project to the next level. From subtle to ornate, including artistic elements in a backyard landscape can provide a main focal point or an interesting footnote to the project.
