Slatted pool cover offers simplicity and function in design

by jason_cramp | August 28, 2015 2:30 pm

By Tom Dankel

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Designing award-winning projects takes a team, and the whirlpool and lap pool built for this sophisticated residence was no exception. This ultra-contemporary home was built to Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design[2] (LEED)-certified specifications; therefore, the aquatic features needed to include the best in pump, filtration, and energy-saving devices currently available in the marketplace.

Likewise, each team member involved on the project are companies and individuals who are at the highpoint of their respective fields—from the architect, Bohlin Cywinski Jackson, general contractor, Durfeld Constructors, and the pool contractor, Alka Pool Construction Ltd., to the specialty product suppliers. Each played an integral role in creating a practical and esthetically pleasing design for a home that is not just a comfortable living space, but also an outstanding piece of functional art.

Living on the edge

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[4][5]Located in the ski resort town of Whistler, B.C., this west coast home’s contemporary design uses concrete, glass, and Ipe wood (a hardwood from the Southern hemisphere which is very dense and durable) as it is ideal for the harsh winters experienced in the area.

To co-ordinate with the home, these building materials were also used for the outdoor pool and whirlpool as they are the exterior focal point of the residence. Both vessels, designed and built by Alka Pools, are poured-in-place structures with the pool’s foundation also serving as the cistern for the vanishing edge, which can hold up to one third of the pool’s water volume. The overall dimension of the pool is 4.4 m (14.4 ft) wide by 20.4 m (67 ft) long with a 6.7-m² (72-sf) whirlpool.

The only ‘basic’ component of the pool’s design is its rectilinear shape, as the vanishing edge not only juts out 6.7 m (22 ft) from the cliff-side property, but is also 12.2 m (40 ft) off of the ground at its furthest point, creating a spectacular visual looking over the valley below and mountains beyond.

For a luxurious pool finish, the client chose a 25.4-mm² (1-sq. in.) black-glass mosaic tile for the pool’s interior. The entry point includes an extended Baja sun shelf that is illuminated by light-emitting diode (LED) lights.

The whirlpool shares the same finishing materials as the pool and is protected from the harsher elements in a covered alcove created by a cantilevered section of the home. Bathers still have a commanding view of the valley as the alcove is open to the front. A unique oculus above the whirlpool illuminates the area allowing those in the whirlpool to have a touch of sun or gaze at the stars. The whirlpool also has its own separate filtration system with the same energy-saving requirements as the pool, once again keeping the harmony of repetition in the design and finishes.

The equipment room also received a high amount of detail and finish, including sanded-wood panels to finish the walls, giving the room a clean, finished look.

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Achieving value on all levels

Even though the phrase “money is no object” is often heard in the high-end pool design/build marketplace, it certainly does not mean value is of no concern to the homeowner.

In fact, on this project, this discerning client wanted to see the value of every component used in the construction and finishing of their pool, as well as what advantages they offered. That said, each product had to pass the test not only in terms of creating value, but also in maintaining the beauty and harmony of the overall design and functionality.

One area of importance was energy efficiency, and one of the products used on both the pool and whirlpool that spoke directly to this necessity, without sacrificing design integrity, was the cover.

Having more than four decades experience in automatic pool covers—traditional track and slatted systems—Alka Pools referred the client to a U.S. Department of Energy report which noted “75 per cent of all pool heat loss is through evaporation.” Although this is common knowledge in the pool industry, the information contained in this report emphasized the importance that the pool’s design and peripheral components also took this into consideration to minimize this effect. Therefore, to achieve energy savings on the pool and whirlpool during the extreme climate changes experienced in this locale, an automatic pool cover became a mandatory requirement.

Designing for efficiency

With the initial design concept in hand, Alka Pool’s Rob Danieli contacted the pool cover manufacturer to co-ordinate the seamless installation of the cover system.

In doing so, a high-efficient, automatic pool cover was selected that features extruded polyvinyl chloride (PVC) slats that have sealed air chambers, giving the cover a higher insulating R-value (a measure of thermal resistance) over traditional vinyl covers. The higher the R-value the more effective the insulation.

This particular cover design also eliminates the rope/track/leading-edge bar interface used for traditional automatic pool covers, allowing it to be deployed from a hidden recessed area to accommodate the most complex pool shapes and designs. These features, along with the clean lines of the slatted pool cover, co-ordinated with the architectural design of the home and helped to blend every element together.

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Designing for functionality

The slats on the pool and whirlpool automatic covers are 12.7 mm (0.5 in.) thick, requiring the cover recess on the pool to be 762 mm (30 in.) wide. This is well-hidden and the cover mechanism is contained under the Ipe wood decking, which is designed with removable sections for access.

Similarly, the recess for the whirlpool cover is 406.4 mm (16 in.) wide and hidden in the same manner. This installation technique allows the beauty of the cover to remain visible, while disguising the cover motor and mechanical areas. To blend the cover with the colour palette of the architecture and natural environment of the surrounding rocks, the client selected grey slats.

Another benefit the slatted pool covers offer the client is they are self-draining. As water is allowed to disperse entirely on its own, the cover is functional at any time. This is also ideal on pools equipped with water features such as sheer descents, in-deck laminar jets, etc. Traditional vinyl covers allow rainwater to accumulate on the surface, which must be removed prior to operation.

Designing for continuity

All too often, pools are built without consideration for other surrounding structures, architecture, or surrounding environment in mind. When this happens, the pool looks out of place and/or disjointed from the rest of the property. Therefore, it is critical to consider a home’s architectural design not only when building a pool, but also when selecting the finishing materials and products—regardless of the scale of the home or project. This helps to ensure continuity of movement through the space and co-ordination of the overall design.

The materials used on the pool and whirlpool on this project were selected carefully to match those of the house and, as the images show, the harmony of the entire property is maintained.

It takes a client with vision and desire to build a home such as this and it takes a team working towards one common goal to successfully complete a demanding project.

The industry also recognized the design, engineering, and beautiful esthetics that went into this project as it won a number of awards in 2014, including gold in the Pool & Hot Tub Council of Canada’s (PHTCC’s) Design & Construction Awards (Technical Achievement), gold in the Association of Pool & Spa Professionals’ (APSP’s) International Awards of Excellence (pools with vanishing edge more than 55.8 m² [601 sf] of more), a silver for residential spa, in addition to the prestigious gold ‘Grand International’ (best overall) project in the Master Pools Guild’s Awards of Excellence.

[8]Tom Dankel has been with Aquamatic Covers Systems, a manufacturer of automatic pool covers and safety covers in Gilroy, Calif., for 31 years. He has grown with Aquamatic—from a three-person company to a firm of 50 employees, serving more than 60 countries worldwide. He can be reached via e-mail at tom@aquamatic.com[9].

Source URL: https://www.poolspamarketing.com/trade/slatted-pool-cover-offers-simplicity-and-function-in-design/

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