Change is sometimes necessary
Change is par for the course, especially for large-scale projects such as this one. On the Monique project, for example, the pool house was completely revamped, the stone selected for the retaining wall became something new, the waterfalls became more extensive, and it also became necessary to bury a number of above-ground hydro and utility lines to improve sightlines.
To make sure the project did not grind to a halt, it was important to constantly work with the customer with regards to all of the elements affected by these changes.
Improving sightlines
To improve sightlines from the house to what would eventually be the pool’s infinity edge, it became necessary to raise the height of the pool deck. Although this design modification was easily decided on paper, it was a massive challenge that was easier said than done.
In carrying out the modification, the deck was raised by 1 m (3 ft) from the original design. The pool base was then prepped and forms were put in place. However, after discussing the change in deck height with the structural engineer on the garage during an informal onsite meeting, construction was halted as it was realized that this slight change could affect the load bearing capacity of the roof and walls on the underground garage.
Although the garage was built to allow for added weight, this was a little more than the structural engineer was comfortable with. After a week of discussing the design modification with manufacturing, geo-tech, structural and swimming pool engineers, a plan was put together to allow the deck’s height to be altered.
To accommodate the change and maintain the original load requirements of the garage, large foam-block fillers were used rather than dirt fill to raise the deck. Although this is a design aspect no one will ever see, it is one of the project’s most unique construction elements.
A different style
Another interesting element on the Monique design was the style. The project was originally envisioned to have a Mexican Rivera look and feel; however, the style was changed by the client following a trip to Bali, Indonesia.
They really liked the island’s ambiance and therefore wanted to recreate the Bali experience in their backyard. To accommodate this style transformation, two months were spent going back and forth with various international companies, which would be capable of building and/or supplying a number of the required design elements (e.g. marble deck tiles, hand-carved stone features, massive wood-carved garage doors, and wooden cabana). Two full shipping containers of product were imported from Bali to be installed.
Accommodating this change in style proved to be a difficult process as key elements had to be ordered months in advance of being installed; therefore, it was a question whether they would even fit. This also resulted in many long nights resolving manufacturing issues, shipping delays, and cost increases.
