Newton Landscape Group

A Memorial area family commissioned us to create a natural swimming pool in their back yard. The family already had a standard pool on premises, but it was isolated in an area of the yard not particularly suited to seating guests or hosting get-togethers. What they wanted was a second, natural swimming pool built that would serve as the hub of a new home outdoor entertainment area consisting of a new stone patio, comfortable outdoor seating, and a fire pit. They wanted to create something unique that would preserve as much of the natural features of the landscape as possible, but that would also be completely safe and fully functional as a swimming pool. We decided to design this new landscaping plan around a pre-existent waterfall that was already on the property. This feature was too attractive to ignore, and provided the ideal anchor point for a new gathering area. The fountain had been designed to mimic a natural waterfall, with stones laid on top of one another in such a way as to look like a mountain cliff where water spontaneously springs from the top and cascades down the rocks. At first glance, many would miss the opportunity that such a structure provides; assuming that a fountain designed like a cliff would have to be completely replaced to install a natural swimming pool. Our landscaping designers, however, came up with a landscape plan to transform one archetypal form into the other by simply adding to what was already there. At the base of the rocks we dug a basin. This basin was oblong in shape and varied in degrees of depth ranging from a few inches on the end to five feet in the middle. We directed the flow of the water toward one end of the basin, so that it flowed into the depression and created a swimming pool at the base of the rocks. This was easy to accomplish because the fountain lay parallel to the top of a natural ravine located toward the back of the property, so water flow was maintained by gravity. This had the secondary effect of creating a new natural aesthetic. The addition of the basin transformed the fountain’s appearance to look more like a cliff you would see in a river, where the elevation suddenly drops, and water rushes over a series of rocks into a deeper pool below. Children and guests swimming in this new structure could actually imagine themselves in a Rocky Mountain River. We then heated the swimming pool so it could be enjoyed in the winter as well as the summer, and we also lit the pool using two types of luminaries for complimentary effects. For vegetation, we used mercury vapor down lights to backlight surrounding trees and to bring out the green color of foliage in and around the top of the rocks. For the brown color of the rocks themselves, and to create a sparkling luminance rising up and out of the water, we installed incandescent, underwater up lights. The lights were GFIC protected to make the natural swimming pool shock proof and safe for human use.

Lea Frederick-Photo. Black bottom pools can look spectacular with NO worry of not seeing the bottom (you know...where the snakes are, at least that's what I'm told). So untrue. Both these pools were renovated some time ago and are crystal clear seeing all the way to 7-8' depth. The main drain - which you can CLEARLY see is where the snakes hide - hee hee. Not in these pools. Lovely Pebble Tec!

Enjoy the spa then step into pool.

Howard Roberts

We had an open canvas for our ideas, we visioned a custom open porch and composite deck with a 35’ custom outdoor kitchen, overlooking a natural freeform custom pool, large tanning shelf, 25’ waterslide for the kids and adults, and the raised stone veneered oversized spa, all framed with a simple low maintenance landscape pallet. For the cool evenings, we pictured a two-tier gas fire table outside of the spa where the family and friends could sit and enjoy a panoramic view of their entire future backyard.

This family friend pool has a classic style that you never tire of. It is actually a fiberglass shell that is fit into place in no time. The depth ranges from 3.6' to 6'. Photo Credit: Nat Rea

South Tampa Pool Home, modern, bohemian, beautiful and functional space.

This overhead view shows the whole space which is difficult to capture form a ground level photo due to the compactness of the space. The grand sunshelf in the pool invites you into the space. This view also shows the new garden planter boxes we created for the client. The old planters took up a bunch of the existing patio due to the elevation change in the backyard.

This project was designed by architect and developer of Cypress Pointe, Mitch LaPlante. To quote Mitch, "Nature is the inspiration for this pool and water feature design. The Tranquility Garden Pool is nestled quietly within grand oaks and large pine trees, orchestrated to blend into its surrounding. The curvature of the pool reflects the pattern waves leave on the beach as they wash ashore and the cascading water features are a nod the to the waterways that surround Kiawah Island, South Carolina. The pool and deck were built by Aqua Blue Pools. Water features installed by Aqua Blue Pools. The interior finish is French Silver Aggregate, the waterline tile is 1'x1" Fujiwah Albi, deck is a combination of Ipe wood and the pool coping is pre-cast concrete. Photo Credit: Clint Fore

Photos by Eric Delaforce

Custom designed pool for Environmental Pools in Chelmsford, MA. Utilizing vanishing edge spa, stepping pads across a tanning shelf, raised water feature, and native stone texture vernacular.

Photo Credit: Hoopes Photography

New Blue Stone terrace and small pool area with 2 cascading water features along with full landscape

We had an open canvas for our ideas, we visioned a custom open porch and composite deck with a 35’ custom outdoor kitchen, overlooking a natural freeform custom pool, large tanning shelf, 25’ waterslide for the kids and adults, and the raised stone veneered oversized spa, all framed with a simple low maintenance landscape pallet. For the cool evenings, we pictured a two-tier gas fire table outside of the spa where the family and friends could sit and enjoy a panoramic view of their entire future backyard.

Photos by Eric Delaforce