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.

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A hot tub and poolhouse anchor the far end of the swimming pool while the main house is on the opposite side. Widely-spaced slabs of bluestone surround the pool and are set into the lawn.

Chic sleek ranch home with modern geometric pool design, custom composite wood deck, water features, fire feature, tanning shelf, ledge loungers, modern landscape.

This young family in Whitby worried it might not be possible to have a pool in their backyard. Their lot sloped steeply toward the back and dropped off sharply just fifteen feet behind the house. Also, they were on a ravine conservation area with its own challenges. Fortunately, the Betz design department had the solution.

This couple purchased a second home as a respite from city living. Living primarily in downtown Chicago the couple desired a place to connect with nature. The home is located on 80 acres and is situated far back on a wooded lot with a pond, pool and a detached rec room. The home includes four bedrooms and one bunkroom along with five full baths. The home was stripped down to the studs, a total gut. Linc modified the exterior and created a modern look by removing the balconies on the exterior, removing the roof overhang, adding vertical siding and painting the structure black. The garage was converted into a detached rec room and a new pool was added complete with outdoor shower, concrete pavers, ipe wood wall and a limestone surround. The outdoor area featured a new deck of ipe wood with metal railings. The lounge chairs are from Frontgate, the able on deck is Design Within Reach, Dining Chairs and Pool Chairs are from Blu Dot. The new pool features a stone surround of Unilock XL pavers in an Opal color.

It took the entire season to complete the backyard of this new home in Ancaster. Not from production delays, but rather the owner’s unrelenting commitment to perfection. He wanted to ensure every single element brought functional practicality to his carefully planned vision of backyard luxury leisure living.

Outdoor water hole, the gathering place, captured natural water shed from Peak 10 in Breckenridge, Colorado, overflows into the Blue River. A.T. Sipes

Lake Forest Mosaic House designed by prominent American architect Henry Ives Cobb, in 1882. Grounds designed and constructed by Arrow Land+Structures, in 2016.

Automatic Pool Cover hidden under the pool coping. Due to the severe grade of the yard a 24" retaining wall was installed on the top and an 18" reverse bond beam installed on the lower side, both stone faced. Grenadine gray quartz plaster with antique beige travertine coping and matching travertine patio.

This photo was taken by the homeowner about a year after the pool was installed. They did the plantings themselves. The combination of the whimsical gardens with the beautiful pool and stonework is a truly charming look.

This is a wonderful lap pool that has a taste of modern with the clean lines and cement cabana that also has a flair of the rustic with wood beams and a hill country stone bench. It also has a simple grass lawn that has very large planters as signature statements to once again give it a modern feel. Photography by Vernon Wentz of Ad Imagery

© Javier Guillen Photo