Pasadena Transitional Style Italian Revival Pool and Garden design by On Madison. Photography by Grey Crawford.

John Warner

Dan Cutrona

A family in West University contacted us to design a contemporary Houston landscape for them. They live on a double lot, which is large for that neighborhood. They had built a custom home on the property, and they wanted a unique indoor-outdoor living experience that integrated a modern pool into the aesthetic of their home interior. This was made possible by the design of the home itself. The living room can be fully opened to the yard by sliding glass doors. The pool we built is actually a lap swimming pool that measures a full 65 feet in length. Not only is this pool unique in size and design, but it is also unique in how it ties into the home. The patio literally connects the living room to the edge of the water. There is no coping, so you can literally walk across the patio into the water and start your swim in the heated, lighted interior of the pool. Even for guests who do not swim, the proximity of the water to the living room makes the entire pool-patio layout part of the exterior design. This is a common theme in modern pool design. The patio is also notable because it is constructed from stones that fit so tightly together the joints seem to disappear. Although the linear edges of the stones are faintly visible, the surface is one contiguous whole whose linear seamlessness supports both the linearity of the home and the lengthwise expanse of the pool. While the patio design is strictly linear to tie the form of the home to that of the pool, our modern pool is decorated with a running bond pattern of tile work. Running bond is a design pattern that uses staggered stone, brick, or tile layouts to create something of a linear puzzle board effect that captures the eye. We created this pattern to compliment the brick work of the home exterior wall, thus aesthetically tying fine details of the pool to home architecture. At the opposite end of the pool, we built a fountain into the side of the home's perimeter wall. The fountain head is actually square, mirroring the bricks in the wall. Unlike a typical fountain, the water here pours out in a horizontal plane which even more reinforces the theme of the quadrilateral geometry and linear movement of the modern pool. We decorated the front of the home with a custom garden consisting of small ground cover plant species. We had to be very cautious around the trees due to West U’s strict tree preservation policies. In order to avoid damaging tree roots, we had to avoid digging too deep into the earth. The species used in this garden—Japanese Ardesia, foxtail ferns, and dwarf mondo not only avoid disturbing tree roots, but they are low-growth by nature and highly shade resistant. We also built a gravel driveway that provides natural water drainage and preserves the root zone for trees. Concrete pads cross the driveway to give the homeowners a sure-footing for walking to and from their vehicles.

This outdoor water feature, a combination of a formal pond and waterfall provides a relaxing element for this outdoor living space. This water feature has blue stone caps and is finished with a combination of stone veneer and bricks.

Randy Angell, Designer The main focal point of this project is the 7' limestone and cast stone wall, with a laser cut steel sculpture, created by Randy Angell. The cast stone columns and center arch echo the architecture of the home and create the perfect backdrop for the raised spa.

POOL The swimming pool was fully suspended above the plantroom and balance tanks. It is a 25.0m x 1.8m lap pool featuring an infinity edge and gutter for the majority of the length of the pool. The pool provides a structural element for the house with the walls supporting five significant concrete columns that support the levels above. Careful set out was required to ensure these were in the right place as they continued for two levels above. As the pool was constructed above the plantrooms and adjacent to the basement considerable focus was on the waterproofing detail and installation. The pool is fully tiled with Bisazza ‘Salice’ glass mosaics which roll over the infinity edge into the gutter. Three large glass panels were installed measuring 2.15m x 3.15m each, providing windows into the basement and wine cellar below. Each panel weighed around 180kgs. As an extension to the lap pool there is a shallow water feature that is an extra 5.0m long, giving the lap pool the appearance of continuing forever. The pool includes solar and gas heating, in floor cleaning and multi coloured lights. SPA The 4.3m x 1.4m raised spa is constructed on the second level balcony with unsurpassed bayside views across to the city. Designed with a breathtaking four sided infinity edge and ethanol fireplace, the impact is unquestionable. Enhancing the ambience are two multi coloured lights in the spa with perimeter fibre optic lighting from the gutter lighting up the outside walls. Included in the spa are several jet combinations with single, dual and a combination six jet ‘super jet’ included for a powerful back massage. The spa has its own filtration and heating system with in floor cleaning, gas heating and separate jet pump. All of the equipment is installed at sub base level. The spa is tiled with Bisazza GM Series glass mosaic both internally and on the external walls. Water spills over the tiled walls into a concealed gutter and then to the balance tank in the sub base level. All plumbing to the balance tank and plantroom is concealed in shafts within the building. Much of the work in this project is hidden behind the walls with countless hours spent both designing and installing the plumbing systems which had to be installed in stages as the building was constructed. Due to the location of the spa it has been both fully waterproofed and constructed on a sound isolation system to ensure comfort to those in the rooms below. The separate pool and spa equipment systems are tied together via a Pentair Intellitouch automation system. All of the equipment can be operated by a computer or mobile device for customer convenience. This pool and spa has been designed and constructed with premium materials, equipment and systems to provide an ultimate level of sophistication. The design is completed by installing practical and easy to use elements that add to the overall functionality of the installation.

Patrick Livingston

This new outdoor space complements the house and amplifies the enjoyment of the house. Sandler Photographic

Landscape and waterfeature project with lots of neat details . The colors in the project all stem from the Italian Slate on the waterfall. There is an Outdoor Kitchen, a Fireplace, a Spa, Lawn, Multiple Patio Spaces, and More!

BUILDER magazine

Matthew Millman