Robert Shaw photographer

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.

Waterfall overflow from tile pool into rock landscaping

A client, an avid swimmer, wanted an exercise pool / spa installed and garden landscaped. Garden has contemporary touches yet classical layout. Clipped hedges match the shape and dimensions of the Ipe benches. Corten borders keep the compact garden in check and easy to maintain.

The perfect entry to the perfect beachside home! As soon as you arrive you are greeted with the tropical ambience of a plunge pool surrounded by cool palms and sun beds. The tiles on entry continue through the entire home creating a consistent muted colour palette throughout.

Hidden to the side of this gorgeous house remodeled after it got destroyed by Hurricane Harvey are this peaceful and beautiful small lap pool with raised ledger stone wall and Magic Bowls (no-fire water feature.)

This pool and be viewed from a downstairs office so creating a focal point in the garden that could be viewed from the interior was key.

Alexandre Duval

Stunning ariel view of natural pool and waterfall with filtration system, giving chrystal clear water for swimming in. Outdoor hot shower and fire pit with decking. Photo credit Claire Takacs

See Video of this backyard transformation on Scapes Incorporated you tube channel. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQbUvP5TUx0

Small space, but big impact in this gorgeous custom pool & spa combo!

The limited amount of usable outdoor space available at this Old Greenwich waterfront home challenged us to make the best use of the space. The client decided to create this 8’6” x 7’ saltwater spa/pool with a stone veneer wall with a built in waterfall and fire feature. The raised Chinese granite and bluestone patio was custom built on a steel substructure that needed to be structurally engineered to support this unique custom design. In addition, the water feature, spa and pool equipment itself was designed for cold weather and 12 months of usage. The stone for the wall was hand selected to match the exterior walls of the residence. The custom 6 ft linear fire feature was set in a sea of cobalt blue and bright white glass on top of the stone wall. To cap the custom fire feature, a hand cut piece of bluestone was used. A sheer decent razor thin waterfall flows from the face of the stone wall into the body of water below. Atop the feature wall sits a stainless steel sculpture by the French artist, Guillaume Roche. The sculpture is part of his Exclos series, which seeks to contrast through concepts such as mass and void. Each piece is unique, designed and realized in his workshop in Etrechy en Essonne, France and compliments the unique design of the water feature. The interior of the pool is finished in a French Gray quartzite accented by a linear Ceramic Waterline Tile. The Custom Saltwater Spa is fitted with 16 Hydro Therapy Jet Inlets and special spa bench seating. The pool utilizes green technology to sanitize the pool with a Jandy saltwater chlorinating system. The Jandy Pro Series WaterColors LED color pool and spa lights with RGBW bring a palate of colors to this backyard paradise for a truly unique atmosphere. The spa lights offer energy efficiency and the colors enhance the brilliance of the nighttime pool experience. The automatic spa safety cover is concealed below a bluestone tread, which blends in with the rest of the spa coping. The Jandy I Aqualink automated pool control system is operated by the Control4 in-house smart system, which allows the client to use a smart phone or computer to control the pool. Kelly Marshall Photographer

This beautiful outdoor space in Atlanta's Virginia Highland neighborhood was designed by Land Plus Associates and constructed by Okun Tech. Outdoor kitchen featuring Kingsley-Bate Valhalla table and Sag Harbor chairs. Appliances by Lynx.

LAIR Architectural + Interior Photography

Peter B

Natural Boulder waterfalls from the thermal ledge and spa to rustic pool tucked into the landscape berm. Pool finished with a custom blend of Sicis glass tile and Bordeaux Pebble Sheen. Pool and Landscape both have LED lighting. Upper and lower flagstone patio. Entire environment by Michael Given Environments, LLC