Why Adding A Swimming Pool To Your Home Can Be A Great Investment

Auchenflower National Trust Home Renovation | Pool

It’s probably fair to say that most people who are considering adding a pool to their home wouldn’t be using ‘architect Brisbane’ as their search term. Instead, they’re probably searching for companies that actually build or install swimming pools, but when you really think about it, that doesn’t make sense. Searching architect Brisbane should be everyone’s first step.

Now, you might be thinking ‘Of course an architect would say that’, but when you look at the bigger picture, your swimming pool and everything that goes with it, needs to work with the rest of your home. The appearance, location and environment all need to compliment and add to your home, not look like something tacked on as an afterthought.

I’ll go into that in more detail in a moment, but first, let’s look at why having a swimming pool might be a winning idea for your home and then we’ll look at any potential pitfalls and how to avoid them.

Architect Brisbane Reveals Why You Should Consider Getting A Swimming Pool

Where to begin. Let’s start with the obvious, swimming pools look great. They can create a stunning visual feature in your yard. With the right placement and orientation, they can create relaxing, resort style views from inside and outside your home.

Swimming pools are great for health outdoor exercise. If you have the space, lap pools offer a fantastic, non-load bearing workout. But even small pools give you the opportunity to swim to your hearts content.

Underwater jets can be installed providing a strong current to swim into. Many of these systems offer different settings so you can adjust the current to suit your level of fitness and swimming proficiency.

If you’re older, swimming is a great way to stay in shape. Even walking through waist deep water creates enough resistance to get the blood pumping. It’s easy on the joints and relaxing at the same time.

Creating Key Memories Through Pool Design

Seventeen Mile Rocks Renovation & Extension | Pool Area

If you have children, or grand children who visit, then a swimming pool becomes the ultimate memory maker. I often hear people complaining that their kids spend too much time indoors on phones, or tablets etc. But a swimming pool can draw those same kids out of the house and into the sunshine where they can splash around and play for hour after countless hour. Swimming, diving, calling out ‘Marco’ waiting for the responding ‘Polo’, a pool can produce some of the most treasured childhood memories.

Pools are great for entertaining. Even if you’re not swimming in them, they are a great place to gather with family and friends, kicking back and relaxing as you soak in the rays. People are naturally draw to a pool. With the right design you can create a social space that’s relaxing and intimate.

It’s spaces like these where the best times are often had. Life is about moments. It’s about those lazy Sunday afternoons around the pool, drinking, eating and laughing. It’s about great company in a great environment. Well designed swimming pools create a space where those memories can happen. But that’s the key phrase here – well designed.

Location, Location, Location

External & Landscape Works To 1930s Art Deco Queenslander

You’re no doubt familiar with the saying when it comes to buying houses, but location is also a critically important consideration when it comes to putting in a swimming pool. It’s not as simple as digging a hole in the backyard and pouring some concrete. You need to position your pool in such a way that it doesn’t create any ‘dead’ spaces in your backyard.

What we mean by that, is spaces where there isn’t enough room to use the space for anything productive. It’s not part of the pool area, but it’s too small to be of use for anything else. Spaces like these tend to be a nuisance to maintain and lead to feelings of frustration and regret.

You’ll no doubt want your swimming pool placed in such a way that it’s easily accessible. But when it comes to placement do you want your pool visible from within your home so you can enjoy the tranquil outlook, or do you want it to be more secluded? You’ll almost certainly want it to be less visible from your neighbours’ homes. Ideally the placement of your pool leaves maximum space in your yard for any lawns or gardens that you may desire and of course, not create any dead spaces.

As An Architect Brisbane Pool Safety Is Our Number One Priority

Ascot Interior, Landscape & Streetscape Renovation

Safety is a massive consideration when it comes to swimming pools. The last thing you want is an unsupervised child who can’t swim, entering your pool enclosure unsupervised and without warning. Having your pool positioned where you can keep an eye on anyone in the pool, even if they are proficient swimmers, should be a consideration.

Importantly, if your pool runs along a fence line, you need to consider whether the other side of the fence is compliant with the Queensland Government. Timber fences with cross rails on a neighbour’s side could allow children to climb the fence and enter your pool area unsupervised. You will either need to approach your neighbour, explain where you want to position your pool and ask if you can pay to make their side of the fence compliant. Or alternatively, move the pool the required distance away from the fence and place a pool fence around the entire swimming pool enclosure.

Depending on the location of your block, wind may be an issue. Swimming pools that have strong breezes blowing across them tend to be uninviting. Yes, everyone likes a refreshing dip, but at some point you have to get out. And that breeze that was pleasant before you got in, can begin to feel like an artic wind.

As a result there are less months of the year where your pool will see any use. One way around this is through screening. Now, screening can be in the form of a structure that is purpose built – a pool house, screening wall etc – or it can be a fence or screening trees or bushes.

On that point, not all plants are suitable to have around swimming pools. The root systems of some plants (think rubber trees or bamboo etc) can damage swimming pools, so the plants that you already have in your yard need to be considered. Some may need to be removed.

So, you may now be starting to understand why searching for architect Brisbane over swimming pool companies is a much better idea. But wait, there’s still more pieces to the perfect pool puzzle.

Getting The Best design By Searching Architect Brisbane

So, we’ve considered location and found the perfect spot. And now we turn our attention to the design of the pool itself right?

Well, almost. In selecting where we’re going to put the pool, we need to make sure we allow enough space for anything that we might be putting around the pool.

The real question here, is how do you see yourself wanting to use your pool area? Will it just be for swimming, in which case you might want to keep the area small, or will you want to entertain there?

If you’re going to be supervising children, or if you want to cater for non-swimmers who still want to be part of the conversation, then comfortable seating areas are a must. These can take the form of deck chairs, lounges, perhaps even a hammock or two. You may wish to include side tables or larger outdoor tables if you intend to dine in that area.

Outdoor Entertaining

Cashmere Pool Pavilion Renovation

If you do wish to entertain in this space, how far do you want to take it? Pool houses are one option. These can be semi enclosed, or feature concertina doors to allow them to be shut off when not in use. This space can house a BBQ, refrigerator, seating, a television, and perhaps even a separate toilet/bathroom. Perhaps you’d like to host your own dive-in movies, in which case you might want a wall to project your movie onto?

The sky is really the limit once you get into it. And this is why you need to be looking for architect Brisbane instead of a pool builder. Finding a skilled Brisbane architect, who understands how to achieve your desired outcome is crucial.

Companies that build swimming pools don’t specialise in this, but we do. That’s why architect Brisbane should be the first thing that people search. Of course, the smart homeowners come directly to dion seminara architecture.

A Final Few Considerations

I could write several books on this topic, but in the end you’re best to simply contact us and talk to us directly about your project goals. But I would like to share a few final considerations when putting in a swimming pool:

• Consider shading around the pool and perhaps even across it. During the hottest part of the day in summer some pools become unusable. Having a shaded portion allows people to sit or swim in comfort.
• Think about having seating in your pool. This can be built-in stools, or a ledge along one side of the pool. It’s often nice to simply sit in the water, and any children learning to swim can use this seating for a quick breather.
• The pool area design needs to work with the house and surrounding landscaping. This is the main reason why people should start by searching architect Brisbane. Consider the coping you’re going to have around the pool as well as the style of pool.
• On the topic of coping (the finish around the edge of the pool) consider safe, slip free surfaces and ideally ones that don’t burn your feet!
• Hardscaping around the pool can blend in with surrounding spaces or create a defining boundary. We can explore this option when you call us.
• Swimming pools often attract animals. Good visibility is important if you’re in an area with a lot of snakes.
• Installing solar pool heating can extend the number of months that you can use your pool.
• Consider maintenance and upkeep. If you have a busy lifestyle, look for self-cleaning pools, which typically require less chemicals and maintenance. You can get automated systems that can control your solar heating, pool pump, and chlorinator.

Brookfield Contemporary Renovation | Pool House

Contact dion seminara architecture today

I could go on, but I’m sure by now you get the picture that it’s not as simple as contacting a pool contractor and getting them to install a swimming pool in your backyard. People who fail to search up architect Brisbane will unfortunately make this mistake. But to be honest, even those who do search architect Brisbane might not end up with the best Brisbane architect for the job.

But you will. You won’t need to search anyone up, because you’re already here reading this article. All you need to do is hit the contact us link below and you will already be engaging the best Brisbane architect for the job. So go ahead, click on the link below and let’s get started turning your swimming pool dream into a reality.