SWIMMING POOL
This natural pool adjoins a contemporary home built with sustainability in mind in the mountains of northern Italy. The pool needs no chemicals or mechanical systems to keep its water clear. The purification is done by a system of tanks filled with sand and plants that filter the water. The pool is made of raw concrete and the deck is of larch wood, which came from a forest owned by the homeowners. The pool marks the boundary of the property and overlooks the Gruppo di Tessa mountains in the Alto Adige region near the Austrian border.
Maintenance and installation. Daily maintenance is similar to that for a traditional pool, but the focus is on tending the water garden. The skimmer should be cleared of debris, and the water garden plants occasionally need trimming. Insects and frogs stay within the regeneration zone (that’s their habitat) and are not attracted to the swimming zone. Depending on your climate, the garden may need rejuvenation in spring with the addition of new plants. When winter comes, cut the plants back and drain and plug the mechanical equipment to prevent freeze damage. The pool itself does not need to be drained. The pool basin can be constructed any time of year, weather permitting. It is typical for pools to be built in autumn in preparation for a spring planting of the water garden. Planting in spring gives the water garden a chance to acclimate to cycles of the seasons.
As the daughter of James Cavender, who founded the Cavender’s Boot City chain of western clothing stores, Traci Cavender knows a thing or two about the great outdoors. So when it came to designing her backyard pool amid the rambling, steep hills of Austin, Texas, she tapped architect Murray Legge to create something special. Traci wanted not only a place to swim, but also room for gardening, cooking and throwing parties. This was a tall order for such a steep site, but Legge responded with a terraced design that incorporates a zero-edge pool and a pool house with a kitchen and rooftop garden. There’s also an outdoor lounge area with a fireplace. Lueders limestone surrounds the pool. A large slab of granite creates a swim-up bar in the pool with built-in seating for three that allows Traci to cook meals, walk a few steps from the pool house and serve food to guests in the pool.
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