A beautifully designed classical anglo carribean home. It features arch transoms over french doors flanked by matching balconies and porches
Photo of a tropical side yard pool in Miami.

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.

Photo © Claudia Uribe Touri
Tropical side yard rectangular lap pool in Miami with natural stone pavers.

Giovanni Photography
Photo of a beach style side yard pool in Miami with a hot tub.

South Cove Residence Shelburne, Vermont This 15 acre site is located on the southern end of historic Shelburne Farms, a property originally designed by Frederick Law Olmstead for the Vanderbilt / Webb family. The site design attempts to soften the formal, classical character of the house with a minimal approach to the landscape. The stone and wood house is sited to enjoy both the southern and westerly views while integrating within the rolling agrarian landscape. The design creates a series of outdoor spaces which through classic geometry fade away into the more rugged lakeshore. A simple, yet elegant bluestone terrace bordered by perennials and a low stonewall, creates a space for entertaining on the south side of the house. Large trees of 8" and 10" caliper were planted to add a feeling of maturity to the landscape while creating a sense of intimate scale. Photo Credit: Westphalen Photography

ARCHITECT: ARK ARQUITECTOS Photos © TINO Natural Stone
Design ideas for a large modern side yard custom-shaped lap pool in Other with a pool house.

Alabama Stone in the color Silver Shadow used on exterior facade, pool deck, landscape walls and features. Architect: Barnes Coy Architects Photo credit: Paul Domzal

View from pool to new home created for an extended family in upstate New York
This is an example of an expansive traditional side yard rectangular lap pool in New York with natural stone pavers.

Landscape by Bayon Gardens // Photography by Tim Turner
Inspiration for a contemporary side yard custom-shaped lap pool in Melbourne with a hot tub and concrete pavers.

Lap pool on the west side yard with sliding doors to open up to the living-dining area. (Photo: Erhard Pfeiffer)
Modern side yard rectangular lap pool in Los Angeles with concrete slab.

Rachel Lewis Photographer
Contemporary side yard rectangular lap pool in Melbourne with tile.

Design ideas for a mid-sized country side yard rectangular pool in Other with a pool house and natural stone pavers.

Greg Premru
Mid-sized traditional side yard rectangular pool in Boston with natural stone pavers and a hot tub.