Swimming pool with concrete look. Collections: Ske 2.0 Prima Materia - Cemento
Photo of a modern rectangular pool in Bologna with with a pool and tile.

EP Architects, were appointed to carry out the design work for a new indoor pool and gym building. This was the fourth phase of works to transform a 1960’s bungalow into a contemporary dwelling. The first phase comprised internal modifications to create a new kitchen dining area and to open up the lounge area. The front entrance was also moved to the south side of the property. The second phase added a, modern glass and zinc, first floor extension which contains a master bedroom suite and office space with a balcony looking out over the extensive gardens. The large ‘pod’ extension incorporated high levels of insulation for improved thermal performance and a green roof to further save energy and encourage biodiversity. The indoor pool complex includes a gym area and is set down into the sloping garden thus reducing the impact of the building when viewed from the terrace. The materials used in the construction of this phase matched those of previous phases including a green roof. EPA worked closely with XL Pools to incorporate their one piece module which was brought onto site and craned into position. The southern aspect of the pool building is exploited with glass sliding doors which open the whole space up to the garden creating wonderful place to relax or play.

The #1 feature in this stunning pool room is the inviting blue water of the swim spa. White marble and tiles, white walls, and a white swim spa pool make it impossible to resist taking a daily swim in this inviting space. The pool is housed in a cabana behind the owner’s main home. This pool house includes a full kitchen, living room, bathroom, and shower area. In addition, there’s a full-sized swimming pool just outside the french doors. photo credit: Sean Maiorano Photography

The clients wanted a small, simple pool house to compliment their historic farmhouse and provide abundant capabilities for outdoor entertaining. They settled on a small, open structure with a vaulted cedar ceiling and task/ambient lighting. An outdoor kitchen, a covered seating area, a storage/changing room and an all-weather Azek pergola with party-lighting were included. A structural retaining wall was needed to provide level ground for both the in-ground pool and pool house, along with strategically planted ornamental grasses for privacy. The green standing seam roof, sliding barn door, board & batten siding and period-correct trim all mirror details from the residence and detached barn.

Request Free Quote This backyard features a rectangular swimming pool, an exercise swim spa, and a custom spa. The swimming pool measures 15'0" x 50'0", the Spa measures 6'0" x 16'0" and the exercise swim spa measures 6'0" x 16'0". All three pools have automatic pool covers with stone lid systems. All three pools have LED colored lighting. The coping is Valders, Buff-colored Limestone. The interior exposed aggregate finish color is Midnight Blue. The patio area also features a fire pit, as well as a natural stone pool deck and coping. This project is at a home in Glencoe, Illinois.

Pool Photo by Thomas Skou
Design ideas for a large tropical backyard rectangular infinity pool in Other.

Rosedale ‘PARK’ is a detached garage and fence structure designed for a residential property in an old Toronto community rich in trees and preserved parkland. Located on a busy corner lot, the owner’s requirements for the project were two fold: 1) They wanted to manage views from passers-by into their private pool and entertainment areas while maintaining a connection to the ‘park-like’ public realm; and 2) They wanted to include a place to park their car that wouldn’t jeopardize the natural character of the property or spoil one’s experience of the place. The idea was to use the new garage, fence, hard and soft landscaping together with the existing house, pool and two large and ‘protected’ trees to create a setting and a particular sense of place for each of the anticipated activities including lounging by the pool, cooking, dining alfresco and entertaining large groups of friends. Using wood as the primary building material, the solution was to create a light, airy and luminous envelope around each component of the program that would provide separation without containment. The garage volume and fence structure, framed in structural sawn lumber and a variety of engineered wood products, are wrapped in a dark stained cedar skin that is at once solid and opaque and light and transparent. The fence, constructed of staggered horizontal wood slats was designed for privacy but also lets light and air pass through. At night, the fence becomes a large light fixture providing an ambient glow for both the private garden as well as the public sidewalk. Thin striations of light wrap around the interior and exterior of the property. The wall of the garage separating the pool area and the parked car is an assembly of wood framed windows clad in the same fence material. When illuminated, this poolside screen transforms from an edge into a nearly transparent lantern, casting a warm glow by the pool. The large overhang gives the area by the by the pool containment and sense of place. It edits out the view of adjacent properties and together with the pool in the immediate foreground frames a view back toward the home’s family room. Using the pool as a source of light and the soffit of the overhang a reflector, the bright and luminous water shimmers and reflects light off the warm cedar plane overhead. All of the peripheral storage within the garage is cantilevered off of the main structure and hovers over native grade to significantly reduce the footprint of the building and minimize the impact on existing tree roots. The natural character of the neighborhood inspired the extensive use of wood as the projects primary building material. The availability, ease of construction and cost of wood products made it possible to carefully craft this project. In the end, aside from its quiet, modern expression, it is well-detailed, allowing it to be a pragmatic storage box, an elevated roof 'garden', a lantern at night, a threshold and place of occupation poolside for the owners. Photo: Bryan Groulx

Exterior Worlds was contracted by the Bretches family of West Memorial to assist in a renovation project that was already underway. The family had decided to add on to their house and to have an outdoor kitchen constructed on the property. To enhance these new constructions, the family asked our firm to develop a formal landscaping design that included formal gardens, new vantage points, and a renovated pool that worked to center and unify the aesthetic of the entire back yard. The ultimate goal of the project was to create a clear line of site from every vantage point of the yard. By removing trees in certain places, we were able to create multiple zones of interest that visually complimented each other from a variety of positions. These positions were first mapped out in the landscape master plan, and then connected by a granite gravel walkway that we constructed. Beginning at the entrance to the master bedroom, the walkway stretched along the perimeter of the yard and connected to the outdoor kitchen. Another major keynote of this formal landscaping design plan was the construction of two formal parterre gardens in each of the far corners of the yard. The gardens were identical in size and constitution. Each one was decorated by a row of three limestone urns used as planters for seasonal flowers. The vertical impact of the urns added a Classical touch to the parterre gardens that created a sense of stately appeal counter punctual to the architecture of the house. In order to allow visitors to enjoy this Classic appeal from a variety of focal points, we then added trail benches at key locations along the walkway. Some benches were installed immediately to one side of each garden. Others were placed at strategically chosen intervals along the path that would allow guests to sit down and enjoy a view of the pool, the house, and at least one of the gardens from their particular vantage point. To centralize the aesthetic formality of the formal landscaping design, we also renovated the existing swimming pool. We replaced the old tile and enhanced the coping and water jets that poured into its interior. This allowed the swimming pool to function as a more active landscaping element that better complimented the remodeled look of the home and the new formal gardens. The redesigned path, with benches, tables, and chairs positioned at key points along its thoroughfare, helped reinforced the pool’s role as an aesthetic focal point of formal design that connected the entirety of the property into a more unified presentation of formal curb appeal. To complete our formal landscaping design, we added accents to our various keynotes. Japanese yew hedges were planted behind the gardens for added dimension and appeal. We also placed modern sculptures in strategic points that would aesthetically balance the classic tone of the garden with the newly renovated architecture of the home and the pool. Zoysia grass was added to the edges of the gardens and pathways to soften the hard lines of the parterre gardens and walkway.

Photo of a contemporary backyard rectangular pool in Orange County with concrete pavers and a hot tub.

Design ideas for a large contemporary backyard rectangular pool in Phoenix with natural stone pavers.

Beth Skogen Photography
Photo of a mid-sized transitional indoor rectangular lap pool in Other with a pool house and tile.

Home builders in Tampa, Alvarez Homes designed The Amber model home. At Alvarez Homes, we have been catering to our clients' every design need since 1983. Every custom home that we build is a one-of-a-kind artful original. Give us a call at (813) 969-3033 to find out more. Photography by Jorge Alvarez.

Photo of a traditional rectangular pool in Wilmington.

Mid-sized transitional backyard rectangular lap pool in Houston with a hot tub and concrete pavers.

Mid-sized modern backyard rectangular pool in Dallas with a hot tub.

Pool house with rock bar, island and fireplace. Brick smoker and custom cabinetry. Photo Credits: Epic Foto Group
This is an example of a large backyard rectangular lap pool in Dallas with tile and a pool house.

Request Free Quote This inground hot tub in Winnetka, IL measures 8'0" square, and is flush with the decking. Featuring an automatic pool cover with hidden stone safety lid, bluestone coping and decking, and multi-colored LED lighting, this hot tub is the perfect complement to the lovely outoor living space. Photos by Larry Huene.

Inspiration for a mid-sized transitional backyard rectangular lap pool in Dallas with a hot tub and tile.

Detail of the pool. Master bedroom has direct access to the patio. Banyan Photography
Photo of a large contemporary backyard rectangular infinity pool in Other with a hot tub and decking.