A villa pool: designing with views, light and materials

The pool as the heart of the villa

In a house with a large garden, or a villa that is let to guests, the pool is not just a place to swim. It is what you see from the living room, what gets photographed and where the day is spent. That is why the design starts with relationships: which axis of the house it sits on, what you see beyond the water and how it looks from the terrace in the evening.

Size follows use and space. At many villas the water surface reaches or exceeds 50 m², so a building permit with the related studies is needed; one example of a large layout is the 6×12 m pool. Your engineer confirms how the surface area is measured and which procedure applies.

Overflow and the view

An overflow brings the water up to deck level, so the surface works like a mirror. At a villa there are two main versions:

• Perimeter: water spills over on all sides into a channel with a grating about 25 cm wide. It gives the cleanest look from every angle and keeps the surface clean when many people are swimming. See pools with an overflow channel.
• One side: the overflow runs only towards the view, e.g. towards the sea, and the other sides have a normal edge. See one-sided overflow.

The grating can be plastic or marble. At a villa with marble floors, a marble grating carries the material right to the water's edge and almost disappears.

Textured lining: 3D membranes

SOPREMAPOOL 3D membranes, 1.8 mm thick, have a three-dimensional surface reminiscent of natural materials and class C slip resistance under EN 13451-1 and DIN 51097. Their lacquer resists UV radiation and chlorine, and they are welded on site with hot air. The texture shows most in shallow areas, on steps and benches, where the light falls at an angle.

The colour of the lining sets the tone of the water: turquoise with light shades, more natural with grey or sand, deep with dark ones. At a villa with a sea view it is worth looking at samples in the light of the actual spot. The options are compared under pool liner colours.

Lighting

At night, an overflow pool with underwater lights becomes a mirror that reflects the house and spreads light across the garden. Lighting is designed in layers:

1. LED spotlights in the pool, at safety extra-low voltage,
2. discreet lights on steps and paths, for safety,
3. lighting on trees, walls or a pergola, which gives the scene depth.

You will find more on types, positions and colours under pool lighting.

Spaces around the water

A villa needs different zones around the pool, so that everything is not crammed onto the edge:

• a sunny zone with loungers, near the steps,
• a shaded seating area a little further back, with a pergola or large umbrellas,
• a dining area or outdoor kitchen at a distance, so crumbs and grease do not end up in the water,
• a shower on the way to the pool,
• a plant room tucked out of sight and away from bedrooms.

This layout is covered in detail under garden design with a pool.

Questions

See also