The basic structures in this Mediterranean-inspired hotspot appear to be conventional, high-quality concrete work, but the forms for the pool, foundations, buildings, retaining walls and planters found in this project were created using the Spider Tie Concrete Wall Forming System, a product created by residential home construction manager Greg McDonagh. The Spider Tie system is a stackable framework that allows the builder to form and pour a wall of any shape without the use of expensive forms. And according to McDonagh, structural concrete is five times stronger than gunite and 30 percent less expensive.
"It gives you a really easy way to hold your forms together while you're pouring concrete," McDonagh says. "It doesn't require whalers or extra bracing, it's simply a screw every six inches."
The final result: a 15-by-30-foot pool with a 15-by-15-foot L shape, an outdoor kitchen, a pool house, retaining walls and planters. And thanks to the natural tones, travertine stone, tile work and a White Diamonds Pebble Tec finish, it's a look that, like the Greeks, boasts a sense of sophistication.
For more information: http://spidertie.com/
