September 2011 AQUA Choice Winner: A Classically Styled Concrete Pool In British Columbia

all photos copyright Shawn Talbot Photography

Even the most florid prose fails to match what is gracefully presented to the eye by this classically styled pool from British Columbia, one of the most distinctive featured in these pages.

Its symmetrical and dignified lines hearken back to the great imperial pools of the ancient world — truly, this pool would have made an emperor smile, especially if he took a good look at the hydraulics. Both the pool and a spa are 100 percent perimeter overflow, a technique unheard of in the days of Caesar and Augustus.

It's a darned difficult achievement today, for that matter, especially if the pump is of only reasonable size and the pool has a perimeter overflow length of more than 100 feet, as in this case.

"Getting a smooth and even flow of water over all the edges at the same time, without an excessively large pump, took extremely close precision work, both during the concrete construction phase, and during tile installation," says Platinum-Level Genesis 3 designer Gene Brown, leader of Valley Pool & Spa, Kelowna, British Columbia.

The color scheme was also somewhat challenging, although the result is so well-integrated with the home it appears effortless. The black tile interior and white deck materials were chosen to work with the black roof, black accents and white stucco exterior of the house. Even the outdoor furniture and bar stools reflect that overall theme, says Brown, while "the occasional red planters, red chaise lounges and red pillows bring just enough color to the project to make the scene exciting and 'pop.'"

Color wasn't the only thing popping at the jobsite; neck veins and biceps were emerging quite distinctly in the early phases of construction, as due to access restrictions, the entire project had to be excavated by hand. This included the removal of an old concrete pool, which had to be jackhammered out and wheel-barrowed away.

There are dual drains in both pool and spa, with safety vacuum release system on both pumps. A salt system with ozonator provides sanitization. (photo copyright Shawn Talbot Photography)

Not only was the excavation produced without burning fossil fuel, the water is heated naturally as well by tapping into the home's geothermal heating system. Rounding out the pool's green credentials are a full line of Pentair Eco Select equipment choices which minimize the loss of resources in the pool's operation.

Submit your pool project for the 2012 Aqua Choice Awards at www.aquamagazine.com. Deadline is Oct. 1.