So often, especially in luxury home projects, the spa is an accessory to the pool, subservient in both its functional and aesthetic role. But the spa can stand on its own very nicely, thank you.
At this beautiful Carolina home it is the main backyard attraction, and draws those seeking relaxation to a quiet place where they can contemplate art or perhaps just a good dinner plan.
Tyner Construction and Medallion Pool of Arden, N.C., and Christopher Rose Architects of Charleston, S.C., conspired to create this unique space, which uses a spa from Coast Spas to exquisite effect. The equipment for the spa is actually housed the other side of the rock wall, much like a typical pool scheme.
“It was not your typical installation, because all your equipment is outboard of the shell. And the decision to go with a fiberglass spa instead of a gunite custom spa was driven by simple value engineering and cost cutting,” says Marc Tyner of Tyner Construction.
A little boost in hp was necessary to maintain spa jet velocity with the added piping, he adds, and while there were a few other considerations to work out, overall the idea was a success.
“It’s the first spa we’ve ever done like that. We just created the vault for it, and Coast Spas has an optional setup where you can put the equipment in waterproof housing adjacent to the hot tub — it doesn’t have to be where you normally find it under the skirt next to the shell.”
The copper relief waterfall and sculpture, gently lit from above and below and framed by the Tennessee Stone wall which serves as a backdrop for the spa, turn the pleasure of hot water therapy into something special.
The only real obstacle the crew ran into during construction was rain on a monsoon scale, Tyner says. “I think we got about 75 inches of rain, which is about 35 inches more than we typically get, so we were able to test the waterproof enclosure for the spa equipment pretty well.”
