Swimming Pond in Hove

Shape Architecture has designed many garden rooms over the last 16 years in London and Brighton.  We are presently starting on concept ideas for a garden room to a house near Hove Park which is of particular interest as the brief also asks for a swimming pond and this throws up many possibilities for an exciting design.  As with all our projects clear communication is the key to a successful design process and end result and as such we have made a great effort with the computer imagery with this project.  Our Clients can sit down with us and discuss the design options with a clear understanding of what is proposed.  Its also a very enjoyable design process.

A swimming pond provides a natural wildlife friendly and visually attractive outside amenity.  Coupled with perimeter planting and integrated with timber structures, such as a garden office an impressive architectural composition can be created.  One that serves many needs and offers a tremendous range of benefits to the users.

Our project incorporated an existing relatively poor quality garden room which we extended and overclad with timber and linked to a sauna, whilst adding a changing room within the space.  The day to life of these structures spill out onto linear and curbed decking allowing a views to be had over the swimming pond back towards the main house.  A lovely place to relax and work has been created.  Of all our garden room designs of recent years this project has seen the best setting of such a space and this has been driven by the dual brief of creating a swimming pond.

We include a number of the rendered perspective views we have created for our clients.  We modelled the existing house and all of the gardens as one of our first exercise and the model continues to evolve and developed to explore and explain the various design proposals.

If you are considering a swimming pond or designing a garden room please feel free to contact us at Shape Architecture.  We would be happy to discuss your plans.

A swimming pond is a type of artificial pond that is designed specifically for swimming, rather than just as a decorative feature. It uses nature to clean the water instead of chemicals, making it a safe place to swim. Plants, rocks, sand, and gravel all work together to remove pollutants and harmful substances, while bacteria grows on the rocks and gravel to break them down, and the constant water circulation keeps the water clean, clear, and oxygenated, so you can enjoy a refreshing swim.

Choose the right plants: Select plants that are appropriate for your climate and that can thrive in the conditions of your swimming pond, such as marginal plants, water lilies, and floating plants.

Prepare the pond bottom: Make sure the pond bottom is level and cleared of any debris. If desired, add a layer of sand or gravel to provide a stable base for the plants.

Plant the marginal plants: Place the marginal plants in baskets filled with aquatic compost and place them in shallow water around the edge of the pond. Make sure they are planted deep enough so that their roots are covered but the top of the basket is visible above the water surface.

Plant the floating plants: Place floating plants in the middle of the pond, directly on the water surface.

Plant the water lilies: Place water lilies in large containers filled with aquatic compost and place them in deeper water. Make sure the containers are weighted down so they don’t float away.

Maintain the plants: Regularly remove dead leaves and stems from the plants, and trim them back if they become overgrown. Keep an eye on the water quality and adjust the plants if necessary to maintain the right balance of nutrients and oxygen in the water.

A swimming pond and a swimming pool are two different types of aquatic structures that are used for swimming and other water-based activities. The main difference between the two is in their design and construction:

Design: A swimming pond is designed to look and function like a natural body of water, with a more natural appearance and a focus on using natural filtration systems to clean the water. A swimming pool, on the other hand, is a man-made structure that is typically made of concrete, fiberglass, or vinyl, and is often rectangular or circular in shape.

Filtration system: A swimming pond uses a natural filtration system that combines plants, rocks, sand, and gravel to clean the water, while a swimming pool uses a pump, filter, and chemical treatment system to maintain water quality.

In conclusion, a swimming pond is a more natural, low-maintenance alternative to a swimming pool, while a swimming pool offers a more controlled, man-made environment for swimming and other water-based activities.