Diving in by Christmas

It’s often near the end of the year when Christmas is clearly in sight and the temperatures suddenly start to jump that the dream of a pool starts to enter people’s minds. It’s also often the time in the lead-up to Christmas when homeowners look at options and feasibility.

Designing a bespoke pool isn’t an insignificant process though, and in order to achieve the optimum outcome, time needs to be given to each stage of the process. “What we find is the most realistic timeframe is if people are looking at getting a pool finished and operational for summer, they need to start the process in February or March of that year,” Auckland Inground Pools’ Donna Richmond says.

For Donna and the team, who have been in the business of pools for more than 20 years, they’re well aware of the potential issues that can crop up along the way and potentially cause delays. “There would be nothing worse than getting home from work or starting the summer break looking at an empty pool imagining what it would be like to be able to use it,” she says. “That’s why we always advise people about looking at realistic timeframes if they wish to be swimming for Christmas."  

The general process from conception to achieving the best final outcome is for the client directly, or an architect or designer to get in touch with a pool building company. “At this early discovery stage, if we are approached directly by the client, our first recommendation is that they go and speak to a landscape designer,” Donna says. “In that way, the designer can then put a proper design together, from which we can much more accurately quote for the cost of the pool.”

During that initial stage, Auckland Inground Pools always recommend that a geotech report is undertaken to assess any potential issues with the site. This information aids them to create the most accurate quote they can. “While we are well aware of potential issues with different sites, it’s always best practice to have the geotech report at that early stage so costs can be realistically quoted. There are a range of issues that can increase the cost of a pool such as the need to excavate rock, which is generally an issue in the Mt Eden area, or if the site is likely to be unstable or near a cliff.”

This early stage, which includes a landscape design, geotech report and quote generally takes around one month to complete.

Once costs have been established and the client or architect has given the go-ahead, the next phase is to employ an engineer to provide the structural design and calculations. “This will detail how the pool needs to be built, including details such as whether foundations are required.”

When this is completed, a building consent can be lodged. “Once that it is done, it’s anyone’s guess how long it will take but it’s sensible to allow a couple of months for this stage to be finalised.”

It is during this time that the finer details of the pool design are finalised with the architect or client, including colours, materiality and operational solutions. “Popular at the moment is smart control, which allows elements of a pool or spa to be controlled remotely from an app anywhere in the world,” Donna says. “Most often, people will request smart control so they can, for example, fly in from a holiday and turn their spa on from the airport so once they’re home they can use it immediately. On the other end of the spectrum, people will ask for a back to basics approach where they want to look after their pool themselves and aren’t interested in what’s available technology-wise.”  

Auckland Inground Pools specialise in bespoke inground concrete pools, and work fervently with each client or designer to ascertain the desired outcome and use to ensure the right pool is created as well as ensuring it is future proofed to last and adapt to changing uses over time.

Once consent is issued and construction is underway, completion of the pool is a relatively quick process generally taking anywhere between two to four months depending on the size of the job and complexity of the site.

If you’re finding yourself dreaming about a pool in a summer to come, make sure you visit Auckland Inground Pools on ArchiPro here to see what you could be diving into this time next year.