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On the Waterfront

The natural element of water can add to our enjoyment of being outdoors, writes Louise Hattam

LANDSCAPE designer Rick Eckersley believes that water can dramatically enhance our experience in a garden. “People feel good when they are near water,” Eckersley says.

It adds mystery, depth of view, reflections and sounds.

Water can be used in many ways, so plan carefully how it will best suit a garden.

“Consider function and placement,” he says. “A pond near an entry point can create a tranquil and welcoming effect. A pool outside floor-to-ceiling glass may add vitality and drama to interior rooms."

“Ponds in small spaces can visually enlarge the space my mirroring surfaces and confusing the sense of scale.”

“Swimming pools not only allow for exercise and cooling off, they contribute year-round visual benefit. They can form a pivotal garden feature when positioned along a central axis."

“They can be wedged against walls, not only for economical use of space but to integrate a wall architecturally with the pool.

The best pools and ponds are those designed and made for the location,” he says. “This allows total flexibility in the scale and styling of the structure which will contain the water."

“Most constructions will begin with a basic concrete shell which is built on site and lined in waterproof membrane."

“Fibreglass shells are also available in range of shapes or may be custom-made.”

Eckersley says variations in pool design provide different effects.

“Dropped into the ground, ponds assume a reflective appearance. Elevated, they invite closer inspection and the invitation to sit on the ledge. Expansion surfaces become a tranquil medium for contemplation, and more intimate areas can encourage introspection.

“Pools appear well anchored in gardens where they draw inspiration from the architecture of adjacent buildings and when they are shaped and finished to clearly connect with the garden style.

“Equally, contrast can be cleverly employed.” he says. “Historic architecture can be married with cutting–edge pieces very convincingly if contemporary work has been sensitively introduced as part of a renewal process.”

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