The sea at home

Swimming pool sea effect, at home

The feeling of the sea at home ... Project on freehand drawing, for the renovation of a rural house in the hills. By creating an open space at full volume and light in the three dimensions of space.

A large sliding glass door, such as separation and transition between indoor and outdoor; creating the effect of the sea within the house, which is mixed with the blue of the horizon. Contrasting materials including wood, stone, concrete, steel, glass: to build together a airy, among the water reflections.

House with indoor-outdoor swimming pool

That's the broad overview, I pictured freehand, where I represent a renovated farmhouse in a modern key, all space and light. Situated in a panoramic position, on a hilly area, but a few miles from the sea, which can be seen on the horizon.

I thought of a plan to literally bring the house by the sea, creating a pool that was not only external; or just inside, like the classic model of the indoor pool. But rather a pool interior - exterior, that is both internal and external, that would give a spectacular continuity between the inside and the outside of the residence.

Imagining that, immersed in the pool, you have the feeling of being right in the sea; in fact, given the altitude hilly, the look has, in perspective to the horizon - thanks to an optical illusion - the magical vision of sea water, almost like an infinity pool on the sea ...

As a general view, we note that it is a single large volume of two levels: the lower level, a combined living and relaxation area, while the upper floor houses the sleeping area.

The structure of the roof dominates the scene, including a wooden layer, is to protect the sleeping area, and the underlying pool; while the layer on the right side of the drawing is in exposed concrete. An attic characterized then, as a whole, by a spectacular detachment in wood-cement material.

Indoor and outdoor pools, a full-light

Here is framed the in & out pool, with a special Lshape, framed by a paving tile in porcelain wood effect, in long strips. On the left side of the drawing, wooden loungers with padded headrest; on a rectangular rug in iroko wood - built on the floor - where the slats are arranged transversely with respect to the direction of laying the tile.

Such a relaxation area and solarium, from dusk onwards, is illuminated from the ceiling, positional spotlights, locate precisely the points to illuminate. While in angular position, next to a large concrete pillar, a glass table, acts as a service table.



A ladder with treads in boxed steel, cantilever fixed on a wall of stone and cement, with décor effect. With function of vertical separation between the living, relaxation and night areas, like the tower of a castle going to outline the main partition of pillars of the ridge line of the roof.

Two tubular steel handrail to protect the rampant, in agreement with the design of the handle input to the pool. The dividing stone - concrete wall, welded internally, the ring of steel beams perimeter of the roof, so as to give elasticity and seismic stabilty to the whole structure.

The pool on the roof and attic sleeping area is covered with beads or wooden boards parallel, supported by beams with large cross section and long span. All in Finnish spruce, a type of wood suitable as a coating of the attics, as light and elastic; and stabilized in vacuum furnaces, in order to make it resistant to water vapor coming from the pool.

Large windows on both floors allow a significant expansion of the solar light in all this open space on two levels.

A glass balustrade, is to protect and draw the path to the sleeping area, which is precisely positioned above the solarium-relaxation area.

Interesting is the ability to install automatic sliding doors specific for the pool passage; ie to separate and at the same time to communicate, the outdoor pool with the inner one, as you can see from my drawing.

In this regard, in the two photos, we visualize models of the sliding doors Metek, one of the companies specialized in the production of these fixtures for pool pass.

They have an aluminum frame, while the doors are made of laminated security glass, with a stainless steel frame and special seals.

These sliding doors are equipped with light curtains, command position sensor, as well as ways of opening - closing both automatic and manual.

The doors may be double sliding doors, like in the pictures; or even just one big swinging door, just as I predicted in my project.

Returning then to my graphical representation, these sliding doors, separating the interior volume from the outside, to the bottom of the pool: coated in blue ceramic mosaic, to recall the color of the sea.

A living room next to the pool

Here in the foreground is the dining area, raised two steps above the floor of the pool; or placed on a platform covered in Piave stones, available from specialized firms Made in Italy, like the Company Zanardo. The rocks are typical Piave river pebbles resulting from the transport of disintegrated alluvial dolomite rocks; composed mainly of calcium carbonate and magnesium, with mixed chromatic hues.

On the dais in river pebbles, you place a table in solid oak, which contrast with designer chairs: for the occasion, I redesigned the pattern Hi-Cut Kartell, with structure in transparent polycarbonate, and especially of the back, in fuchsia, to recall the tone of the kitchen on the bottom.

A rectangular suspension in gray fabric, brightens the dining corner. A low wall - planter separates the platform from the pool area; allowing even from the dining area, the view of the sea through the large windows.

A diagonal beam of light, invades the equipped column kitchen: which has a U-shaped arrangement, with peninsula counter illuminated by three suspensions in glass, color blue sea; in agreement with the three color stools in faux leather. Between base and wall units, one back in smoky quartz, to recall the material effect of the ceiling and concrete walls.