A design that is sympathetic to the natural surroundings is key to creating a successful pool and outdoor area. A pool that sits perched above the ocean is the ultimate for many home owners.


However, such locations often come with site issues and inclement weather conditions. This was the case with this pool situated on a coastal hillside.


Landscape designer Alex Schanzer was involved from the project's onset. "The owners wanted to be able to sit on their deck and enjoy an endless water-on-water vista," he says...


... Another crucial aspect of the owners' brief was a design that was sympathetic to the coastal environment and able to withstand extreme weather.The area's harsh conditions, which include constant exposure to salt spray, dictated Schanzer's choice of plantings. "With the occasional exception I chose native coastal species that thrive in this environment," says Schanzer. "The Nikau palms for example are a species from Little Barrier, the island on the horizon." Poor Knights' lillies were also specified, as they flourish on exposed cliffsides.


The site's coastal proximity and the rocky shoreline is referenced by the use of native Kaimai stone for the wall surrounding the pool and the sides of the steps leading down from the house. Kaimai stone was also used to create a low ledge, 500mm below the pool's waterline, where the owners' young children can safely play.


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