Chicago North Shore Home & Beyond

Back when I was doing my Postgrad in landscape design and architecture, I had several lectures on natural swimming pools.  I found the idea incredibly interesting in that, they self-clean.  No need for chemicals.  The pH balance is controlled by the pool having half it’s surface/subsurface covered in vegetation. In turn, that plant material helps to clean the water.  There are several other technical aspects which include layers of gravel and stones to help with filtration.

What I find so wonderful about the natural swimming pool, it blends right into a finely designed landscape, just as a pond would. Many traditional swimming pools can detract from a landscape and become the only focal point. The natural pools also require very little maintenance once they have been built, when balanced by the right percentage of vegetation. They really do begin to self regulate, without nasty chemicals.  One consideration, you have to be comfortable with cold water or at least without temperature regulation. Space is also a consideration.  You really need a fairly large piece of property or be willing to have it as a dominating feature in a larger urban lot.

It’s a trend that started in Europe, with a large number initially being built in Germany, Holland and Belgium. The first one I saw built was as a landscape design student in Oxford. It was an incredibly attractive pool and blended into the surrounding landscape brilliantly. It was impressive from an eco and aesthetic perspective. It blended completely with the woodland behind it and  the contemporary outdoor room that surrounded it.

The more I read, it appears the trend has just begun to catch on in North America. Green by Design wrote a nice blog post, showing how they look and a basic diagram of the mechanics.

If there is interest in the Chicago area for having one built, I have detailed plans and could provide a European trained contractor to build it.  For more info, visit Watercolour Gardens.