New Homes & Lifestyles

Bring a Pool Paradise - to Your Backyard

A backyard swimming pool is more than just a place to swim. The backyards of Arizona homes are not just about the surrounding desert landscape, intense summer heat coupled with year-around mild temperatures, they also take into account recreational and stylistic influences.

The effect of these combined influences creates a strong connection with our Arizona environment, which mirrors the tranquility of the ocean within a desert setting. Arizona is the nation's center for pool ownership with more swimming pools per capita than any other state in the union.

As one of the Southwest's largest pool builders, Pacific Pools & Spas seeks to share a vision of bringing a pool paradise to Arizona backyards by creating pools that reflect individual tastes and passions while offering all the aesthetics of an ocean setting - providing new homebuyers with everything from waves to waterfalls, sea spray to boulders and even fog. But, not all the pools that pool builders design and construct capture the essence of the tropics, they replicate everything from classic Roman to mountain stream settings, ranging from simple to sensational. Many homeowners choose to harmonize their pool with the architectural style of their home, while others may want a departure from the traditional as their backyard retreat.

Pacific Pools & Spas, for example has spent over ten years pursuing their obsession for beauty and expression in pool design for new homebuyers focusing on delivering sound results for homebuilders through pool programs. In addition, they create custom pool designs for existing homeowners and even offer pool remodeling for people who want to give their older pool an updated look or complete makeover.

The deserts of the southwest have a way of pleasing our senses with fiery sunsets, sweet floral scents and its endless flow to the horizon's hem, touching the infinity of an electric blue sky. According to Sam Lewis, President and Owner of Pacific Pools & Spas, touching the senses is what every swimming pool should accomplish. He says, "A pool is as much visual as it is recreational, combining design, materials and features into a true backyard resort."

Today's challenge for pool builders is to accommodate homes with smaller backyards, which may inhibit size and designs. The trend towards smaller lots is no problem for experienced designers who offer many attractive options for people who are faced with size and shape constraints.

The free-form natural looking pool is quite popular in new home communities because it is irregularlyshaped and can be designed to fit in any backyard. Removing the corners to create a Grecian style can also modify the traditional rectangular pool. Other options include building a mini-pool, a lap pool, an L-shaped pool, or even a large swimspa. The possibilities are nearly endless.

Changes in the ground plane can give the eye an expanded sense of space, Lewis says. "You can alter the perspective with raised pool areas and features, or with landscaping."

Along with custom pool shapes, landscaping can be a solution for different lot scenarios maximizing a smaller yard. Designers can blend the pool into the landscape by expanding the decking area or adding a walkway to give the illusion of space and to ease the transition to the pool.

No space is limited to just one design solution, as evidenced by the variety of styles created by pool designers and landscaping pros. Mark Bowers, Pacific Pools & Spas General Manager says, "You want to create momentum on an axis, with something beautiful at the end, such as a gazebo, statue or a water feature."

Bowers recommends keeping water features at eye level so that the eye is naturally drawn to them. Some water features that attract the eye include a raised beam with a series of jets, wok pots, or sheer descent waterfalls. "The sound of water distant from the home also creates an impression of space," Bowers says.

These solutions and many more answers to new pool buyers' questions can be found at pool design centers where visitors can view a dazzling array of different styles of pools and spas. At Pacific Pools & Spas new design center, pool buyers can also see the latest technologies and pool design expressions presented in backyard environments, including pool features and luxuries teamed with sound design concepts to create pools ranging from simple to sensational.

Today homebuyers can find a myriad of products in a vast array of styles from which to design their custom pool. Design elements from pool tiles, mosaics, decking and interior surface finishes, to water features, and sound and lighting systems await. Now many designers use sophisticated design software to implement client's choices. Homebuyers can see their pool digitally created right before their eyes on the designer's monitor.

As the waves flow, swimming pool technology has never been more exciting for new pool buyers. An impressive array of pool features and products are revolutionizing the way people live, recreate and entertain. Pool buyers can experience firsthand the magic of programmable pools integrated seamlessly into remote control devices to operate everything from the pool's water features, spa, lighting, heating and cleaning.

Today's innovative features and virtually limitless de- signs make pool ownership just plain fun. Add a little know-how and some imagination, and of course, a pool designers assistance, and any homeowner's backyard can become a paradise that will provide years of relaxation and enjoyment.

Pacific Pools & Spas 480.775.8900/520.229.9200 pacificpoolsandspas.com