Installing a swimming pool in your garden is not just about choosing a model or a colour of liner. It is a genuine consideration of usage, proximity to the house, sun exposure, privacy, and how it integrates into the landscape.
A well-placed swimming pool becomes the heart of the garden; poorly thought out, it disrupts the entire space. Here are the essential criteria for finding the ideal location and making it a true living space.
1. Natural or traditional pool? Two visions, two approaches
Natural pool: ecological aesthetics
Natural swimming pools are becoming increasingly popular: a basin of clear water, filtered by plants and substrates. They integrate perfectly into gardens with a strong plant focus.
- Require sufficient space for the swimming area + the filtration area.
- Avoid chlorine and respect biodiversity.
- Their aesthetic is based on continuity with nature: flowerbeds, stones, grasses, aquatic plants.
Traditional pool: modern comfort
- In concrete, for durability and freedom of form.
- In polyester shell, for quick installation and a more contained budget.
- In stainless steel or composite, for high-end, minimalist and designer versions.
Each solution involves a different type of maintenance and operating cost, which should never be underestimated from the outset.
2. The key question: where to place the pool?
Proximity to the house
The distant pools, at the back of the garden, have a certain charm… but they are often used less. For convenience, it is better to place it within direct reach of the main terrace or the living room, for quick access and constant visual control — especially with children.
Orientation and sunlight
- Full south or south-west: ideal for enjoying the sun in the afternoon.
- Avoid shaded areas caused by trees or high walls.
- Take into account the prevailing wind to orient the skimmers and limit leaves in the pool.
Intimacy and face-to-face
Prioritise a location that is sheltered from view, using vegetation (bamboo, grasses, trimmed hedges) or walls made of wood or corten steel that filter the view without enclosing it.
3. Integrate the pool into the landscape
Link the swimming pool to the rest of the garden
A swimming pool should not "float" in the decor. It should fit into the logic of the garden:
- Visual axes: align the pool with a pathway, a terrace, or an architectural element.
- Natural transitions: gradual paving, border plantings, small heights.
- Consistency of materials: blue stone, wood, light concrete or corten depending on the style.
Mixed borders: enhancing without cluttering
Around the pond, the mixed borders create a plant framework without closing off the perspective.
Examples :
- Grasses (Pennisetum, Stipa, Miscanthus) for movement.
- Sober perennials (Perovskia, Echinacea, Nepeta) for lightness.
- Evergreen shrubs (Pittosporum, Lavender, Bay) for structure.
4. Copings, terraces and coverings: between comfort and safety
The coping stones
They can be artistic (made of natural stone, aged, irregular) or functional (non-slip, resistant to thermal shock).
Their colour influences perception: a light shade visually enlarges the pool and reduces heat underfoot.
The floor covering
A crucial point, especially in summer:
- Prefer non-slip surfaces: shot-blasted stone, porcelain stoneware, brushed composite wood.
- Avoid dark slabs that heat up too much in the sun.
- Ensure a clear circulation space around the pool to prevent falls.
5. Lighting and staging
A well-thought-out lighting transforms the pool into a true mirror of light at night.
- Submerged spots for water.
- Low bollards or LED strips along the coping stones.
- Spotlights directed at the trees to extend the perspective.
Thus, the swimming pool becomes a nocturnal landscape element, visible from the house even when one is not swimming in it.
6. Take into account the uses and the appendices
A swimming pool is also everything that surrounds it:
- Pool house or technical room (discreet, ventilated, easily accessible).
- Outdoor shower for comfort.
- Benches or pergola to create a lounge area.
- Integrated security shutter or discreet shelter depending on the climate and family constraints.
7. Maintenance and overall cost
We must not forget: the swimming pool is an accepted luxury.
- Annual maintenance (products, filtration, cleaning).
- Electricity and water consumption.
-
Wintering and opening in spring.
A good placement, suitable cover, and thoughtful vegetation significantly reduce these long-term costs.
Conclusion
The swimming pool is more than just a place for bathing: it is an architectural and emotional element of the garden.
Placed too far away, it becomes decorative; well integrated, it becomes a natural extension of the house.
By working on perspective, planting and materials, a landscape architect transforms this investment into a sustainable and coherent landscape, as beautiful from the inside as it is to experience outside.