The Right Angles

How are you going to compete with God?" asks Bill Meredith, while explaining why this pool in Weston, Conn., does not have an especially natural feel to it. The design couldn't rival the pond just beyond the edge of the pool because you don't want a manmade structure competing with an authentic body of water, says Meredith, the principal designer for The Glen Gate Company, Wilton, Conn. And a vanishing edge, which can blend the natural and manmade well, did not fit this site, either.

So Glen Gate designed this geometric freeform pool to complement the architecture of the home, which also features quite a few angles.

Additionally, the pool's granite coping and paver brick decking blend well with the home's dark brown siding, soften the setting and help give it a less formal look.

The 45-square-foot spillover spa is raised so that while bathers soak and get a massage from the 13 jets, they can also enjoy the tranquil pond.

Joseph Scott, founder of Glen Gate, says with this project, like many others, zoning did influence the design. "Yet, it's imperative in good design not to let the restrictions of the site show that it dictated the design," he adds. "Good design camouflages that. The pool should look like it naturally evolved out of where it finds itself and zoning should never occur to you."