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Sometimes, a pool builder gets lucky and everything goes exactly according to plan.
Such was the case for a recent pool project in The Woodlands, Texas, about 30 miles north of downtown Houston, designed by Texas Pools. Headquartered in The Woodlands and founded in 1980, Texas Pools has received more than 200 regional and international design awards — including gold in APSP’s 2018 Awards of Excellence in the Traditional Concrete category for this elegant yet functional project featuring three distinct bodies of water.
Texas Pools built the pool for a retiring executive, and the project — which features Pentair products in such critical roles as circulation and lighting — went off without a hitch while also being completed on time and on budget.
“We think it turned out wonderful,” says Paul Oman, owner and CEO of Texas Pools. “We love how the design integrates with the house, and we love the neat and exciting features. There were no unexpected surprises, so it’s not an exciting project from that standpoint, but it’s one we can look back on with pride.”
The refined, Roman-inspired symmetrical poolscape boasts ample gathering areas both in and out of the water, including a broad sun shelf and a spacious deck. Collectively, the setting serves as a natural extension of the home — from the detailed coping that features a darker stone to “frame” the pool to the hand-carved step pads etched with decorative cuts. Additionally, some of the pool radii mimic those of the home’s windows and doors.
All photos courtesy of Texas Pools
“This was perfection,” proclaims the client, Mia Crum, who provided a video testimonial on Texas Pools’ website. “We want this to be our last house…[and we] wanted to build a pool that will be our dream pool to go with our dream home.”
This “dream pool” is an impressive 48 feet at its longest point, with a width of 39 feet. In the middle of the body of water sits a 10-by-11-foot, 360-degree overflow spa that is accessible from all four sides, as well as via three large square stepping stones connecting one side of the pool to the spa.
Texas Pools enlisted Pentair products in its pursuit of crafting “perfection.” Pentair powers the entire pool, which is anchored by Clean & Clear® Plus Cartridge Filters, IntelliTouch i9 automation and WhisperFlo pumps.
“Pentair’s WhisperFlo High Performance pumps are so customizable that you can dial them straight up and down to get the exact flow you need instead of trying to make it work with a valve,” Oman says. “That way, you don’t run the risk of a pump cavitating.”
Water bowls, deck jets, a fire pit and a smaller fire feature round out the pool’s highlights and emphasize the project’s multi-generational appeal.
Pentair GloBrite® lights complement the manufacturer’s 5G LED color-changing lights to cast captivating underwater hues, and Pentair ColorVision™ LED bubblers on either side of the spa and elsewhere in the pool add vivid, fountain-like water movement.
At the opposite end of the pool, an underwater tunnel measuring 7 feet long and 3 1/2-feet-tall serves as an intriguing accessway to a 13-by-6-foot secondary pool accentuated with bench seating and a spillway water feature. Immediately above the tunnel is a solid walkway that allows for easy movement from one side of the pool to the other, and — according to Oman — not a ripple of water from the main pool travels through the tunnel into the secondary pool.
“They wanted something special that they could show off at parties and other events but that also could entertain grandkids,” Oman says. “So they planned a lot of features to make that happen.”
“The synchronization also works seamlessly with the rest of the equipment set,” Oman adds about the project’s stack of Pentair equipment. “The automation and IntelliTouch® technology is something customers can understand. Pentair is our go-to equipment provider.
All photos courtesy of Texas Pools
‘A lot of fun to build’
In the end, this pool took about four months to build, and despite how smoothly the project went from start to finish, nothing about it appears overly simple.
“The detail and features we gave this project are what we’re known for,” Oman says. “As we sit down and start to work on a pool, we find out what the homeowner wants and needs, we get the [computer-aided design] files of the home with the profiles and elevations from the builder, and then we work with all of those pieces – including designs and materials inside the home.”
In this case, the result is a backyard that epitomizes sophisticated design with impressive attention to detail — from the color selection and lighting placement to the stone and tile work.
“Great client, great project and a lot of fun to build” Oman says, summing up this project. “I love it when we get a client that actually allows us to do some interesting things with their project. They gave us some specifications about how they wanted to use the pool, and we took it from there. We tried to create a space for them that fits how they want to use the pool and matches well with the overall aesthetic of the house. If we’ve achieved those things, then we’ve done it right.”
