A challenging yard coupled with specific client requests might cause some companies to pass on a job. In fact, some did.
But this builder didn’t let a steep slope and challenging logistics compromise his ability to deliver. Rather than shy away from the complex project, Jon Foshee, president & CEO of Concord Pools in Latham, N.Y., decided to collaborate with a nearby landscaping firm.
He didn’t just choose any landscaper. “We like to marry the client with the landscaper based on what they’re looking for,” Foshee says.
He knew Orsini Landscaping would fit the homeowner’s style well. “The customer was looking for a pool with a spillover spa set in the patio,” Foshee says. One of the key requests was to have the spa set into the patio.
Set behind a newer home, the backyard was graded into the woods with a very sloped back. Concord and Orsini worked together to get the pool orientation and elevation just right.
They decided to employ a more gradual approach to the grade change. “We used multiple tiers and multiple walls to eliminate the need for an 8-foot wall and create more space in the backyard,” Foshee says.
Placing the pool in the lower end of the yard allowed the team to build a series of stone walls, which became a key part of the poolscape. They added a sunning patio as a transition point between the pool and patio closest to the house to break up the walls. The spa and waterfalls were built into the sunning patio and spilled into the pool.
This tiered approach allowed the client to maximize their space. It also reduced cost by eliminating the need for a huge retaining wall.
“We made the yard bigger, and it worked,” Foshee says.
A firepit was kept close to the home for easy access at night.
Ultimately, the collaboration delivered everything the client wanted without sacrificing aesthetics or function.
