Two Birds, One stone
The homeowners originally sought a small, shallow, heated pool for year-round use in their modest backyard. With a limited budget, minimal deck footprint and various elevation constraints, Ryan Hirst needed a savvy solution.
To navigate around the limitations, he recommended a large spa instead of a pool, to provide the clients with one product for two uses. He then specified matching travertine coping and hardscape to achieve a clean look.
“It fit what they wanted, even though they didn’t know that’s exactly what they wanted,” he said. “People don’t realize they won’t even use a big pool, but a large spa gives them the best of both worlds.”
The installation features oversized plumbing and loop plumbing with four pigtails to provide equal volumes of water distribution through all eight jets and accommodate the pump’s maximum flow.
With multiple elevations and a limited budget, Hirst developed a plan maximizing usable deck area. He concentrated square footage to one side of the spa, rather than placing a strip around the entire vessel. This provided room for a table and grill. “If you took that spa and put a 4-foot perimeter around it, you would have been very close to the 400 square feet we had to use.”
Although the homeowners completed their own landscaping, Hirst established the layout and included a plan to manage runoff.
What the Judges Thought
This yard packs a powerful punch into a small footprint, while incorporating sophisticated materials. It is refreshing to see the layout include an oversized fiberglass spa meant to serve multiple functions. The work illustrates a strong attention to detail, even when it comes to elements that aren’t visible such as the plumbing.
