An independent Australian journal
Written for owners, designers and builders
A journal of Australian backyard water
The brief, the shape, the sun and the awkward block — work that should happen before a machine arrives.
Photo: Kgbo / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
A custom pool is a piece of civil work disguised as leisure. The design desk is where owners decide what the water is for — laps, children, a reflective court, a winter spa — and where that idea meets setbacks, overshadowing and the neighbour’s second storey.
Start with how to brief a custom pool designer. Then read about shape, orientation, difficult blocks and indoor or enclosed water.
Design and planning
The first meeting should be about how you live, how the block fails, and what the water is for — not a Pinterest board and a handshake.
12 March 2026
Design and planning
The outline of the water is a construction decision first and a style decision second. Australian lots, setbacks and covers punish the wrong geometry.
18 February 2026
Design and planning
The same pool faces a different climate at 9am and 4pm. Aspect, trees and paving decide whether you swim, scald your feet or fight algae.
22 January 2026
Design and planning
The difficult Australian block is not a reason to give up on water. It is a reason to design access, retaining and overland flow before anyone falls in love with a wet edge.
10 December 2025
Design and planning
Closing a pool against weather is a climate-control project, not a glass upgrade. Condensation, corrosion and running cost decide whether the water is a joy in July or a damp room you avoid.
4 November 2025