SPASA Awards 2014
SPASA Awards 2014
Category: Indoor pool
Company: Barrier Reef Pools
Phone: 9314 1388
Location: Guildford
Sally-Ann Jones
A brand new custom built addition to this Guildford property might look like an historic colonial boathouse but it houses a very modern concept: a home gym and a luxurious yet casual eating area.
Central to the gym is an eight metre-long fibreglass saltwater lap pool, which won bronze for Barrier Reef Pools in the recent SPASA awards.
Heated with a Viron 250 gas heater, the Sky Blue Shimmer pool can be used all year round and there is no worry about leaves or dirt getting into the water.
There is also no need to worry about sunburn.
At one end of the pool is a mosaic-tiled sunbed – a unique Barrier Reef Pools idea which is a shallow water feature in which three jets send bubbles of water over the tiles. And at the stairs is a handrail which ensures that the owners can enjoy the pool even if they might have mobility problems in future.
Around the pool is a deck which looks like pine taken off an old sailing ship – yet it is actually plastic ‘wood’.
An EnviroSwim freshwater system eliminates the need to add most chemicals to the pool and spa as it releases safe and effective algaecide and bactericide. Water clarity is enhanced by a powerful oxidation unit which breaks down organic compounds, making filtration easier.
“It’s very unusual for a fibreglass pool to win an award in this category,” said Barrier Reef Pools managing director Brad Hilbert. “We were up against high league concrete pools.”
One of the owners said her husband built the ‘boathouse’ to be in keeping with their historic Federation style home.
“We use it every day,” she said. “We swam in the pool every day right through the winter. The heating costs are reasonable because it’s not affected by external conditions and maintains a steady temperature. The other advantage is that we don’t have to put up with mosquitos.”
The ‘boathouse’ can be opened up to the breezes in summer and closed in winter – and all year round the owners enjoy meals at their poolside long jarrah table.
The pool was an entry in the 2014 SPASA awards in the indoor pool category.
