The landscape was split into two main
terraces, the lower of which is a synthetic
grass lawn designed for the owner’s
children to play on.
“While the terraces provided space,
what we then needed was a feature that
would create a presence in the backyard,”
says Marash.
Originally this was to be a swimming
pool; however it soon became apparent
that installing a large pool on a site with
such a slope would not be cost effective.
“That’s when the spa pool came into
play. Of course that meant we had a
much smaller feature to work with, so we
needed to create something to surround
the spa which would be in proportion to
the upper terrace.”
With that in mind, Marash designed a
curved timber deck with black steel beams
that drop at right angles to a bench seat
adjacent to the spa.
“The combination deck and spa is the
feature of the upper terrace – the area has
a much greater presence than if it was just
a spa sitting on its own,” says Marash.
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Because the owner wanted to retain an
unobstructed view, an important aspect
of the design was keeping the spa terrace
free from pool fencing. Taking advantage
of the topography, terrace walls were used
to create a compliant boundary.
Designed to complement the spa and
deck, a set of stairs connects the terrace
to the family wing of the house. These
run between two ponds, with bluestone
steppers that appear to float on top of
the water. Black ceramic tiles enhance the
reflections during the day, with LED lights