What are the steps you need to take for an indoor pool design

Domestic indoor pools for your home are the ultimate opulence. A quick swim before you go to work, or hard workout when you get home. Or just time with the kids and family, there is no denying the perfect indoor pool design will enhance your lifestyle.

So, what are the steps you need to take to design an indoor pool? Well firstly, plan, plan and plan some more. You need to understand your budget firstly as indoor pools really don’t come cheap. Unless you are prepared to spend in excess of £200,000 the conversation should stop, as not only are you building a huge extension, but installing a pool at the same time. Find out more about how much an indoor pool costs here.

The right people for the job

Secondly, employ an indoor swimming pool designer or supplier, an architect and an interior designer. Why all three? Well, an indoor pool is so much more than just a pool in a building. If you study photographs of stunning indoor pool designs you will soon realise it’s the building, layout and materials that all work together really make the wow factor.

Choosing the pool designer

But how to choose? Start first with the indoor pool designer or pool company. A good indoor pool designer will guide an architect as to what can and can’t be achieved for the structure of the building. There are very few indoor domestic pools built in the UK each year (certainly in the sub 500 numbers), so it’s unusual to find an architect with a lot of experience.

Most drawings we receive from architects are simply a box (pool) in a box (building), with little consideration for things like changing rooms, showers and plant room. Common mistakes we see are gyms in the same rooms as pools, where the humidity would make you collapse after 5 minutes on the treadmill!

Things have to be considered, like the structure of the pool, the air handling requirements and ducting. You start at the bottom, the foundation, and work up! Whoever you choose as a pool designer, make sure they are a SPATA member as they have a set of standards from which to design from.

Indoor Pool Architects

Now onto choosing an architect. Firstly, find someone that works with a 3D design package as this will make it much quicker and easier for you to understand. Then give them our Architects and Builders Guide to pools. We have a short multiple-choice test… no, only joking!

We as indoor pool designers will walk them through the technical aspects, then they are free to let their creativity go. Don’t forget to remind them of your budget or there will be all sorts of bespoke items eating it up. The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA for short) is an organisation of architects.

The key checklist for the architect’s design:

Are there two doors separating pool room from living space?
Is there a plant room for the pool equipment and is it connected to the main pool area?
Can you avoid skylights within the indoor pool design?
Can you minimise the amount of glass, and if not, is there space for commercial sized air ducts?
Is there drainage designed for the pool surround?
Are all the surfaces water proof?

Indoor Pool interior designer

Thirdly, but just as important onto the interior design, get an interior designer involved in the finishes and material AT THE DESIGN STAGE! This will help to set the budget for the whole project and really give it the wow factor. A good interior design will also be able to advise on lighting requirements that will be pivotal to setting the ambiance the room.

Quantity Surveyor

Fourthly, (I know I said 3, but this one is optional), consider a Quantity Surveyor, or QS. This is someone who will estimate the build costs from the indoor pool design so you know exactly what you are getting into from the start. This will also give you a good idea of the prices to expect when getting quotes from builders or main contractors.

All of this pool design doesn’t come cheap, but the end result will always be worth it. Expect to pay 10-20% of the costs of the project in fees, and next time you see a beautiful design of an indoor pool, think, pool design, building design and finishes.

Finally, if you would like to start your indoor pool design process with Compass, get in touch.

If you are interested in finding out more about the range of pools we offer, why not call us today on 0333 4567 111?

Our team would be delighted to help you with any questions or queries you might have, and we will endeavour to get back to you as soon as we can.

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