Hidden from the front of the house, partially shaded by a pergola and winding around gazebos, aerated by a miniature waterfall fountain and draining into a meandering stream, the swimming pool promises quick liquid relief from the heat of the day or a place to swim in the moonlight... unless, of course, it's been drained and covered over for the winter. 

Sloping from no water at the shallow "beach" end to about five feet at the deepest point, the depth of the pool suffices for splashing or swimming but not for diving. The rocks and earth colors along the freeform pool edge have been sculpted to resemble a natural stream bank, with plants in planters adding to the effect.

The rock back of the outdoor fireplace has been extended to form a miniature mountainside which houses the circulating pumps for the pool and provides the structure for the waterfall. A Solarjack system pumps water through automatic regulating valves to the solar heating and ground-source cooling loops which provide the means by which to regulate the pool temperature. Hot and cold water mix at the top of the "cliff", dropping in a watery curtain over a tiny sitting-room in a "cave" behind the falls.

From the pool flows a shallow stream which meanders across the yard towards a tiny pond. Close examination of the pond reveals pump inlets, concealed by the stones, for the pool pump and the pump that waters the garden.