4 Swimming Pools Designed for the Summer

We’ve put together a list of beautiful gardens with private swimming pools that are ideal for keeping cool in hot weather.

Outdoor pools have been around for generations, but they didn’t become a household staple for many people living in warmer areas until the 1950s.

They may now be available in a variety of forms and sizes, either standing proudly above the ground or implanted beneath it to offer a more discreet addition to an outdoor space.

The examples in this compilation show that modern architects are opting for the latter, resulting in aesthetically simple pool designs that blend perfectly into their environments.

1. Moore House, USA, by Craig Ellwood

The Moore House was built in 1965 by architect Craig Ellwood, who was recognised for building residences that combined modernism with California’s easygoing lifestyle. The 1,700-square-foot home is located on a hillside in Los Feliz, Los Angeles. During a refurbishment by US firm Woods + Dangaran, this 18-metre lap pool was built to the sloping backyard of architect Craig Ellwood’s mid-century Moore House in Los Angeles. Due to the site’s gradient, its slim border meets a terrace and original rock-lined koi pond on one side, while its other boundary runs across surrounding trees on the other.

2. Cork Oak House, Portugal, by Hugo Pereira

Hugo Pereira, a Portuguese architect, has finished an angular concrete house in Celorico de Basto, Portugal, featuring glass-walled living rooms that face out into courtyard gardens and a swimming pool. Hugo Pereira built this concrete home in Portugal with a low-lying linear shape that is reflected by its elongated pool that rests flush with the earth. A wooden deck separates the surface change between water and grass and is equipped with a white Low Lita armchair by Paola Navone, suitable for relaxing after a dip in the water.

3. Ksaraah, India, by Taliesyn

This house in rural Bangalore, created by architectural and design company Taliesyn, has very few barriers so that people may enjoy the tropical landscape surrounding it. The house, named Ksaraah, is a weekend retreat for one of the studio’s key architects, Shalini Chandrashekar. The architectural complexity of Bangalore’s Ksaraah House is mirrored in its landscape, which includes a swimming pool, tiered terraces, winding walkways, and tropical flora. Taliesyn Architecture created a minimalist aesthetic for the water feature by blending a rectangular form with square stone slabs that keep the attention on the home.

4. San Ignacio, Mexico, by Palma

Palma, a Mexican design company, refurbished and expanded a Pacific coast property, reorganising the living rooms around a central circular swimming pool. The San Ignacio project is in the vicinity of Sayulita, a prominent beach resort in the Mexican state of Nayarit. This Pacific-coast Mexican residence is organised around a circular swimming pool in the centre of a gravel-lined and plant-filled tropical garden. The shallow sides of the pool cause the water to reflect the trees while also providing users with a place to relax before diving into the deep part in the centre.

Explore more such swimming pool ideas on Kolo App!