UK Design Goes Swimmingly

Two London architects have turned their hands to creating a holiday home half a world away. And it comes complete with a swimming pool.
The pair — who are members of the Royal Institute of British Architects — designed the home, which is in Quedjinup, five minutes from Dunsborough. Named Villa Gris, the home was built by Tallwood Constructions.
They contacted Dunsborough Pool and Spa who installed a Barrier Reef Pools Midnight Simmer 12m Lap pool to complete the stunning project.
Set in natural bushland, the house has ocean views and, with its timber cladding and the earthy colour of its exposed concrete, complements its setting. With the ocean and bush on one side and the pool on the other, the architects designed the home to embrace both, with a central area that can be opened on two sides: one for sea views and the other to connect to the pool.

Dunsborough Pool and Spa manager Amanda Cutler said the elevated position of the pool area reduced the need for full perimeter fencing and gave the illusion that there was no fencing at all. This allowed a swimmer to look through the main living area and enjoy the uninterrupted views to the bush and ocean beyond. “(The clients) had the vision to create this stunning holiday retreat with the inspiration being ‘inside outside’ living, making the most of the surrounding hillside landscape,” Ms Cutler said. “At either side of the main living area, fully stacking glass doors retract into the walls allowing the house to completely open up. “The pool is enhanced by attractive bluestone rebated coping and paving. It runs parallel with the house, with vibrant green grass and decking between giving depths of texture to the area.” Ms Cutler said the pool’s colour, which has a silver-grey component, had been selected to be in keeping with the external palette of the house. “Also, we used pool fittings that blended into the colour scheme.
There was a lot of attention to details such as the colour of the light surrounds and the fittings attached to where the water sucks from and returns to,” she said. The pool boasts AstralPool filtration equipment, including a Viron P600 energy-efficient variable speed pump, two LED colour-changing lights, an Elite platinum stationary roller and a Poolview 550 micron pool cover with black stitched edges.
Near the pool is an outdoor barbecue, enabling Villa Gris’ occupants to make the most of their bushland retreat.