Water Meets Sky:
The Magic of Wet Edge and Blade Edge Pools
When it comes to pool design, the latest trends are all about seamless sophistication, blurred boundaries and dramatic visuals. Among the most coveted styles today are wet edge pools and blade edge pools, which can turn any residential home into a luxury resort-style retreat. Here, Sydney Pool + Outdoor Design’s Jessica Muller sits down with Andrew Rothery, the marketing manager of Crystal Pools, to discuss how these luxury pool designs can transform your experience of swimming with their mesmerising visual effects.
Crystal Pools has been setting the benchmark for build quality in residential pools for nearly 70 years. The company is different to most other backyard pool builders because it has constructed some of Australia’s most outstanding commercial pool projects, including landmark Sydney CBD hotel pools for Crown, Sofitel and Capella, as well as the iconic North Sydney Aquatic Centre’s pools and the Commonwealth Games’ swimming complex on the Gold Coast. The Australian-owned company is recognised for its unmatched expertise in constructing on the most challenging sites; from cliff edges and harborside tidal locations to high-rise apartments. As such, the company has been highly awarded with more than 270 major state and national awards. Equally so, Crystal Pools provides competitive offerings on small plunge pools, lap pools and classic family pools. “We restrict the amount of residential pools we take on each year. Pursuing a policy of quality over quantity,” Rothery says.
CREATING INFINITY WITH WET EDGE POOLS
“Wet edge or infinity-edged pools work by having no wall above the waterline, at one or more perimeters of the pool,” Rothery explains. “When light reflects from above, the illusion is water with no boundary,” he adds. Wet edge walls are typically set level with the water surface and spill to a return gutter. The water cascades over the edge of the pool, giving you a clear and unrestricted view over your surroundings. “Often built to complement and overlook a spectacular panoramic view that stretches beyond the property, wet edge wall pools create a sophisticated aesthetic found in luxury hotels and top resorts around the world,” Rothery says.
“Often Crystal Pools will design the pool to create a water horizon to blend with a background sea or reflect the sky at certain times of the day. The same way the ocean’s horizon can sometimes
seamlessly blend into the sky at certain times,” Rothery describes. “With water cascading over the pool’s edge, incorporating these features into your pool design offers a stunning visual effect. It creates the illusion of being one with the environment and gives a mesmerising appearance that’s quite different to traditional pools with internal waterlines,” he adds.
THE BEAUTY OF BLADE EDGE POOLS
“Blade edge (sometimes called knife-edged) pools use strong thick glass or acrylic to contain the pool’s water at one or more perimeters. Blade edge pools differ from wet edge walls because the glass section often protrudes above the water surface, unless there is a return gutter installed,” Rothery says. “In both cases the ‘infinity’ effect is achieved because the glass is transparent and disappears below the water surface.” Another popular design feature of blade pools is the ability to see underwater from the outside of the pool.
Crystal Pools installed a spectacular three-edge blade pool in St Ives, Sydney. To preserve the spectacular views over the Garigal National Park. The design included glass blade edging along three sides. “The glass edge placed over an infinite edge, below the waterline, to make this pool appear to extend off into the horizon,” Rothery details.
THE DESIGN PROCESS
The structural design of wet edge wall pools or blade edge pools is a complex and highly technical building process requiring specialised knowledge and skills. “As the most experienced and capable master pool builders in Sydney, we rely on our expertise to help you design and install the perfect backyard oasis,” Rothery says.
“Our knowledgeable and experienced team will work closely with you throughout the construction process to create a unique wet
edge wall pool that complements your home’s architecture.” This means giving sound advice about the placement or feasibility of such a pool. Though everyone would like one of these designs, they are in fact best for pools with a view and partially out of the ground. “It really only makes sense to install them when the view continues beyond. That view can be into the home or alfresco areas, as well as off into a garden, bush or a water view,” Rothery details.
“To understand how wet edge wall pool design works, imagine a waterfall-like construction where a thin layer of water flows over the wall and down to a gutter into a catch basin below. From this section of the pool construction, a pump returns the water into the upper pool to create that continuous flow, making the recirculation invisible to the swimmer,” Rothery explains. “We now use acrylic for all our blades and windows, as this material can be easily maintained and it has a few better safety factors than glass alone.” A wet edge, on the other hand, is always tiled to match the pool waterline or interior.
Lighting also plays a significant role in transforming a pool. “Needless to say, underwater lighting is especially effective when a glass blade or wall allows viewing underwater from the outside of the pool,” Rothery notes. “Crystal pools has even built underwater windows to view the pool’s interior from within homes and commercial buildings.”
Choosing a pool builder that you can trust is essential when planning to build a resort-style pool, even if it means having hard conversations about what is realistic for your space and your budget. Reach out to the Crystal Pools team to find out how the industry leaders can help bring your dream pool to life.
Images Courtesy of Crystal Pools
