A pool and outdoor structure on a sloped Ness Valley site involves more than the pool itself. A usable platform needed to be cut and retained before anything could be built. The retaining was engineered to handle both the retained height and the water pressure from the pool behind it. Consent was required for the pool and for the deck structures, which sit above the 1.5 metre threshold on the downhill side.

The pool coping and surrounding paving was specified for durability and barefoot comfort in full sun. We coordinated with the pool company on the hydraulic connections and the electrical supply for the pool plant, running those services through the retaining wall in the correct locations before it was poured.

The finished platform reads as a natural extension of the site rather than something added on top of it. On a Ness Valley slope that requires thinking through the levels from the start, not adjusting them after the retaining is in the ground.