Sometimes you have to think inside the box, especially if you have a small shady garden with limited parking and you want a swimming pool.

That's exactly what we recommended for this concrete pool built inside a stone barn.

Swimming pools don't work well in the shade, and it’s not just about the look and feel. The sun heats the water too. When we visited the site of this concrete pool installation, it quickly became apparent that the best design option was to put it inside the adjacent stone barn. Elevated to catch the sun and retaining parking underneath it's very 'hollywood' but a fantastic result for the client.

With sun deck and shallow area for children, this execution really shows the unmatched benefits of a bespoke concrete pool which acts as both a structural support and a pool. The miracle of concrete.

The challenge of raising a pool off the ground

The loading for the pool could not be taken into the walls. It’s a mistake to think that even big thick stone walls have the structural strength to support the weight of a concrete pool full of water. 1M3 of water weighs 1 metric tonne, plus the weight of the structure of the pool meant that the total loading for this pool was over 70 tonnes.

The loading was taken down through the six supporting reinforced concrete columns and into a foundations over 60 cm deep which were integrated into a complete new garage slab. It was complex work which required diligent engineering plans and an experienced contractor.

"Elevating the concrete pool inside the barn delivered secure parking space and access to the sunshine. It was a perfect solution."