The Project: Ipley Manor

The Brief

The Georgian manor house, set on a 200 acre farm on the edge of the New Forest has recently had a swimming pool built in a new extension.  The extension was designed by the owner of the house and, whilst being built in oak to match the house, also has a Japanese influence, blending with the landscape and complementing the outside environment, both house and garden.

A pool room was wanted that was multi-functional, not only to house a swimming pool, but also for entertaining, conferences and parties. 

The End Result

The requirement was to create a floor across the pool which would offer a level space throughout the entire room, so combining design skills with Stage Systems, the Pool-span infill system was used as the solution. Approaching Stage Systems for their existing Pool-dek system, the house’s owner wanted a flooring system to cover the pool without Pool-dek’s framework within the water.  Although in its infancy, Stage Systems was already designing the Pool-span solution that would fit these needs perfectly.

Pool-span consists of galvanised steel beams which span the width of the pool, supported by a shelf just below the top surround of the pool. Standard Pool-dek panels sit on top of the beams at the same level as the pool surround with a lip over their edge to ensure a trip free surround. Since this pool was a new build, the shelf design was incorporated into the build and the finish is a continuously smooth floor.

The timber surface of the decks was stained to match the oak frames of the windows, doors and beams, and with the amount of natural light that shines in, the room feels warm and welcoming.  At night the pool and room are lit by a number of soft low-energy lights throughout the space, so whatever the room is being used for, the lighting sets the tone, night or day.

What They Said

The whole space was designed to be utilised as much as possible, bring the outdoors in and create a versatile space. The combination of the design of the pool room and the Pool-span floor has allowed the vision to be achieved and has actually exceeded expectations. 

The pool is used daily, but due to the simplicity of the infill, the room can be transformed to an event space with ease.  The pool room is no longer just used as a place to swim, but also as a room to entertain, dine and dance, which certainly wouldn’t be possible without Pool-span covering the water to create this dry and beautiful space.

 Click here for more information on Pool-Dek - Swimming Pool Infill