Square Pond and Waterfall
Learn how this square pond was designed, what materials were used and how it was placed on the property.
A video transcript featuring Joseph Huettl, Huettl Landscape Architecture
For this project, we already had the swimming pool as a dominant water feature, but we did want something to provide some sounds and also something that was another focal point and would break up this large patio area. So we have this symmetrical water feature that's on access with the dining room. And also that the sound can flow into the bedroom area or into the kitchen area works just fine. It acts as a foreground focal point to the rest of the yard when viewed from the house, and when you're out on the patio it's just kind of a nice sidelight. The perfectly square shape allows it to be viewed from multiple angles. It doesn't really have an orientation. It's just centered on itself and yet it doesn't dominate the artistry. It's just a nice, subtle feature.
Filtration systemSo this kind of water feature, if you're not going to have fish and plants, you can often get by with a lesser filtration system because you're using chlorine or other chemicals to make up for that. This water feature we did set up with a small filter and a UV light, and the UV lights will zap and kill any free algae that pass through them, so they clarify the water. They will not get rid of algae that's clinging to the sides or on surfaces because it doesn't pass through the light, so if you want a living pond system with clear water ,usually the UV lighting filters are the way to keep clear water.
Pond materialsThis one's a little more traditional in some ways. The granite millstone is not really traditional, but otherwise it just really works with this house with this space, and it's simple; it's not overbearing. The construction is fairly straightforward. This is a CMU wall system with bluestone cap and stucco, and then the inside was sealed with this neoprene liquid rubber, this Herco product. This water feature could be a water garden with water plants and goldfish and such, but the clients wanted to keep it more simple, and they generally chlorinate and have it more of a clean water system.
