All over Houston, koi ponds are becoming increasingly popular.  Architectural features in their own right, koi ponds are highly unique in both design and construction.  They tend to occupy a very significant position on the property, and they function as prominent elements within the overall theme of the landscape.

Koi ponds are named after the fish that inhabit them.  Koi are a hybrid species of carp produced by cross-breeding brown German carp with Asian carp.  They are very colorful and have very soft mouths.  They are a benign and docile species that will literally eat right out of your hand.  Because koi are very sensitive, the ponds that koi inhabit have to be designed with maximum life support and safety for the fish in mind.  The water hast to be carefully filtered and aerated so the koi always have plenty of oxygen.  The pond must also be built with a specific depth that will keep them out of the easy reach of predators.  Also, the stratum of water at the bottom of the pond is cooler than the water near the top, so in the summer months the fish have an additional comfort zone available to them.  In as much as aesthetic constraints on design permit, special structures can also be built to provide the fish with additional shade and refuge.

While a koi pond must work on every level to sustain the life cycle of its fish, it must also feature an exceptional aesthetic that catch the attention of guests the moment they step into their yard.  A blend of skillful ornamentation and patterns of recognizable geometric forms lends an air of prominence to this exceptional architectural landscape element.  Many koi ponds are rectangular in nature and approximately the size of swimming pools.  Others can be built as perfect circles ringed with ornamental coping that compliments patio stonework and serves a dual purpose of creating shelter and shade through an overhanging structure.  On properties that are heavily wooded in places, a koi pond can be built to look like a natural body of water you would find on a Nature hike through the forest.  Waterfalls and ornamental rock formations can even be added to create a backyard landscape that is equivalent to a walk through a wilderness park.

Other koi ponds feature designs that range from traditional to the ultra-contemporary and the avant garde.  One of the most popular traditional styles is the Japanese garden.  The Japanese garden is a multidimensional blend of greenery and water, normally accentuated with a cascading fountain that looks like a stairway of stone.  In areas of the city that favor more eclectic blends of architecture and modern art forms, koi ponds can function as contemporary outdoor art forms that combine unique geometric angles, linear movement, and custom fountain design.

If you have considered adding a koi pond to your property, you have probably already been to many websites that sell do-it-yourself kits.  We do not recommend any of these to Houston residents simply because the logistics of digging, installing, and aerating a pond is far more complicated that you might imagine.  The clay-like constituency of Houston soil makes it a very tricky environment for construction of any kind, and the only way to guarantee a genuine return on your investment and a design that last for more than a few years is to hire a professional landscape architecture firm to coordinate and manage the planning, installation, and engineering of the project from start to finish.