Sometimes, in a natural setting, we want every structure to look as much a part of Nature as can be reasonably expected from something built by man.  This can be a challenge with certain landscape elements such as swimming pools which are by nature artificial environments.  While the nature of the thing itself cannot be changed in such an instance, its proportions and appearance can be.  In the case of water elements, lagoon pool designs are some of the most powerful examples of how something inherently manmade in origin can be sculpted to blend with the topography and structures of the earth itself.

In a material and technical sense, lagoon pools are built no differently than their more luxurious and festive equivalents.  It is the departure from strict linearity that makes them so unique.  In the instance of luxury pools and custom swimming pools, almost all forms are based upon a quadrilateral design.  Either the water is contained in a rectangular space or adjacent square spaces that connect in a multi-tiered pool and spa structure.  The opposite is true for lagoon pool design.

Because Nature itself tends to get bored with straight lines and either staggers them or curves them into infinite space, lagoon pool design must follow this same progression of movement in order to accomplish its task in looking like something we would suddenly stumble upon in some remote Island paradise near a giant statue or mysterious ancient temple.  It takes a great deal of planning, ironically, to deliberately recreate something that seems to just create itself so easily in the wild. 

Curved lines and rough edges are the key here.  We want our lagoon pool design to flow along the surface of the ground much like water itself flows from the ocean into an inland space.  One way to create this is to build the coping out of rocks and pavers that mimic rock outcroppings in Nature.  We also incorporate waterfall landscape design into these structures to create sound and movement appropriate to the feeling of a remote locale. 

This means we abandon the whole mathematical notion of a radius.  Radii are used in other constructions to create boundary, symmetry, and very often, a stark sense of absolutes.  None of that works here in a realm where freedom is the essence of expression, and where progression is an experience unto itself that requires no particular destination or arrival point.

Because of their association with islands, lagoon pools are usually found in a modern tropical garden or tropical landscape design theme.  There is also a form we have customized to fit into more indigenous Texas settings.  Many such pools we have constructed are for clients whose hearts are in Austin, but whose work lies here in Houston.  For such families, we landscape their property with a Hill Country theme, and shape the pool accordingly to mask the still ponds and small lakes we often find surprising us in the more scenic and geologically diverse parts of the state.