Recently, we were hired by clients who had purchased a new home on the steeply sloped lot with extensive wetlands restrictions. They wanted desperately to have a state-of-the-art pool and an all-seasons spa built somewhere on the property, but the restrictions made having a pool prohibitive. After some research, it became apparent that the only option was to propose a rooftop pool on the second story terrace located off the kitchen and directly above an existing living space.
Although we designed and built water features atop rooftops in places like Manhattan, we knew proposing a swimming pool on the second story on a newly purchased home in the suburbs might sound extreme – especially to new clients who probably never entertained the idea. So before pitching the concept, the Cross River Design team did some homework and learned the existing substructure would not support the weight of a new pool made of the concrete. Switching gears, we proposed the pool be made of stainless steel which would weigh less than 1/5th the weight of a concrete pool. Once we made the math work, we presented the idea to the clients and they loved it. We explained it was possible to give them the pool of their dreams directly outside their home. Additionally, there was the bonus of having three sides with a vanishing edge component while taking advantage of the views toward the back of the property.
Our challenge was to design the pool shell to fit on top of a new concrete slab on the second-floor terrace. If the shell was off by more than 1/8 of an inch, the rooftop pool could not safely rest on the slab and the project would need to be scrapped. Once the design and engineering of the pool shell was finished, we had the shell fabricated off-site. When fabrication was complete, the pool was shipped to the project site on three separate tractor-trailer beds, where each section was carefully raised to the second story using a 50-ton crane. The rooftop pool sections were then welded together on site, ground smooth, and tiled over to match tile already installed during fabrication. In the end, the pool fit neatly on top of the roof and provided all the amenities the client required to complete their wish list including: a vanishing edge which overlooked the lush wetlands and wooded areas in the distance, a perimeter overflow with water continually cascading over a tiled edge, and an all-seasons spa located inside the pool. The spa was designed to provide 12 months of use even when the pool was closed and winterized.
