Author: Nick

Pool Heating – extend your swimming season into winter

Pool Heating – extend your swimming season into winter.

The summer days begin to end, the days get cooler and shorter –  however, this does not mean that the days in the garden, inside the pool, must end in the month of March in Australia. Discover how to raise the temperature of your pool in an economical and environmentally friendly way and extend your swimming season all year long.

The Inverter heat pumps achieve a pleasant water temperature and are essential to heat the pool in the new bathing season. With a balanced consumption and a sustainable energy expenditure, this technology allows you to enjoy the bath even when the outside temperature is getting colder.

The pool heating with inverter technology is an effective and economical way to heat water allowing save up to 30% compared with conventional heat pumps. Inverter heat pumps are silent, ecological and low consumption devices. Inverter pumps can be used during all seasons. Although they become perfect options to heat the water of the pool in winter (because they work with outside temperatures of up to -10 degrees and have been specially designed to work in this environment) they can also be regulated to cool the water during the summer.

Inverter models are able to be controlled remotely through the HeatPumpGo App giving you wireless control of your pool. Monitor and set your pool’s temperature even if you’re away on a business trip or holiday through your home’s Wi-Fi, with the optional WiFi module (sold separately). With the HeatPumpGO app (available for Android and iOS devices), your pool temperature will always be right at your fingertips wherever you are!

Efficient and sustainable technology

Inverter pumps are adjustable and allow three modes of operation: Powerful, Smart & Quiet. In particular, this last function is the most discreet to enjoy the pool in the silence of the night; is able to work between 40 dB and 42 dB, the sound level of a library.

AstralPool Heat Pumps are an environmentally friendly option to heat your pool. Operating on a similar principle to your refrigerator or air conditioner, Heat Pumps use environmentally friendly refrigerant gas that extracts the latent heat from the air and transfers this heat into the pool water. A nearly silent compressor moves the refrigerant gas through a coil (called evaporator) through which air is forced and collects heat from the surrounding atmosphere. The now superheated refrigerant gas then passes through a titanium heat exchanger (called a condenser) which transfers the heat into the pool water and the cycle starts again.

So in fact, the power used by the heat pump does not create any heat, it is simply used to compress and move the refrigerant gas through the evaporator and condenser to collect and transfer heat from the atmosphere into your pool water. For every 1 kW of electricity consumed, AstralPool Heat Pumps will collect up to 13 kW of heat from the atmosphere. Sunshine is not necessary and your Heat Pump will continue to heat your pool in air temperatures as low as 7 degrees. So even if the nights are cold, or the days leading up to the weekend are cool, your AstralPool Heat Pump can heat and maintain your pool water temperature at a comfortable swimming temperature.

To assist with deciding with the heating pump that would best suit your needs, on the AstralPool website you will be able to access the heat pump calculator that will allow you to find the solution that best suits the specific size of the pool and desired temperature of the pool. The search engine offers a selection of heat pumps or electric heaters that will achieve the best efficiency based on this data. For more information head to www.astralpool.com.au/heatpumpsizingguide

If you have any questions and interested in getting this technology today, contact us today – head to www.astralpool.com.au/locateadealer to find the nearest Astralpool Dealer.

A pool in the countryside of Puglia

The architecture of the past is perfectly recognised in this hotel establishment located a few kilometres from Ostuni, the white city of Brindisi, in the heart of the Puglia countryside. Andrew Trotter designed, during a three-year process to delve into the heart of local traditions, this luminous box where everything develops around a patio. Once inside, it surprises its fantastic swimming pool that is inserted in a landscape planted with impressive olive trees of 500 years of antiquity.

Thick walls, vaulted ceilings, stone floors and whitewashed walls. Thus the spaces remain fresh during the hottest days of the year. The architectural details are so simple, that space is ideal to get lost and to relax in every corner without stridency. This hotel has six rooms of 24 to 45 square meters and all of them have a private garden or a private terrace with views of the countryside.

Air conditioning is rarely used in this construction; the solar panels provide enough energy to illuminate and heat the building. The hotel farm has its own water source: its well provides fresh water of constant flow to cover all needs.

Masseria Moroseta has been built to zero kilometre standards, something that characterizes all architectural exercises that respect the environment, by being consistent with this philosophy, all food and beverages offered at the hotel are grown by the owners themselves or purchased from local farmers, producers and artisans. Continue reading “A pool in the countryside of Puglia”

The Most Spectacular Rooftop Pools

The rooftops of some luxury hotels conceal magical pools, veritable oases in the middle of urban landscapes accessible to only a few, where one can enjoy a relaxing dip above the cityscape.

In the top 5 spectacular rooftops pools, some will stand out for their architectural features, whilst others for their surroundings and the peace and quiet – which will be your favourite?

Marina Bay Sands, Singapore

The first pool in our selection can be found in Singapore. Designed by the architect Moshe Safdie, this pool is located in the highest of the three towers that make up the five-star  Sands SkyPark, hotel. At 150 metres in length, it is the longest pool this high up in the world and has some of the best views of the city’s skyline.

Gansevoort Meatpacking, New York

This pool can be found in one of New York’s coolest areas: the Meatpacking District. Located on the 15th floor of the Gansevoort Meatpacking hotel, this heated pool enables guests to enjoy incredible views of the city that never sleeps. The rooftop area also has a sophisticated cocktail bar.

Grand Hotel Central, Barcelona

Elegant, discreet and blending in perfectly with the historical surroundings, this rooftop takes us to the fascinating Born district in Barcelona. This infinity pool can be found in the  Grand Hotel Central, whose owner, Pau Guardans, completely refurbished it in order to recreate the past splendour of the city’s high society at the turn of the last century.

The Joule, Dallas

The city of Dallas is the home of the next pool. Designed by Adam D. Tihany, this heated pool is on the eighth floor of the luxury Joule hotel. Without a doubt, its main attraction is the pool that perches over the side of the building where it is housed. Thanks to a huge Plexiglas window, bathers can enjoy spectacular views of the city.

Fasano, Rio de Janeiro

The final pool in this selection can be found in Rio de Janeiro. The infinity pool on the rooftop of the Fasano offers amazing views of Ipanema Beach, one of the most exclusive areas of Latin America. Designed by Phillipe Starck, this hotel is a hot spot for celebrities like Madonna, Will Smith or Beyoncé.

How does a pool work?

At first sight, a pool does not look that complicated. After all, it is a big hole in the ground full of water. However, there are various parts hidden under the surface that fit together to form its sophisticated inner workings, which enable us to have a great time splashing around in crystal clear water. Your pool is one of the largest and most important investments you will ever make. It is important that it looks great, is healthy and safe to swim in and continues to add value to your house at all times.

Pool water moves in a continuous cycle, whose centrepiece is the pump. Equipped with an electric motor, this device has an impeller that drives water through the skimmers and sumps (found at the top and bottom of a pool, respectively), takes it to the filter and then returns it clean through the return nozzles, a series of small valves placed around the pool. AstralPool has introduced the Viron XT variable-speed pump range. The pumps have nine-start energy efficiency, fast and overdrive functionality making it the efficient solution for a filtration pump for your pool.

To prevent a pump from becoming clogged up, the water goes through a basket-type plastic pre filter in order to retain leaves and other debris that is sufficiently big to block the mechanism before it reaches the pump. From the pump, the water reaches the filtration system, where any small particles of dirt are held back.

Plastic filters tanks that contain a filter bed, made of sand or glass. Gravity pushes the water through the sand or glass, which trap any dirt. When the water passes through the filter medium, it is pumped to the outlet pipe, which returns it to the pool. Obviously, as time goes by the filter medium must be cleaned, as the dirt that has built up can slow down the flow of water.

The core needs of any swimming pool are the filtration system which removes unsightly organic matter that feeds bacteria and algae plus the sanitiser which destroys any algae and bacteria which enters the water. Modern-day pumps, filters and pool cleaners remove the organic matter very effectively and automatically, almost eliminating day to day maintenance. Chlorinators cleverly produce sufficient sanitiser to destroy bacteria and algae but almost none regulate the amount of sanitiser or adjust the water balance, making it one of the most popular and healthy products on the market to ensure your pool is safe, healthy and looking great.

These are the basic components involved in how a pool works. However, there are other devices that although seemingly inconsequential are able to streamline a pool’s performance and turn it into an oasis of well-being:

Robotic Pool Cleaners go over the pool floor and ensure a thorough clean of the shell, as well as consuming very little water.

Heating systems make it possible to keep that water at a certain temperature and should be fitted with the filtration system and dispenser. AstralPool provides two options to extend your swimming season and swim comfortably all year round – gas heaters and inverter heater pumps.

SLX multi-colour LED Pool and Spa lights keep power consumption down to a minimum, whilst the light that shines from the walls creates a relaxing atmosphere worthy of any great design.

If you have any questions about how your pool works or maintenance, do not hesitate to contact us.

Pool Society Portraits

2016 marked the 100th anniversary of the birth of photographer Slim Aarons, whose camera immortalised American high society between the 1950s and 80s. His shots tell stories of privilege and influence and made the swimming pool an object of desire for many generations.

C.Z. Guest by the pool at her home Villa Artemis in Palm Beach, Florida, 1955 – Slim Aarons (Photo by Slim Aarons/Getty Images)

Although born in Manhattan in 1916, Slim Aarons was raised far from the bright lights of the Big Apple. The man who would become an indisputable insider into the Californian elite grew up with his grandparents on a New Hampshire farm and didn’t leave rural New England until he was 18 when he enlisted in the army.

Cannellopoulos Penthouse Pool, Athens, Greece, 1961 – Slim Aarons (Photo by Slim Aarons/Getty Images)

It was during his time at the military academy that he discovered his passion for photography. At West Point, Aarons was responsible for developing photographs and when he was sent to Europe to fight in World War II, he continued experimenting and progressing with the camera. When he returned from the war he got a job as a photojournalist with Life magazine.

The Good Life: C.Z. Guest and her son Alexander and dog at the pool at their home Villa Artemis in Palm Beach, Florida, 1955 – Slim Aarons (Photo by Slim Aarons/Getty Images)

His first job for the publication would change his life. When he was assigned to cover a Hollywood event, Aarons was so captivated by the elegance and pace of the city that he decided to move to Los Angeles and devote himself to snapping celebrities. Slowly but surely he worked his way into the Californian jet set and began to photograph the pool parties he was invited to.

Guests at the Villa Nirvana, owned by Oscar Obregon, in Las Brisas, Acapulco, Mexico, 1972. (Photo by Slim Aarons/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

His pictures offered a glimpse into an exclusive world that many could only dream of. Everybody wanted Aarons at their parties: film and music stars, famous sportspeople, businesspeople, politicians and aristocrats. They all invited him to their glamorous and convivial poolside get-togethers, which he captured and published in the most influential magazines of the day. Indeed, his ability to open windows onto other lives inspired the script of his friend Alfred Hitchcock’s film Rear Window.

circa 1960: A group of young women enjoying the sunshine in the grounds of the former George Newhall estate in San Francisco. Its house and gardens are modelled on Le Petit Trianon at Versailles. A Wonderful Time – Slim Aarons (Photo by Slim Aarons/Getty Images)

Aarons published his book A Wonderful Time in 1974 and although it didn’t originally sell well, it went on to become a staple for many designs and fashion professionals in the 1990s. A further three books cover his work: Slim Aarons: Once Upon a Time (2003), Slim Aarons: A Place in the Sun (2005) and the posthumous work Poolside with Slim Aarons (2007). Slim Aarons died in Montrose, New York, in 2006.

Image Source: Slim Aarons

Blue pool between red walls

Today, we once again turn our attention to 1970s architecture, in particular the work of Ricardo Bofill, an architect whose emblematic designs include the Barcelona airport expansion, the W Barcelona hotel, the remodel of an old cement factory on the outskirts of Barcelona (which he turned into his headquarters, the Taller de Arquitectura), and the design and construction of La Muralla Roja resort from 1968 to 1973. 

Located in La Manzanera tourist complex, Bofill introduced a prominent feature along the coastline of the Alicante town of Calpe with his red building. The project embodies a clear reference to the popular architecture of the Arab Mediterranean, in particular, the adobe towers of North Africa.

La Muralla Roja is like a fortress on a rocky cliff that towers over a landscape dotted with olive trees, marking a vertical silhouette that reinterprets the Mediterranean tradition of the kasbah. Inside, the labyrinth of this recreated kasbah is based on the shape of a cross, creating a set of interconnected patios that provide access to 50 apartments, which include 60 m² studios, and two- and three-bedroom apartments that measure 80 m² and 120 m², respectively. Hallways, terraces, stairways and courtyards are extensions of the living spaces designed by the Catalan architect.

The residents’ only pool is located on the roof, which offers views of the blue Mediterranean from between red towers. All exterior surfaces of the complex are painted in various shades of red to accentuate the contrast with the landscape and complement its purity. The interior patios and stairs, however, are painted in blue tones (such as sky blue, indigo and violet) to produce a contrast with the sky or, conversely, the optical illusion of blending with it.

The spectacular complex, rated as a “comprehensive protection” building that must conserve all its architectural features, has served as a backdrop for numerous adverts. The most recent was the campaign for the 2016 spring collection of a Spanish couture brand. Gregori Civera’s photos of the complex are also highly recommended.

Image Source: Ricardo Bofill / Gregori Civera

Guillaume Nery, the world champion freediver

Breathing only once and using only muscular strength, the French freediver Guillaume Néry is able to dive to 125 meters deep. With his multiple world achievements and through an amazing combination of elite sport and video art, Néry reveals the immensity of nature, shows that the human body has an enormous capacity to adapt to the aquatic environment and shares the deep values that he has learned on the seabed.

His video Free Fall , in which Néry appears jumping empty, free lung, inside the blue hole of Dean , the second largest in the world with 220 meters deep, captures the beauty and mystery of this bay of Bahamas This viral video, which was recorded by his wife Julie Gautier, has reached 26 million views on YouTube. However, as they confessed in the US program Outrageous Acts of Science, “the idea was not to touch the bottom but to create an artistic film different from what we usually see under water, redefining the limits and trying to dive as deep as possible”.

The magic of free diving

Néry, in addition to being a champion in apnea with constant weight, has absolute control of the body over the mind in the most extreme conditions and ensures that holding your breath helps you stop thinking and enter a state of peace and absolute relaxation.

For Néry, diving becomes a kind of conquest of the universe, which also allows him to access an unknown and unexplored space. In his conference for TED, The Sweeping Peace of Free Diving explained what he experiences at the bottom of the sea, 123 meters deep and without oxygen equipment: “I feel like a small point, a stardust floating in the middle of the cosmos and the immensity. It’s a fascinating feeling because I look up, down, left, right, front, back, and I see the same thing: a very deep blue infinity. ”

The dive also lets you connect with other values such as humility, acceptance of the present moment or respect for his team: “When I find this depth I’m a bit of anything that is lost in this great whole. And that is completely fascinating. ”

Do not miss the video in which Guillaume Néry explores the Y40 pool, the deepest in the world, in a single dive and without diving equipment!

Image Source: Les films engloutis / Guillaume Néry

Why you should connect your pool to the Internet

The Internet of Pools is here to stay. This innovative concept, developed by Astralpool Australia, is based on the application of the Internet of Things to the Pool and Spa Industry and, thanks to its versatility and ease of use, it is only a matter of time before it completely transforms the daily management of aquatic facilities.

With Connect My Pool App, owners and maintenance professionals can remotely monitor the operation of all pool components (filtration systems, water treatment, air conditioning, etc.), as well as outdoor garden equipment (irrigation and lighting). To enjoy the Internet of Pools, it is necessary to have a WiFi Internet connection, install the Connect Box device – the centrepiece of the system – and equip the pool and garden with products compatible with Connect My Pool App.

 

Remote management provides three great advantages to families: tranquillity, comfort and savings. From the platform’s mobile application, users can consult at any time if the different elements of the pool are working correctly and obtain very interesting parameters and control data. For example, if chemical levels are the healthiest and safest, or if efficient water and energy management is being carried out. In the same way, thanks to the diagnostic tools of the system, the professionals of the industry are able to provide constant monitoring from the status of an installation and move to the site only when a manual repair is necessary. In this way, the deterioration of the installation is avoided, the costs associated with poorly customised maintenance are reduced and professionals can offer a differentiated treatment and added value to their customers.

For more information, head to www.astralpool.com.au/connect

Are wave pools the future of surfing?

With 35 million surfers around the world, surfing and the lifestyle that surrounds it does not stop growing. Now, the consolidation of artificial wave pools to practice this sport opens up new business routes. 

It is indisputable that the practice of surfing goes beyond the sporting aspect. More and more brands are taking advantage of the values transmitted by this activity to connect with a loyal public and generate a millionaire business. According to the World Surf League, this industry moves about 12,000 million euros per year, so any project that involves bringing this practice to new audiences arouses enormous interest.

Since the surfer, Kelly Slater presented in 2015 the artificial wave pool Kelly Slater Wave Co, this type of facilities have continued to proliferate and are confirmed as a very effective tourist attraction. When Slater published a video of an artificial wave with a perfect tube, a huge debate was generated on the network, and thousands of fans began to ask when the complex, which works with solar energy, would be opened to the public.

Here is another important reason that has boosted the boom of these facilities. On June 1, 2016, the International Olympic Committee announced that surfing, along with four other sports (baseball, skateboarding, karate and sports climbing), would be part of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

The details of how and where the surfing event will be held are not yet known. In the beginning, the organization of the games mentioned the possibility of performing it in artificial waves, although it seems that, finally, natural waves have been chosen. However, to prepare without depending on weather conditions, several countries have already announced plans to build large wave pools for their teams to train. For example, the Australian government plans to build three surf parks in Sydney, Melbourne and Perth.

Immerse yourself in the minimalist Japanese architecture

Aonagi is a small luxury hotel in the Japanese region of Setouchi, in the Okayama prefecture. This careful hotel project of only seven rooms was designed, 17 years ago, by Tadao Ando, brilliant self-taught Japanese architect whose exquisite work, which stands out for the use of concrete, light and water, served to be distinguished with the Award Pritzker, the highest international architecture award, in 1995.

Originally, Aonagi was a private house and, later, an art museum. With the recent renovation, Ando has transformed it into a hotel space of “minimal luxury”. The interior, stripped of all unnecessary furniture, directs the gaze of the guest towards the natural landscape that surrounds it. The property has sought at all times an absolute connection of the client with the richness of nature, history and culture of the past. And for that, it has put in value, among other resources such as the thermal water jacuzzi, the sauna and the spa, two suggestive pools.

On the one hand, The Blue, which allows that located on the top of the mountain and even being several kilometres from the coast, you can get to see the inland sea of Seto. And on the other hand, The Cave, which, if desired, can be reserved exclusively for private use.

The International Triennial Art Festival of Setouchi has put the name of this region on the map. Today, the festival seeks to revitalize the area again. Numerous visitors from all countries come every three years to the cultural event that takes place on twelve small islands in the inland sea of Seto, between Okayama prefecture on the island of Honshu and Kagawa prefecture on the island of Shikoku.

For lovers of Ando, the trip does not disappoint. In addition to the hotel, on the island of Naoshima, you can also visit more of the master’s works: the Chichu Art Museum, Benesse and the Ando Museum itself. The Aonagi hotel, nowadays, constitutes another milestone in the itinerary of appointments with the architecture of Ando.

Images sourced from Aonagi Offical Facebook