When we envision water in the wild, we often conjure up peaceful streams, serene lakes, or the rhythmic crashing of ocean waves. There is something inherently soothing about the way water interacts with the natural world. It’s no wonder that water has become an essential element of biophilic design, and one of the most captivating ways to express that is through a biophilic pool. Picture stepping outside to a pool that serves not merely as a summer cooling station but as an elysian refuge, intimately connected with the surrounding biosphere. A biophilic pool does exactly this. It transforms a simple body of water into a living system, a nexus of sorts for you and the surrounding environment.
Section 1: Composing Water and Nature into a Personal Symphony The first time I encountered the concept of a biophilic pool, a lightbulb went off in my head. I’ve always been drawn to natural aquatic systems—be it the quiet trickle of a forest stream, or the larger-than-life beauty of an unsuspected pond. But recreating that harmony in a personal space? Swimming in that much—uh, “fresher” water? These pools aim to go beyond the stark, sterile look of a traditional chlorine-filled swimming pool. They let you swim in water that’s chemical-free and fresh, all while blending into the pool’s surrounding natural landscape.
For instance, take a project I encountered in southern Spain. I did not design it, but I truly admire it. The homeowners chose to install a natural swimming pool that integrated native plants, stones, and a little waterfall. The pool didn’t just reside in their backyard; it essentially became their backyard. The water was clear but teeming with life, supporting frogs and insects in the pool’s shallow areas, which were separated from the deeper swimming zone by a natural filtration barrier made of reeds and aquatic plants. It felt like standing on the edge of a wild river, but all within a carefully considered, serene line.
Biophilic swimming pools allow humans to maintain their connection with nature. When you swim in one of these pools, you are embodying a vibrant, multisensory experience, one that is rumored to be quite similar to taking a dip in nature’s own steams, rivers, or lakes. This is not just a swimming pool; it is a space meant to foster a whole suite of life. The pool is a clean environment that benefits both swimmers and the wildlife that takes up residence around and within it because it contains not a single chemical that could be harmful to either party.
Part 2: Water’s Influence in Design—The Emotional and Psychological Aspects Pools, particularly biophilic ones, have an incredible ability to elevate a space’s emotional and psychological aspects. In biophilic design, water isn’t just a visual or physical element—it’s an emotional one. And there’s substantial research showing how water calms the mind, reduces stress, and even enhances creative thinking. We are naturally drawn to water, and our connection to it goes far beyond mere hydration or hygiene.
I clearly recall a time that I visited a friend who had put in a biophilic pool on his woodland property in Oregon. His house was hidden away among ancient pine trees, with a narrow dirt path leading to a mesmerizing natural pool on the cusp of a small clearing. The pool was bordered by boulders, grasses, and trees, making it feel as if you’d discovered an untouched glacial pond. The moment you got to the water’s edge, there was an immediate calm that settled over you. It was as if the living pool was a bubble, and everyday life, with all its worries and tensions, couldn’t penetrate it.
When I inquired about his experience, he explained that the pool was unlike anything they had ever had before. “It’s like being in nature every day,” he told me. “The sound of the water filtering through the reeds, the sight of the dragonflies across the surface, the way the sunlight dances through the trees and reflects off the water—this place literally has me feeling the ‘pool zen’ in ways that my former standard suburban pool couldn’t have come close to achieving. If it weren’t for the house next door, I would swear I was in some far-off aquatic paradise.”
Improving psychological health is one reason I am such a big supporter of biophilic design, especially when it comes to biophilic pools. You are not merely constructing a space to swim in; you are mostly curating a sort of experience. The visuals, audibles, and even the olfactory elements of a biophilic pool—all the components of nature working in concert—help craft a multisensory environment that can elevate your mental state in a way that a traditional swimming pool just won’t be able to do.
Section 3: The Practicalities of Installing a Biophilic Pool
Even though biophilic pools are truly magnificent, shifting to a biophilic pool does require a planning mindset change as well as some careful planning for installation and maintenance. Of course, in my opinion, that shift in thinking is well worth it, given what biophilic pools can add to human and ecosystem health.
First of all, there is the need to think about space. A biophilic pool isn’t merely a small rectangle sunk into the ground; it often takes on the shape and flow of natural water bodies, with curves and irregularities that make it feel more like a real, wild-water experience. To create such a space, my go-to pool shape is something like that end of the lazy river that has a few slight bends and curves. Still, most mixed-use biophilic pools don’t exactly function like a lazy river; they tend to have shallow and deep zones that make them feel even more like a natural swimming hole.
One of my favorite features that I include in biophilic pools is what’s called the “regeneration zone.”
The next step is to select the proper plant life. Native species are essential for stabilizing the pool’s “eco-balance” with the surrounding environment; my pool neighbor, for instance, has an aqua center planted with species native to the Amazon River, which is not exactly local flora. I’ve also seen pool owners try to introduce exotic plants because they’re attractive, but that can backfire—exotic plants are just that: not local and, often, not adapted to our climate. Native species are much better for local wildlife (the pool neighbor with the Amazon plants is not having an avian-friendly experience), and they require way less maintenance.
Another major consideration is managing water. When the pool biotope is installed, a natural water cycle is essentially recreated, so it’s important to think about how water will flow into, through, and out of the system. Some of the most effective designs use natural gradients to direct water to the lowest points, where it can be filtered through the pool’s plant life. If done right, this can greatly reduce the need for mechanical filtration systems and keep maintenance at a minimum. This basic water management strategy makes the biophilic pool a more sustainable option and less energy-intensive than filtration and pump systems used in conventional pools.
A biophilic swimming pool is something many people have not heard of. But when I first encountered these natural systems, I was so taken with them that I had to find a way to include one in my home. The short story of how that happened is that I and my design team imagined this beautiful and functional natural system, which is integrated with a state-of-the-art ecology of the pool itself. Our biophilic pool is chemically free, and we accomplished that by doing things very differently than a traditional pool.
The last thing I always talk about with clients is the question of price. Setting up a biophilic pool is no less expensive than a traditional pool, and depending on how complicated a design you want and what kind of ecological features you want to include, it can easily cost more. But think about what you save in the long run. You save energy; you could easily cut your energy use by half. You save money; you could easily save several thousand dollars a year. And what we gain in ecological and psychological benefits is impossible to calculate.
To sum up, a pool that embodies biophilic design offers so much more than an ordinary pool. It connects you with nature in some marvelous, almost mystical way. You might listen to the excited whispers of water-stirred pond plants and feel as if you are not in a suburban backyard but rather somewhere in the woods next to a quiet stream. You could gaze deep into the clear pool water and see the very sky reflected back at you, making you wonder if you have somehow entered into a hidden dimension, like something straight out of the novel “A Wrinkle in Time.”
