These Freedom Pools clients were in search of an exercise and relaxation solution for the unused space beside their historic 1850 home, the Biscuit Factory, located in Coromandel Valley, South Australia. This was no ordinary residence; it has been transformed into a unique lifestyle home by a well-known Adelaide artist and conservationist, and has also featured in several lifestyle magazines including Vogue Living and SALife.
They wanted their pool and spa to be practical, contemporary, and blend in with the historic Hills home, as well as the iconic native fauna of the Adelaide Hills. Their aim was to create a space that caters to their fitness goals and relaxation needs.
“The historic nature of the house presented a significant challenge for our team,” explains Freedom Pools, who built and designed the pool. “To ensure that no unknown historical foundations were exposed or damaged during excavation, we had to have an archaeologist on site throughout the process. Excavation was also hindered by the natural rock we hit within 30cm, which required an additional 26 hours of rock breaking and excavation.”
Accessing the site was another difficulty due to the narrow and winding roadway leading to the property. Manoeuvring an 11m-long pool on this roadway was a feat, and reversing the truck in proved to be challenging. Finally, craning the pool and spa into position was a daunting task due to the abundance of large trees surrounding the property and pool area.
One of the project’s unique features is the use of Alabaster Gelcoat. This not only gives the appearance of a concrete pool, but also provides the durability of a modern fibreglass pool. This combination of aesthetics and functionality makes the pool stand out from others in the area. The gelcoat also blends perfectly with the surrounding South Australian Hills landscape, adding to the property’s unique and historic atmosphere.
Additionally, the pool’s water colour is associated with the gelcoat, creating a cohesive and visually pleasing design. The use of this innovative material demonstrates Freedom Pools’ commitment to finding new and creative ways to elevate its projects, resulting in a truly exceptional end result.
Freedom Pools & Spas was founded and is still family owned by Bob and Rona Biernat. The company has been operating for 50 years manufacturing high-quality, Australian-made pools and spas. It is an Australia-wide company with manufacturing factories in Queensland, South Australia and Western Australia. The company has display centres in Western Australia, South Australia and Queensland, plus selling agents located across the country.
Specialising in fibreglass pools, Freedom Pools builds thousands of pools per year
and is a member of SPASA.
Over its five decades of operation, Freedom Pools has won a multitude of awards. Most recently, at the 2023 South Australia SPASA awards, Freedom Pools won Gold awards for Display Centre, Fibreglass Pool up to $40,000, Fibreglass Lap Pool, Pool Sales Representative and Professional of the Year. At the same awards, Freedom Pools also received Silver awards for Fibreglass Pool & Spa Combination, Fibreglass Pool over $80,000, Best Fibreglass Pool Manufacturing, and Acknowledgement of Industry Service for Bob and Rona Biernat.
Meanwhile, at the 2023 Western Australia SPASA awards, Freedom Pools won Gold awards for Fibreglass Builder of the Year, Fibreglass Lap Pool, Pool Sales Representative, and Acknowledgement of Industry Service for Bob and Rona Biernat.
The company also received Highly Commended awards for Display Pool Centre, Courtyard/Small Pool up to $40,000, Fibreglass In-ground Spa, Fibreglass Lap Pool, Residential Water Feature and Innovative Product.
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