From the house, the eye runs straight to the water. The first view is not of a decorative lawn or a planting border, but of a half-recessed pool set into a garden with clear level changes. That placement gives the outdoor space its structure. It also explains the calm geometry of the project: straight lines, broad paving, and a rectangular swimming pool that sits low enough to read as part of the terrain rather than on top of it.

A rectangular pool placed into the slope

The half-recessed pool is the decisive move here. Because the garden has height differences, the pool could not simply be dropped onto a flat surface. Instead, the basin is built into the terrain so the edges meet the terrace at a measured height. That choice lets the water sit naturally within the garden while preserving the long sightline from the interior. The result is a modern garden pool that feels anchored, with the landscape still visible beyond the edge of the water.

The pool itself is a Dynamic Line model in Stunning Grey. The color softens the hard outline of the basin and works well beside the renewed thatched roof and the surrounding house volumes. At the same time, the rectangular shape keeps the composition clear. Nothing interrupts the line from terrace to water to hedge. Even the pool cover, visible on part of the basin, fits into that direct reading of the space: practical, but visually quiet.

Pool lounge steps and changing water depths

One of the most visible parts of the design is the lounge step zone. The broad lazy steps form a gradual entry, with each tread moving deeper into the water. That makes the swimming pool with multiple depths more than a technical solution. It creates a place to sit, lower yourself into the basin, or simply pause at the edge. The steps also give the water a different rhythm in the image, breaking the strict rectangle with a stepped band of shade and reflection.

Those pool lounge steps matter because they change how the pool is used. Entry is easy, but the shape also invites a slower pace, especially during summer months when the water level becomes part of the outdoor seating area. The shift from terrace to first step to deeper water is clearly readable, and that sequence gives the pool its own spatial logic. It is one of the reasons the basin feels considered rather than imposed.

Terrace lines around the water

Light paving frames the pool on several sides and creates a terrace around the pool that does more than provide walking space. It sets the edge of the water, directs movement, and leaves room for loungers and parasols without crowding the basin. The stone or concrete surface is broad and even, with enough width to hold the outdoor furniture while keeping the pool edge visible. In the images, the terrace reads as a clean band that links the house, the poolhouse, and the lawn.

The paving also handles the transition between built and planted areas. On one side, the hard surface meets clipped green borders; on the other, it opens toward the lawn and the long garden view. That contrast between pale paving and dense planting keeps the setting from feeling flat. It also helps the rectangular swimming pool stand out without isolating it from the rest of the garden.

A poolhouse next to the pool

The poolhouse next to the pool is part of the outdoor living setup, not an afterthought. Its darker cladding and sheltered volume give the garden a second architectural element, one that balances the low line of the pool. Seen beside the terrace, the structure offers a place to sit in shade or step out of the wind on warmer days. It also closes the composition at one side, so the pool area reads as a room made with landscape, paving, and built form.

From several angles, the poolhouse frames the water rather than competing with it. The open side looks toward the pool and the lounge zone, while the darker surfaces recede against the planting. That makes the structure feel practical and visually disciplined. In a garden with height differences, it gives the outdoor area a reference point and helps define the edge of the modern garden pool.

Planting that holds the edges together

High hedges and layered borders work as a backdrop behind the pool. They are clipped enough to keep the lines clean, yet the beds still show variation in leaf shape and texture. That combination gives the garden depth. The planting softens the geometry of the terrace without blurring it. It also helps the half-recessed pool sit within a green frame, so the eye moves from the water to the hedge line and then outward again.

In the closer views, the borders sit low against the paving while the hedge rises behind them. That vertical shift is important. It keeps the pool area enclosed without feeling boxed in. The garden remains open to the view, but the planted edges stop the composition from dissolving into a single flat plane. This is where the project’s restraint shows most clearly: the planting is there to support the spatial reading, not to overpower it.

How the levels shape the experience

Because the garden is not level, the pool had to solve a spatial problem as well as provide a place to swim. The half-recessed construction answers that neatly. It reduces the visual bulk of the basin and lets the terrace and lawn meet the water in a controlled way. Instead of working against the slope, the design uses it. That makes the outdoor space feel settled, with each level clearly doing its own job.

Seen from inside the house, the garden becomes a sequence of surfaces: floor, terrace, water, hedge, and sky. The line of sight is direct, and that is what gives the project its strength. There is no need for extra gesture. The rectangular swimming pool, the terrace around the pool, the lounge steps, and the poolhouse next to the pool already carry the composition. Together they turn the garden into a measured outdoor setting where the water sits low, but the design reads clearly from every angle.

Landschapsarchitect: ARCHI-VERDE
Architectenbureau: Blockx, Peeters & Van Loovere