Shawkemo Hills

The problem this client wanted to solve was how to put a dramatic intervention into an already perfect setting. The natural moors with their stunted growth provided a beautiful retreat. (any vegetation living by the ocean is invariably shorter). This client wanted a unique swimming pool behind their home. They suggested placing it at the bottom of the hill, a short distance from the house. From there they could look across the moors with the pool in the middle-ground. While water bodies often feel right at lower levels, we intuitively expect water there. But we believed the pool belonged at the top of the hill closer to the house, breaking a rule but giving a better project. A vanishing edge can work in any situation, but the hilltop allowed a more dramatic sequence of water in motion. Walkways are carved through highbush blueberry patches. Cranberry bogs shimmer in the distance. The cabana, pergola, pool, and surrounding gardens give a wonderful setting for al fresco dinners, summer parties, or quiet mornings to read by the waterfall. Interesting note: the vanishing edge is (almost) perfectly level with a tolerance of +/- 1/32” over 24 feet.