Landscape Architect Articles

Custom Metal Spas08-06-18 | Feature

Custom Metal Spas

This stainless steel product built by Diamond Spas is 81"x 107"x 30" and has 36 jets. It is made with custom steps and two water features. A rigid foam cover is used for the spa when it is not in use and a custom floating pool blanket is available for the summertime.
Photo: Mark Woolcott

Have you ever felt the desire to unwind in a spa after a long day? Not just any hot tub, but one that makes you feel like you are staying in a spa resort? How about a spa that has been specially designed to keep you comfortable and relaxed? Well, going metal is a relatively new addition to the world of custom spas.

Not only are metal spas suitable for rooftop and deck locations in residential and commercial areas, but they can also be installed as a place for relaxation and body treatment. The spas are generally built whole in the factory and then shipped directly to the project site.

Stainless Steel and Copper

Stainless steel (and copper) allows flexibility for shaping and innovative designs, and while they can be a more expensive material, they are considered cleaner and more waterproof than plasters and fiberglass. Both metals have long-lasting durability and because of this, may outlast the traditional products. Stainless steel and copper spas are also considered very hygienic because of their resistance to bacteria.

Two LC/DBM advertisers provide custom spas made of metals, Diamond Spas and Bradford Products.

Metals allow the designer to create almost unlimited shapes and dimensions. Curves and hard edges are two exterior features that can be easily added to the metal structure. In addition, with almost every metal spas being a custom spa, all forms of scuppers, waterfalls, jets and seating and entry levels are possible.

So the next time a clients asks for a spa and also wants it to blend with the environment or match the existing landscape, and plaster or stock fiberglass won't get it done, take a look at metals. They might just be the answer.

Vitality spas are hot tubs customized to target the health and wellness of the clients. This tub is made of stainless steel. They are often located in day spas and health and wellness facilities.
Photo credit: Bradford Products

Vitality Spas
Some metal spas can also be custom designed to treat the health and wellness of the body. There are various forms of treatments that spas can provide such as salt-water baths, and hot and cold thermal treatments. Known as vitality spas, the jets of these hot tubs are custom designed to target different parts of the body, such as the back, shoulders and feet, in order to treat and relax the client's aches and pains, according to Greg Mash of Bradford Products.

Champagne bubbles are the common name for air bubbles being emitted from the floor of the spa. As opposed to forced water, and depending on the velocity of the air stream, these bubbles produce a relaxing and full body experience. Champagne bubbles are a "true vitality spa feature," said Mash.

Hydrotherapy
Standing hydrotherapy stations are an important feature of the health and wellness spas. Because the depth of the spa is deeper in standing spas, the bather can more easily immerse their body into the water, rather than having to bend down. Jet locations in the vitality spa can be customized according to the client's request. Because vitality spas are meant to provide a relaxing and peaceful environment, most have room for a small number of people, although some can have a larger "pool-size" tub, which can still be considered a "Vitality Spa." According to Mash, vitality spas are a newer concept in the U.S., and are often used in health and wellness facilities and resorts.

As seen in LC/DBM magazine, July 2018.