When Patrick Cloonan, of Cloonan Design Services Inc., was selected to work on a custom residential project in Orange Village, Ohio, the owner's primary goal was to add a pool in their backyard just outside their walkout basement. The pool was the client's dream, not only because of the statement it would bring to their home, but it was needed for their handicapped son's therapy.

After months of designing and workshopping a concept with the homeowner, Cloonan and his clients finally landed on a plan for their dream backyard. With the design set, the Landscape Architect went before the city to submit the project for permitting. During the meeting, the city informed the Landscape Architect that the area at the rear of the client's home is on a restricted wetland, and they would not be able to proceed with the project. The homeowners were in tears when they heard the news. At the time, there seemed to be no space anywhere else on the property to put in the pool that they desperately needed.
"I told her I would make it work," Cloonan explained as he went right back to the drawing board.

The Landscape Architect immediately began creating concepts that gave the client their dream pool that utilized the tight space near the garage. Fortunately for Cloonan and his clients, there was a long, narrow, sloping lawn area behind the garage and a parking bay to help back out of the garage.

"When I first showed the client my drawings, they thought there was no way to make it work, and they thought it would be too small," Cloonan resolved.
Despite their doubts, they trusted Cloonan, and the building plan was approved.

The pool is 16 feet by 50 feet and is nestled between a massive retaining wall and a quaint patio on the other side of the garage and parking bay.

 
Construction began in the dead of winter, and despite the harsh weather, everything proceeded smoothly. They started by removing a section of the driveway to clear room for the new pool and then excavated the pool, yet, because the pool was only four feet away from the restricted wetlands, the crews had to work strictly off of the existing driveway. There was little room for any trucks or construction vehicles, and all of the dirt from the dig needed to be hauled off-site and removed immediately.

After the Landscape Architect tackled the pool layout issues, he developed a plan to create privacy on the pool deck despite it essentially being an extension
of the driveway.

"It was right on the edge of the driveway and everyone who pulled in would be able to see everything going on in the pool," Cloonan said, "Something needed to be done to give my clients privacy."
For the third time during the project, the Landscape Architect was back to the drawing board, this time to create a wall that not only gave the client privacy but was a fabulous feature.
A six-foot-tall masonry wall with a thin veneer stone to match the existing stone on the home was the perfect design addition for both utility and aesthetics. He took his design one step further and added an arbor on top of the wall.

"Because there was not much room for plant material, we needed something that added a little texture and warmth to the project so that it was not just all hardscaping," Cloonan went on to explain the privacy fencing and arbor.

The team used natural cedar accents and natural stone to the project to break up the hardscaping and add a unique aesthetic to the build. Cloonan and the clients selected a porcelain tile from Italy for the pool deck and surrounding pool deck area.

This material was new to the paving contractor on the job, so Cloonan had the manufacturer reps of the tiles meet on the job site to coach everyone through the installation, and it went off without a hitch.

"The biggest challenge was having enough space to both work and create a functional pool area for my clients, and we were able to do just that," Cloonan said.

However, the challenges were still far from over as the client needed access from their pool yard to their kitchen and bathroom.

"We were fortunate to have a guest room with a window right near the pool behind the garage," Cloonan explained, "So we converted the window to a door, added a custom day bed for guests, an office niche for the mom, and access to the bathroom and changing room."

With the project nearing completion, the clients had out-of-town guests scheduled to arrive the next evening, but there were no plantings, there was plastic and other construction debris everywhere. However, by the end of the day, plants were in and mulched, furniture was out, and the kids were swimming in the pool by the time the guests arrived.

"There were tears and the kids jumped right in. It was amazing," Cloonan said.

Ultimately, the pool ended up being the perfect solution for this family of five. The project is exceptionally convenient for the clients who love to entertain and created an accessible space for their son's therapy.

"Not being allowed to put the pool at the basement level turned out to be a blessing and the best thing possible for this family," Cloonan concluded.