A pool is the most technical structure in a garden. What you see is the finish and the water; the reality of the work is ground investigation, drainage, reinforced concrete, waterproofing and the plant room. A shortcoming in any of those does not show immediately — it returns a few seasons later as a crack, water loss or a system that fails constantly.
On the landscaping side it is Antalya's own conditions that decide: intense summer heat, salt-laden wind and limited water. If the planting and the irrigation system are not set up for those conditions, a substantial part of the garden is lost by the end of the first summer.
When the pool and the landscaping are run together, levels, drainage, irrigation and lighting are all solved in one plan. Run separately, the pool excavation cuts the irrigation line, the terrace finish disrupts the drainage direction, and each team reopens the other's work.
Pool Construction and Landscaping: What the Service Covers
The following items are included as standard in our Landscaping and Pools service. Every item is listed separately in the quotation prepared after the site visit; nothing is left vague about what is and is not included.
- Ground investigation, level and drainage planning
- Reinforced concrete or prefabricated pool construction
- Pool waterproofing and ceramic or mosaic finish
- Filtration, pump and plant room installation
- Pool lighting and automation
- Terrace and poolside finishes
- Garden landscape design and planting
- Automatic drip and sprinkler irrigation
- Garden lighting
- Interior green walls and planting schemes
Pool Construction and Landscaping: How We Work
- Site visit and investigation: Ground levels, soil conditions, the water table, access to water and power and the orientation are surveyed. The pool position follows from that data; the spot with the best view is not always the right spot.
- Design: Pool size, form and overflow system, the terrace layout, the planting palette and the lighting plan are produced together. Irrigation and electrical infrastructure are marked on the same plan.
- Excavation and services: Excavation is carried out, the drainage solution applied, and the pool services together with the garden irrigation and lighting infrastructure are run at the same time. That way the terrace does not have to be dug up again after it is laid.
- Pool construction: Reinforced concrete is poured or the prefabricated shell installed. The concrete is left to cure, then the waterproofing and the finish are applied.
- Plant and testing: Filtration and pump are installed, the system is filled and pressure and watertightness tests are carried out. Circulation and backwash function are checked.
- Landscaping and handover: Terrace finishes, planting, the irrigation programme and lighting are completed and commissioned. Maintenance and operating instruction is given.
Pool Construction and Landscaping: Conditions Specific to Antalya
In Antalya climate and ground conditions drive pool and garden decisions directly.
Evaporation
Evaporation from the pool surface is high in summer; that means both water loss and chemical imbalance. Using a pool cover reduces that loss markedly and makes it easier to hold the water chemistry. The space for the cover mechanism has to be planned at design stage.
Water table
On some plots the water table is high. An emptied pool can be lifted out of position by the uplift of groundwater. Assessing ground and water conditions before excavation, and adding a drainage and sump solution to the design where necessary, is essential.
Salt-laden wind
In gardens close to the sea, salt wind burns unsuited plants quickly and accelerates corrosion on metalwork. The planting palette must be built from tolerant species; railings, light fittings and fixings should be specified in stainless grades.
Limited water
A large lawn is by far the highest water consumer in an Antalya garden. Rather than removing grass entirely, confining it to the area actually used and solving the rest with stone, dry riverbed and low-water planting is both sustainable and easier to maintain.
Pool Construction and Landscaping: Common Mistakes
These are the decisions we meet most often on site and the hardest ones to put right afterwards. We go through all of them during the site visit.
- Skipping the drainage. This is the most expensive mistake in a pool. On plots with a high water table, an emptied pool without drainage can lift out of position and the structure is lost entirely. It is not an item that can be corrected later.
- Setting the plant room level wrongly. Positioning the pump incorrectly relative to the pool water level makes the system draw air continuously and wears the pump out early. The plant room position is a hydraulic decision, not an aesthetic one.
- Thinking about the irrigation infrastructure after the terrace is laid. Irrigation and garden lighting lines have to be run at the excavation stage. Added later, either the new finish is lifted or the lines are run visibly across the surface.
- Choosing plants without accounting for maintenance. Plants that look striking in a visual but demand heavy watering and pruning do not survive, particularly in properties that stand empty for part of the year. The palette must follow the pattern of use.
- Choosing a slippery poolside finish. Slip risk on a wet surface is the most commonly overlooked safety issue. Surfaces that give grip when wet should be chosen, and the surface should also stay at a temperature bare feet can stand in the summer sun.
Pool Construction and Landscaping: Material and Detail Notes
There is no single right answer in material decisions; every option has a strong and a weak side. Below we summarise those differences in terms of real use rather than marketing language.
Pool structure
A prefabricated pool goes in quickly and is limited to standard sizes and forms. A reinforced concrete pool can be built to any size, depth and shape, suits overflow systems and, done properly, lasts far longer. If a special form or an infinity edge is the aim, reinforced concrete is required.
Pool finish
Glass mosaic gives a deep, vivid water colour and follows curved surfaces; the grouting is labour-intensive. Porcelain offers large formats and therefore fewer joints. The colour choice changes the perceived tone of the water directly: light tones read turquoise, dark tones give a deeper, more reflective effect.
Filtration and water care
A variable-speed pump reduces electricity consumption markedly against a fixed-speed one and runs more quietly. Salt chlorine generators make the water feel softer on the skin and simplify chemical management. A sand filter is common and easy to maintain; glass filter media captures finer particles.
Garden planting
Olive, lavender, rosemary, oleander, bougainvillea, agave and ornamental grasses suit Antalya's conditions; once established they live on low irrigation. The same palette is tolerant of salt wind and low in maintenance.
Pool Construction and Landscaping: Engineering Note
The most expensive mistake in a pool is omitting the drainage. On plots in Antalya where the water table is high, an emptied pool can be lifted out of position by the uplift of the groundwater; that is not a repairable defect but the loss of the structure itself. For that reason we assess ground and water conditions before excavation and, where necessary, add a drainage and sump solution to the design. The second critical point is the level of the plant room: positioning the pump incorrectly relative to the pool water level makes the system draw air continuously and burns the pump out early. The third is drainage around the pool — if the fall on the terrace finish runs towards the pool rather than away from it, soil and leaves are carried into the water continuously and the filtration load rises. These three are the hardest items to correct afterwards and must be resolved at design stage.
Pool Construction and Landscaping: Pre-Handover Checklist
Every item below is checked before handover and the results are shared with you. If one item is outstanding, we do not hand over.
- Ground and water table assessed, drainage applied
- Pool waterproofing applied and watertightness tested
- Plant room level and pump suction conditions checked
- Filtration, backwash and circulation tested
- Pool lighting and electrical safety checked
- Slip safety and drainage checked on the poolside finish
- Irrigation system tested zone by zone and programmed
- Maintenance and operating instruction given