Set just off Mecox Bay and the Atlantic ocean, this former farmland was transformed into an environmental oasis. The project consisted of the complete construction of two ponds, an island pool, spa, and several adjacent structures. Ruddicks' design has two ponds cradling an island - complete with pool and spa. The adjacent pool-house appears to float over the upper pond. PondWorks was involved with the design and planning of the ponds as well as their construction. The ponds catch much of the site water and are circulated by several high-efficiency pumps. The water passes through carefully designed constructed wetlands integrated into the pond edges in several locations.

Project: Environmental Oasis

Pond Contractor: PondWorks

General Contractor: Wright and Company Const.

Designer: Margie Ruddick 

PondWorks teamed up with Stillwater Landscape Associates to create this custom swimming pool and landscape project. This Montgomery County property was transformed from a flat grassy space into a backyard retreat. The clients intended to use this space for entertaining friends and family with some custom backyard amenities.

As on most large scale projects, we encountered some unique challenges that would influence the design and layout of the overall project. Due to an existing easement for a detention basin at the rear of the property, and standard requirements for building setbacks, the pool was located on a 45-degree angle to the house to optimize its size within the allowable space. The size, shape, and scale of the pool were driven by the clients’ desire to use it for recreational purposes, such as laps and team water sports.

After execution of the design contract and going through the necessary design revisions and meetings, we finalized the concept, price, and schedule striving to adhere to the clients' parameters.  We then submitted for building permits; the project site work phase of the project began in earnest. 

Due to limited access and space for construction vehicles, the construction process needed to be properly staged in order to sequentially and logically install specific elements.  Another unique aspect to the project was working with the local utility providers and sub-contractors to increase the available gas and electrical services in order to run the necessary equipment and features that the design and clients called for.

The equipment was outfitted with a filtering system, heater, and a custom digital control system. We worked with the client on tile selection for the pool and spa to add an unexpected pop of color.  The spectacular ‘fire and water’ features were custom built for the project and carefully integrated into the field-stone.  The pool was accented with color changing pool lights, which help to create a dramatic evening effect alongside LED landscape lighting. While the pool is only able to be used in the warmer months, the spa is available for use in the winter months, making this backyard retreat enjoyable 365 days a year.

The patio was also outfitted with a custom fire pit, built in grill, and pergola.  The pergola was custom made to follow the east to west track of the sun, while showcasing gracefully curved wood beams.

The end result featured a pool with two access points in the shallow end, with wading areas, a large field-stone wall bordering the pool with the ‘fire and water’ features, and a bench that allows people to sit under the falling water of the water features.  In addition there is an automatic pool cover that retains the heated water temperature, preventing debris from entering and providing fall protection.

This project was multidisciplinary success and tied together a myriad of design constraints and desires into a showpiece installation.  The integrated landscape design, pool construction and sitting, the spa's technological integration, the fire & water elements, and the outdoor living space provide visual interest as well as function throughout the outdoor entertaining season of southeastern PA.

Project Name: Backyard Retreat

Pool Contractor: PondWorks

Landscape Designer: Stillwater Landscape Associates

Landscape Contractor: Draushak Landscaping

Project Engineer: Irick Eberhardt Mientus

Integrated into a steep hillside, this woodland pond and stream are the perfect place to escape and relax after a stressful day.  Located at the far reaches of this suburban Philadelphia property, the stream appears from a rocky outcropping and tumbles over several carefully crafted ledges into the pond. PondWorks worked with an exceptional team to totally transform this bland, wooded hillside into a biologically diverse woodland.  Native trees, shrubs, and under-story plantings were key to making this area look like it was always here.

Project: Woodland Pond

Pond Contractor: PondWorks

General Contractor: Chase Building Group 

Designer: PondWorks / Simone Collins Landscape Architecture

On a property in Chester County, PA we have been providing design, construction, and maintenance services on multiple water features for recent years.  This client has an extensive property that contains both small, intimate water features that visitors discover while experiencing the property, and larger destination features that function as a focal point.

Utilizing found objects from the property and a mix of natural and locally sourced materials, this client, along with their landscape architect and general contractor, have a unique vision for the property allowing PondWorks to provide input and a personalized interpretation of the design intent.

Project: Chester County Farm

Water Feature Contractor: PondWorks

General Contractor: Griffiths Construction Inc.

Landscape Architect: Jonathan Alderson Landscape Architects

This project involved constructing a series of naturalistic ponds, troughs, scuppers, and a constructed wetland bog to tie together an extensive backyard renovation.  The overall site plan was designed by a landscape architect; moreover, the water feature detailing, construction, and equipment specification were left to our discretion.  The designer, general contractor, and Client turned to us to create a feature that was substantial and impressive yet blended seamlessly between the disparate elements involved with the project and the site.

The design intent was for us to create a series of natural ponds that were integrated into a sloping site between a new outdoor kitchen and living area and the custom pool and pool house.  Rustic stone scuppers and a stone trough were integrated into the stone walls that were intended to look as though they were remnants from a structure hundreds of years old, and long forgotten.  This aesthetic is consistent with the vernacular architecture of the historic farms and barns in this part of Chester County, Pennsylvania.  As the water course flowed from the outdoor living area down to the pool area, it terminated into a sprawling constructed wetland that carefully mingled and integrated with the limestone pool deck.

Hess Landscape Architects oversaw the design and development of the site on behalf of the Client. There was a general contractor tasked with the architectural components and overall day-to-day operations taking place throughout the site.  There was a pool contractor, two masonry contractors tackling the extensive stone walls and pool deck work scope, an electrical contractor, and our staff serving as the water feature contractor. Thanks to our staff and the fellow contractors on site, we feel this complex project and installation went according to plan and provided a product for the Client that feels as though it has been there for many years and evolved from the site naturally.

Project: Country Splendor

Pond Contractor: PondWorks

General Contractor: Griffiths Construction Inc.

Landscape Architect: Hess Landscape Architects

Architect: John Milner Architects

The goal of this project was to rebuild an outdated constructed pond and stream at an existing residence in the Philadelphia Main Line.  Over time, the existing stream and pond had broken down, and the technology involved was outdated. 

The design called for a ‘cliff and spring’ origin to the stream, with a running, tumbling stream dropping into an intermediary pond, then continuing under a custom bridge and descending into the main pond via a large waterfall. Hardscape areas, such as a flagstone patio and other sitting areas, were strategically incorporated around the water to allow for areas of reflection and relaxation.  A stepping stone path provided access to these points, while also allowing users to take a journey throughout the landscape. Large stepping-stones located around the pond gave access to step across the water from the formal sitting area to other informal sitting areas across the stream. Large trees and shrubs in the existing landscape provided an ideal backdrop for the ‘cliff origin.' New boulders varying in different sizes were shipped in from NE Pennsylvania and helped enhance the naturalistic setting for the stream, waterfalls, patios, and sitting areas.  The entire operating system was upgraded to a state of the art system, along with a heater that allows the pond and stream to run all year long.

Upon completion of the project, a custom teak and steel bridge was added, as well as an up-to-date landscape lighting system. Not only has the landscape been enjoyable during the day, but it also takes on a whole new personality in the evening, allowing our clients to enjoy their landscape at any hour of the day.

Project: Pond & Stream

Pond Contractor: PondWorks

Designer: PondWorks / Stillwater Landscape Associates

Landscape Contractor: Drauschak Landscaping

This Garden was created to house a private collection of Noguchi Sculptures.  The crystal clear water of the pond is surrounded by the sculptures, within a gingko tree grove, and blended with ferns and native aquatic grasses.  The artfully hand crafted pavilion provides the perfect spot for quiet reflection.

Project: Nature's Art

Pond Contractor: PondWorks

General Contractor: Wright & Company Construction

Designer: Edwina Von Gal

This project consisted of a koi pond that was a collaborative design project with our landscape design division Stillwater Landscape Associates.

The client of this project was retiring from a career in New Jersey and moving to a newly built home in Bucks County, PA. They had a collection of koi fish at their home in New Jersey and wanted to build a bigger and better pond at their new property. The goal of this project was to build a pond for the koi and the clients to enjoy together. The client was also an avid gardener who was looking forward to spending their days of retirement gardening in their new backyard, so we worked closely with them on the location of the pond and design details. We used a naturalistic design pallet by using native Pennsylvania boulders. The client specifically asked for a bridge and a sitting area around the pond; we re-used granite slabs for the bridge and incorporated them into the landscape. The backyard where the pond would be located had a slight grade that required the construction of a retaining wall. After careful planning and consultation with a site engineer, we came up with a functional design that the township approved. 

This project is a great example of the in-house services our company can use to carry out one entire project. Thanks to great communication, drone technology, and careful planning, we ended up with a successful project from start to finish. Our clients and their fish are now happy residents of Pennsylvania and enjoying the amenities of their new home.

Project: Bucks County Residence

Pool Contractor: PondWorks

Designer: PondWorks / Stillwater Landscape Associates

Landscape Contractor: HE Smith Landscaping & Lawn Maintenance

Project Engineer: Irick Eberhardt Mientus

East of the Hudson River, in Columbia County, NY, we were given a unique opportunity in 2017 to create another unique natural swimming pool installation!  This client contacted us and was interested in designing and installing a naturally filtered swimming pool at their upstate cabin.  We provided turnkey services to our client for this project starting with conceptual design, budgeting, and construction permitting.  Due to the site's proximity to a designated wetland, this project required not only a building permit but also an environmental permit indicating minimal impact on the site and the adjacent environment.  After acquiring the permits for the client, we sourced all the material and began on site work.

This pool was constructed by sculpting the main basin of the pool from the earth, as if digging a pond, and then lining it with an EPDM rubber liner.  The regeneration zones are constructed similarly, consist of varying layers of different filtration media, and are planted with aquatic plants, which help to biologically filter and clean the water naturally.  In addition there is also mechanical filtration equipment that assists with the process as well.

The location of this property provided an ideal backdrop for a natural swimming pool (NSP), allowing the feature to aesthetically blend into its surroundings.  This pool is a Type 3 NSP meaning that the regeneration zones and filtration are directly adjacent to the swimming area.  This design features a dock at the deep end for lounging and a large stone slab step entrance in the shallow end.  There are boulder outcroppings around the pool that can be used for sitting and jumping into the deeper areas.  We outfitted this NSP with a heater so the clients can enjoy their pool during some of the cooler temperatures in upstate New York.  Native plantings were interwoven into the perimeter landscaping of the pool in order to give a more natural transition from the pool's aquatic plantings to the surrounding area.

Due to the natural filtration, this pool is inherently eco-friendly and does not require the chemicals that a traditionally filtered pool would.  The natural filtration system helps enhance the organic feel of the pool and integration into the landscape so much that at first glance one may think it is merely a natural swimming pond.

Being involved with the concept, design, construction, and initial maintenance of this natural swimming pool has been a great experience and made this project a highlight of our year.  Keep looking to our website to see more natural swimming pool projects as they finish up in the coming years!

Project: Natural Swimming Pool

NSP Contractor: PondWorks

Designer: PondWorks

This project in Chester County, PA, was an adaptive reuse of a centuries old barn foundation and a collaborative design and construction effort between PondWorks and Stillwater Landscape Associates. The client had remains of a stone foundation on the property that they wanted to re-purpose as a garden space. The old stone foundation provided an ideal enclosed garden giving the space a very  private and intimate feeling.  It was designed to function as a place for contemplative reflection or as a  hub for entertaining.

The existing barn walls also had the remains of the original silo foundation attached, which offered a unique opportunity for a water feature. Our design wanted to play off the idea of the original function of the silo; we created an abstracted chute and substituted water for the grain that would have once flowed from the silo.

What we developed was a custom fabricated rill made from weathering steel that allowed the water to flow from an unseen source above the observer down and into a new concrete trough that was recessed in what would have been the floor of the barn.  The new stonework strove to match the existing, and the concrete basin was distressed to match the foundation walls authenticity.  With subtle lighting and delicate landscaping, this water feature is a hidden gem residing underneath a white oak pergola made from salvaged lumber from Hurricane Sandy.

Project: Secret Garden

Water Feature Contractor: PondWorks

Designer: PondWorks / Stillwater Landscape Associates

Landscape Contractor: HE Smith Landscaping & Lawn Maintenance

Our client was an existing customer whose home was devastated by fire. The architect and client provided us some concept imagery and the design-build process got underway.

In order to re-build, the existing pond needed to be removed. The importance of the pond and sound of water was paramount to the client. There was never a question whether there would be a new pond but rather how it would take shape and how it could integrate with the home. PondWorks worked with the client and the Landscape Architect to fully integrate their new water feature.

The Site Was a Challenge
The pond needed to be sandwiched between the main house, a detached garage, and a steep drop off. The site also needed to serve as an entryway, an outdoor living area, and a transition zone. Just a little challenging. The hilltop location afforded very limited access. With countless contractors jockeying for the same space and their turn to occupy it, the clients patiently waited for their new pond to begin to take shape.

Once construction on the pond began, it was a two-week process to build this approximately 15,000 gallon pond. Since the pond could be accessed from one side only by a machine no wider than 8 feet the sequencing was critical to excavate the pond, remove soil from the area, and then allow boulders to be placed precisely even on the farthest edges of the project.

The pond has two bottom drains, six underwater jets, and one surface skimmer (fairly standard for a PondWorks installation like this), which are integrated into the rocks and boulders.

The rock selected for this project was field-stone from northeastern Pennsylvania and ranges from baseball size to boulders weighing approximately 4,000 lbs.

Other Features
The project includes a bubbling rock at the headwaters of a small stream and collecting pool, a 2´ high, 3´ wide waterfall that cascades into the main pond and a series of stepping-stones that cross the pond just adjacent to the waterfall. The stepping-stone pathway was critical to the project allowing the client easy direct access to an existing path. Without the stepping-stones the pond would have been a barrier between the house and other parts of the property.

Behind the scenes keeping the pond healthy and clear is an external pump, UV sterilizer, Bio-mechanical filter, air pump, and inline heater all housed in custom made, sub grade, equipment vaults.

Project: Main Line Water Garden

Pond Contractor: PondWorks

Architect: Kass & Associates

General Contractor: E.B. Mahoney Builders

Designer: PondWorks / Stillwater Landscape Associates

After installing a naturalized water feature on a difficult sloping site, PondWorks was asked to once again provide design and construction services to the same client’s property northwest of Philadelphia, PA.  This time the client and landscape architect were interested in a more formal fountain that serves as both a destination and as a transitional experience.

Through the design process this project evolved into an oval fountain with a custom fabricated stainless steel ring that water sheet flows from and spills into a lower outer ring providing a subtle whooshing water sound but with only subtly noticeable movement.  This delicate water movement provides a near perfect water surface that reflects the light and surrounding environment throughout the day and night.

Instead of a more traditional path around the outside of the fountain, the walking path continues right through the longitudinal axis of the oval and the path’s stepping stones appear to float on the water’s surface.

Due to the site’s extensive plantings and circulation, the water feature’s pumping and filtration equipment was placed in a custom fabricated stainless steel underground vault.  In order to incorporate the vault’s lid into the landscape, the lid was clad in stepping stones in order to diminish its presence when closed.  Opening the vault’s lids was then designed to be remotely activated.  While pumps and filters are essential in order to maintain clean, clear, and healthy water quality, the equipment can be incorporated into virtually any environment, as the client and project dictates.

Simplicity of detailing and construction yielded an installation that is both a sculptural element unto itself, and a clean slate that allows more natural and organic plantings and natural materials to flourish, providing a contrast of formal and organic.

Project: Oval Fountain

Water Feature Contractor: PondWorks

Metal Fabricator: Buchholtz Associates 

Designer: PondWorks / Simone Collins Landscape Architecture

From the initial client meeting all the way through taking the finished photos of the installation, PondWorks managed this project and provided a turnkey service and finished product that few pool or pond companies in the region can provide.

The customer had a particular vision for the project and worked hand in hand with the PondWorks design team in developing the size, shape, location, and aesthetic of the pool. We provided all design services from initial concept imagery to the full construction document permit submission set in-house.

PondWorks then acted as the general contractor during construction coordinating all subcontractor activities on this unique installation. From sourcing large PA field stone slabs for unique patio and sun shelf elements of the pool to repurposing a salvaged vintage door for the ‘root cellar’ equipment room, we were integrally involved with all aspects of the project.

Take note of the rusticated stone walls reminiscent of an old barn foundation giving the pool a sense of place on the site. The sun shelf was sourced from a PA field stone quarry and is a single piece natural slab about 10’ x 12’ in size. The patio space is also large stone slabs creating a large natural stone sitting area. There is a small stream element creating sound and motion with a ‘found’ mill stone adding character. The regeneration zones are planted with predominately native aquatic plants and serve a functional and aesthetic purpose providing privacy and enclosure. The hidden gem of the project is the cold storage root cellar structure that is tucked into the small mound and used to house the circulation and filtration equipment.

PondWorks is very proud of this project and looks forward to undertaking the next one-off natural swim pond.

Project Name: A Bucks County Swim Pond

Project Designer: PondWorks

Pool Contractor: PondWorks

Masonry Contractor: Raser Masonry

Landscape Contractor: Drauschak Landscaping