Tag Archives: pool

This miniature LEGO Billiards Table comes with every accessory from cue sticks to powder cubes!

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You’ve got Foosball, you’ve got Mini Golf, but have you ever heard of mini billiards? This tiny (yet somewhat playable) LEGO billiards set from the mind of LEGO builder Golden Eye captures the grandeur of a full-scale billiards table, but at a fraction of the size. Built with all the trims and fittings (including pockets, a gutter, and a cue-stand), Golden Eye’s Vintage Billiards Table is an adorable tabletop build that you can potentially even interact with, playing a game on its faux plastic turf!

Designer: Golden Eye

Golden Eye’s MOC (My Own Creation) is a meticulously crafted homage to classic pool tables, incorporating both form and function in a way that LEGO enthusiasts and billiards fans alike will appreciate. It taps into the nostalgia of vintage recreational games while presenting an innovative challenge for builders. The table includes thoughtful design details, such as nets for catching balls, a built-in scoring system with chips, and hooks for accessories like a bridge stick. Every element is designed with precision to replicate the essence of a real billiards table, but in LEGO form.

The underneath tray is practical, offering a space to store additional balls, while also contributing to the table’s structural integrity. The cue stand on the side features both 9-ball and 8-ball racks, giving you the opportunity to explore different game styles, playable with the striped and solid balls that come with the table. As for the accessories, the inclusion of two chalks, two felt brushes, and even a hand-powder stone showcases the level of detail considered to make this as realistic as possible.

Although it isn’t possible to play a proper game on the table (the bricked surface is far too unreliable and the plastic balls have very little weight or inertia), you could totally engage with it on a purely fidget level, using it to pass time and probably settle quick wagers with friends/colleagues.

Golden Eye’s LEGO Vintage Billiards Table is currently a submission on the LEGO Ideas Forum, an online community for fans to share their own creative builds. With just under 2,000 votes, the entry is slowly making its way to the 10,000 vote mark, following which LEGO’s internal team considers it for review before deciding whether to turn it into a box set for people to buy. You can vote for the LEGO Vintage Billiards Table on the LEGO Ideas website here!

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Proposed urban swimming pool in Lisbon brings river closer to the city

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My ideal place to live in is one that is near enough to the sea that I can go to it whenever I want but still be able to live in the city and all its creature comforts. Having a river where I can also swim in and do other activities without spending hours to go there would be the next best thing. Alas, I currently don’t live in a place like that so I have to live vicariously through other people who live in cities that are blessed to be near bodies of water.

Designers: X Atelier and Atelier BAUM

Lisbon is one such city although the nearby River Tagus is not immediately accessible to the city center. A couple of architectural firms have teamed up to propose an urban swimming pool to connect both residents and tourists to the river directly without having to travel or at least spend hours stuck in traffic jams. The Loop Pool Tejo is inspired by the movement of the water and wants to make several aquatic pursuits easier to access for whoever wants to spend a day at the river. It uses the industrial area of the Braço de Prata pontoon as the link from the city to the river.

From the pontoon, you get a walkway to the circular center in the midst of the river which actually draws the circulation flow around it. There is a solarium and amphitheater facing the west and to the south, there is a second slope where people can sit and rest if they get tired from swimming. It’s also the entry point to other activities like paddling and rowing. The west wing also has a diving jump point into the tank in the middle while underneath the water level there is a shaded rest area for those who want to escape the sun.

If you just want to sit on the amphitheater, you’ll get a view of a rippling water drop and the steps around it create a looping effect. It’s a pretty interesting structure to place in the city and in the middle of the river and can also be inspiration for other cities that also have a nearby body of water that can be used for recreation.

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Pool noodle furniture brings a spirit of play to both indoor and outdoor spaces

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Bright, colorful, flexible, buoyant, and life-saving. These are the words that are often used to describe pool noodles, sometimes called waterlogs or even water woggles. These floating foam tubes allow kids and adults alike to engage in playful banter in the pool while still remaining safe, though they’re also finding use outside of the water. Their flexible bodies and soft material make the perfect objects for safe play, but they’ve amusingly also become the foundations of designs completely unrelated to their original use. Take this experimental set of furniture that employs these vibrant tubes to deliver that same whimsical atmosphere to chairs, tables, and everything in between.

Designer: Lieyah Dagan

They may come by any other name, but pool noodles are a popular component in many fanciful designs, from playground obstacle courses to car covers. Their ubiquity, affordability, and flexibility make it easy to shape them into different objects, combining them to form a more complex composition of rods, circles, and arcs. What pool noodles aren’t known for is stability and rigidity, properties that are almost antithetical to the very essence of these foamy objects. And yet that’s exactly what this furniture is presenting, mixing contrasting elements to give the designs a distinct, lively character.

The first step in producing the Looped line of indoor and outdoor furniture was to actually break chairs, tables, and other furniture down to their frames, revealing the structure that ultimately gives them form. The pool noodles are then used to “flesh out” the actual shape of the furniture, giving them mass that would be needed to support their newfound purpose as utilitarian objects. Once the final designs have been selected, dowels and medium-density fiberboard (MDF) are added to provide the needed support to make the furniture become more stable and reliable.

Of course, it wouldn’t be fun if the pool noodles simply followed the same shape as the original furniture. Looped embodies not just the characteristics but also the spirit of these playful waterlogs, employing plenty of curves, loops, and over-the-top proportions that make the furniture almost feel like toys. That, for better or worse, is both the strength and the flaw of the design.

Loop has an undeniable pull that makes people want to play with it, whether it’s because of the bright colors, the soft material, or familiarity with pool noodles. That’s fine with soft toys like actual pool noodles, but playing with a chair or a table brings risks of accidents and injuries. In the end, it creates a perception of playful engagement when they’re also supposed to be designed for serious use, creating a conflict in the mind of the viewer that is both enthralling but also a bit confusing.

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This Pavilion-Style Pool House In Northern Spain Is Inspired By Japanese Design Philosophy

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This stunning pool house designed by Spanish studio Baldó Arquitectura is called the Godai Pavilion, and it is characterized by a generous use of bamboo and an impressive overhanging roof. The pool house was created for a home located in rural Cantabria, in northern Spain. The structure is heavily inspired by Japanese design and features many of its unique details.

Designer: Baldó Arquitectura

The Godai Pavilion was designed in accordance with the local climate, and to boast the natural materials used to build it. The pool house is built to the south of the site, in turn building an enclosed courtyard garden with other pre-existing buildings on the site. “The pavilion [creates] a dialogue between different architectures, with the pool as a central element and a link between the existing home and the new pavilion,” the studio said.

The name and design of the pool house are inspired by the Japanese philosophy of godai, which is based on the five fundamental elements – fire, earth, water, wind, and space. You can see the concept in the structure’s large roof, and the sheer transparency of the facades, which showcase the surrounding landscape. You can see that the facades of the structure make a slow shift from solid to void, and are covered with bamboo slats. The slats follow the Fibonacci sequence and are designed to offer privacy to the building and control the natural lighting. The pavilion was constructed using bamboo, which brings to mind the image of Japanese-style tatami rooms. The ceilings are also inspired by the art of origami.

The interior of the pavilion is marked by a triple-aspect living space, which leads to a timber deck, where steps take you to the pool. Besides bamboo other materials were also integrated into the pavilion such as cork, local pine, mineral rock wool insulation, and recycled oriented strand board panels.

Various passive design systems for solar and rain protection were also integrated into the structure, for example, a large roof that offers plenty of shade and reduces solar gain. “The local climate takes on a fundamental value, where strong winds, rain, and summer sun become protagonists,” explained the studio.

The post This Pavilion-Style Pool House In Northern Spain Is Inspired By Japanese Design Philosophy first appeared on Yanko Design.

Meet The World’s Largest Floating Infinity Pool At Lake Como

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Nestled against the foothills of the Alps, Lake Como has been a holiday destination for the rich and famous since ages galore. Although I haven’t been, I’ve been busy manifesting it, so who knows, hopefully, we’ll experience some Lake Como soon! The 19th-century Villa Roccabruna is tucked away in the stunning greenery of a botanical park on the lake’s southeast shores. The beautiful property features bold neoclassical lines and is an absurdly romantic space that was once the home of Italy’s iconic opera singer Giuditta Pasta. Now the property has been transformed into a hotel by the Mandarin Oriental group, and it recently launched a 40m floating infinity pool!

Designer: Herzog & de Meuron 

Designed by Herzog & de Meuron, the floating infinity pool is an absolute beauty to look at! And also it is the largest in the world! The hotel was designed by Herzog & de Meuron as well, and it features 21 rooms, 52 suites, two restaurants, an award-winning lower-level spa, and two standalone villas. The pool is a subtle yet beautiful addition that perfectly complements the villa’s architecture, as well as the lower vaulted stone colonnade that supports it.

The infinity pool has been finished in a dark local Cardoso sandstone, and it is designed to seamlessly and harmoniously blend into the lake’s cobalt blue waters. The impressive infinity edge of the cake creates an optical illusion, with a prefabricated steel structure in a glossy deep green that subtly reflects the water’s surface. The pool is designed in Switzerland, constructed in Finland, and assembled in Italy. In fact, the pool is considered an engineering feat and features a catamaran-like form to reduce the impact of the waves. The form is invisibly attached to the lake bed and is connected to the bar and dining area via a ramp.

The NAMI Café is a cool and casual poolside hangout spot that serves pizzas, burgers, and salads along with cocktails and healthy juices. The cafe is framed by the historic and massive stone arches of the building, creating a truly special spot. The largest floating infinity pool in the world is definitely going to be on my vacation list now!

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This AI-powered robotic pool cleaner will help keep your summer days stress-free

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Beaches aren’t the only way to enjoy the sun and water during the summer season. Swimming pools are just as fun, especially for people who prefer a quieter or more intimate experience with only a small group of people. Unlike beaches, you don’t have to worry about undesirable yet inescapable objects like leaves or dirt, but keeping a pool clean is no walk in the park either. With today’s technologies, that shouldn’t be the case anymore, especially considering how we’ve developed robotic vacuum cleaners to near perfection. That is precisely the kind of convenience that this innovative robotic cleaner brings to your life, making sure that your swimming pool floor and walls are clean and debris-free so that you can just focus on having fun in the water and under the sun.

Designer: AIRROBO

Click Here to Buy Now: $599.99 $799.99 ($200 off total with coupon code “SCEPC100”). Hurry, deal ends in 48 hours.

There’s a reason why swimming pools are considered luxuries that few can afford. In addition to the cost of constructing the pool itself, its maintenance and cleaning require manual work that can be pretty expensive as well. That’s what they said about keeping floors clean, too, but now we have smart robot vacuums to do that tedious job for us. Fortunately, AIRROBO just launched the new PC100 cordless robotic pool cleaner, delivering stress-free and sweat-free maintenance of pools in time for summer fun.

With its cordless and hose-free design, this pool vacuum offers more freedom and convenience when cleaning your pool, making it safer and easier to use.

The AIRROBO PC100 is a true wonder, with two brushes scrubbing your pool floors and a powerful suction of 55GPM (Gallons Per Minute) that makes short work of leaves, dirt, debris, and even fine sand along its path, ensuring a clean and healthy swim every time. It doesn’t just clean floors, either. Just like that popular comic book superhero, it can also clean walls and waterlines, crawling up walls up to 90 degrees. Its large 4L filter basket lets it give the pool a thorough cleaning before you need to pick it up.

The robot is pretty smart, too, so you don’t even have to supervise it while it gets the dirty job done. AI-powered NaviCleanTM technology allows the PC100 to know exactly where it is, how large the pool is, and the best paths it needs to take. Equipped with high-accuracy motion sensors and self-developed algorithms, you can simply “set-and-forget” the robot pool cleaner for the ultimate worry-free automation convenience. That makes the AIRROBO PC100 10 times more efficient than traditional pool cleaning methods.

Easy cleaning of the pool waterline.

Haul it out of the pool with a stick.

Recharge it via a wall socket plug.

This robot cleaning wonder also delivers ultimate freedom of movement thanks to its cordless operation. You don’t have to worry about tangling wires and hoses or power sockets, letting the robot clean freely even pools that are 16×32 feet in size. In fact, it can handle most types and shapes of pools, not just the plain old rectangular ones, and can work flawlessly on most types of pool materials, from fiberglass to vinyl to concrete and more! The large 7,800mAh battery gives it an uptime of up to 120 minutes, covering as much as 3,100 sq. ft. And when it’s done with the work or if its battery is too low, it will automatically park itself at the edge of the pool for easy retrieval. And you won’t have to fret about not knowing how your robot buddy is faring. Thanks to 11 indicator lights and different combinations of colors and light effects, it is easy to tell at a glance if your PC100 needs charging or if it’s ready to take a dive. Cleaning the swimming pool doesn’t get easier than this, thanks to the PC100’s powerful but user-friendly features.

Having your own pool is a big responsibility, but that doesn’t mean you can’t be smart about it, especially with advanced AI and robotics at your beck and call. Whether you’re cleaning the pool for the first time in a long while or just making sure that the pool is ready for the next summer party, the AIRROBO PC100 will take a load off your mind so that you can just focus on having fun.

Click Here to Buy Now: $599.99 $799.99 ($200 off total with coupon code “SCEPC100”). Hurry, deal ends in 48 hours.

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Blood Bath and Skinny Dipping Rings Feature a Tiny Swimming Pool for Your Finger

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Because high fashion is something I probably won’t ever understand, Studio Cult is selling rings that resemble tiny swimming pools. Available in Blood Bath and Skinny Dipping varieties, the $375 silver rings feature little resin-filled pools, complete with a ladder and diving board. And just $375 apiece? I only wish I had twelve fingers so I could wear more than ten.

I’m not sure about the Blood Bath version (it’s a little morbid for me), but I could see myself wearing the Skinny Dipping one and daydreaming about it being summer in the middle of winter. I keep telling my wife we should move somewhere warmer, but she keeps reminding me moving costs money, and I refuse to part with my Beanie Baby collection. They’re going to make a comeback; you just watch.

Different strokes for different folks, that’s my motto. Maybe you’ve been waiting your whole adult life for a little $375 swimming pool ring filled with blood. Who am I to judge? I mean, don’t get me wrong, I totally am, but who am I to? I’m just a guy waiting for them to make a hot tub version.

Giant Cassette Tape Pool Float Is The Perfect Summer Mixtape

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Designed to look almost identical to a Maxell UR90 cassette tape, the Maxchill Classic Cassette Tape Pool Float (affiliate link) from LÔTELI is perfect for floating around a pool reminiscing about all the mixtapes you used to make for girlfriends or boyfriends back in the ’80s and ’90s. And I made the best mixtapes, just so we’re clear. I only wish I’d asked for them back when we inevitably broke up.

The oversized float measures 72″ x 46″ to comfortably fit one adult or two children or uncomfortably fit two adults or four children. Stop elbowing me; I’m trying to tan! Gosh, I bet I still have a whole bunch of random Maxell tapes lying around here somewhere. And probably in a box labeled JUNK.

Is my body summer and pool ready? Of course not, but that’s not going to stop me from showing off my ghost-white physique at every pool party I’m invited to. Or, I should say, IF I’m invited to any. I swear, you pee in the pool one time, and all of a sudden, the invites dry up like a desert.

[via DudeIWantThat]

These single-use shipping containers repurposed into swimming pools will bring your backyard to life!

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Rathnam’s company, Modpools essentially converts single-use shipping containers into backyard pools that could be installed underground, aboveground, or anywhere between.

Over the course of this pandemic, we’ve seen everything from prefabricated backyard tiny offices to an outdoor mobile bar and kitchen designed for summer BBQs. With so much of our focus on the environment and the potential of our own backyards, designers are getting creative with sustainability and how they construct these at-home retreats. After transforming disused shipping containers into self-contained home offices, Paul Rathnam, seasoned pandemic backyard renovator, returns to shipping containers, only this time he’s turning them into pools.

Dubbing them “the world’s cardboard boxes,” Rathnam felt inspired to build the pools as a means of giving the discarded shipping containers new purpose and new life to backyards. The shipping containers are purchased by Rathnam after goods are shipped to North America from China since they would otherwise just be discarded and not reused for shipping purposes. Depending on your backyard and its building parameters, Modpools can be customized to fit.

No matter where you live, Modpools can be integrated into your home’s environment. Aware that prospective buyers might mistake the recycled shipping containers for emptied garbage dumpsters, Rathnam says, “The uphill battle with containers is that it looks like a dumpster.” Homeowners can rest assured, however, knowing their new backyard pool wasn’t a public dumpster yesterday. Maintaining a clean and dent-free look, Rathnam’s Modpools are formed from single-use containers that only ship goods such as cellphones, computers, and clothes.

Customizable for your own backyard and its parameters, Modpools can be configured in different geometric shapes to fit the size of your garden or patio, or whatever your configuration may need – indoor or outdoor. The shipping containers can be cut down from their 20-40’ lengths to fit any size or shape needed for your particular backyard configuration.

The temperature of Modpools can be raised to 104-degrees Fahrenheit for colder environments. The Modpools are adjusted and welded about an hour east of Vancouver in Rathnam’s factory so that all the construction happens off-site prior to the pool’s installation. The good news is on-site installation can be finished in a matter of only a day.

Designer: Modpools

Click Here to Buy Now!

Glass windows can be installed to the side of Modpools for underwater viewing.

Modpools can be installed underground, aboveground, or anywhere in-between.

Modpools can also be cut down in length to fit indoors, shrinking down from a length of 40-feet to 20-feet.

Aboveground Modpools would be a great addition to the heat of the backyard during the summer months, lasting over 30 years.

This sustainable, self-sufficient, prefab house can be flat-packed & it looks like a cruise ship!

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When you can’t go on a cruise, you bring the cruise home – literally! The Sail House is a spacious, self-sufficient, nautical-themed home with a unique form inspired by large white sails on ships. It is designed by Los Angeles-based architect David Hertz who is celebrated for sustainable architecture. Sail House was also selected as the 2021 Architizer A+Awards Jury Winner for Residential/Private House!

Sail House has a central structure called the main house with several guest houses bordering it and all nestled on the lush Bequia Island in the Caribbean – didn’t I say it literally brings a cruise home? Since the Caribbean is a notoriously difficult area to source building materials, the team made sure that the entire project – the main house and the guesthouses – were prefabricated offsite, flat-packed, and delivered in 15 shipping containers. This ensured minimal site impact to the sensitive ecosystem and was nearly zero waste which is important because otherwise, the construction waste would have had to be transported out of the island which would increase emissions.

The luxurious home was named after its eye-catching tensile roofs inspired by the history of sailing on the island. “The main inspiration for the Sail House was a wooden boat with its masts and sails, the expressed stainless steel rigging and hardware, which is referenced in the home,” said Hertz. The roof membranes also act as a rain collection system by funneling water into a concrete foundation for storage. This nifty system provides for 100% of water needs and the air pulled from the stored water is then used to cool the space when needed. Additionally, the cantilevered roofline provides more shade and ventilation to increase cooling naturally. The electricity needs are covered by solar panels.

Both the interior and exterior of Sail House include natural construction materials such as woven palm, coconut shell fragments and surfaces crafted by Javanese and Balinese artisans. “Sustainability was one of the main goals of the Sail House project. The non-corrosive and termite-resistant aluminum structural system is wrapped in reclaimed ironwood planks recycled from an abandoned pier in Borneo, as are the plank floors, decks, and the vertical louvers that control low sun and prevailing breezes,” Hertz explained. It is truly one of the most beautiful, resilient, and functional homes I’ve seen that flawlessly balances luxury with sustainability!

Designer: David Hertz Architects