feature
Liquid Blue Pools wins
2021 National Pool of the Year
ABOVE: The 2021 National Pool of the Year is designed to blend into the garden while still making a powerful statement. Images: Patrick Redmond
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he 2021 National Pool & Spa Awards of Excellence were held in September with the winner of the coveted National Pool of the Year Award going to Liquid Blue Pools. This amazing swimming pool features the world’s largest single-piece acrylic panel ever used in a swimming pool. Sourced from the USA, the panel is more than 13 metres long. “There were huge challenges to designing and installing such a large panel,” says Andrew Plithakis, Liquid Blue Pools director.
“I’ve got to give credit to the clients, they were a dream to work for. There was never any pressure, never any issue with them and I still have such a good relationship with them.” “A normal large panel would take one crane to get into place. This required two working in tandem to get it onto site. Then we had to prepare the panel for a couple of days and get the cranes back in to put it in place,” he says. Because of the enormous water pressure that would be pushing against the panel, it was designed with a bow that would straighten out once the pool is filled with water. “The engineering company had to design a rebate for the panel to sit in, which was bowed but 48 SPLASH! October/November 2021
would also hold the straightened panel. It was quite a challenge.” Plithakis says the clients – a family with a small son – were amazing, and basically gave him a blank canvas to work with. Once he showed them a computergenerated 3D design of the pool with the big acrylic panel, they were sold. “I’ve got to give credit to the clients, they were a dream to work for. There was never any pressure, never any issue with them and I still have such a good relationship with them.” Although they were enthusiastic about the panel, Plithakis kept the bubbler feature as a surprise for them. He came up with the idea of the long row of jets highlighting the acrylic window and designed it in conjunction with Pentair who did the hydraulics on the pool and supplied the equipment. “It was created with a looped air system to generate even pressure so the jets bubble at the same height and same time,” he says. The clients were thrilled when they saw the finished pool and the bubbler feature and were over the moon when the pool won the Victorian award for best pool. Then came the big awards. “When it won Pool of the Year Victoria they were happy – when it won Pool of the Year Australia they were ecstatic!” Plithakis says winning the award was overwhelming for him and his team. “To get recognised nationally and to get an accolade like National Pool of the Year – to say it’s a proud moment is an understatement. All the hard work you do day to day, then to get the satisfaction of creating a