Where to place it, how to align its edge with the horizon and how to make it extend the house. The keys to an infinity pool, with Villa R Quinta and Villa Pera.
In luxury homes with an infinity pool, the water has become one of the most recognisable features of contemporary architecture. When it is well resolved, the edge of the water disappears and the surface of the pool seems to carry on to the horizon. It is a powerful image and, for that very reason, an easy one to spoil.
A poorly conceived infinity pool ends up as an expensive basin that does not line up with the views, feels disconnected from the house or forces improvised technical fixes on site. Done well, it becomes the heart of the project: it organises the terraces, connects inside and outside and joins architecture with landscape.
At Archidom Studio we design luxury homes with an infinity pool in which the water is conceived together with the house, from the very first sketch. In this article we explain the keys to that design and illustrate them with two of our projects, Villa R Quinta in Benahavís and Villa Pera in Marbella.
What an infinity pool is and why it depends on the site
An infinity pool, also called an overflow or vanishing-edge pool, has at least one edge below the water level. The water spills over that side into a hidden channel and from there returns to the filtration system. Seen from the house, the edge vanishes and the water merges with whatever lies beyond, be it the sea, a valley or the treetops.
The effect only works if there is something to look at and if the pool is placed exactly where it is seen from. That is why the infinity pool depends on the landscape more than any other element of the home. It cannot be chosen from a catalogue, because it is born of the topography, the views and the position of the house on the plot.
Keys to luxury homes with an infinity pool
Decide the viewpoint. The infinity effect is perceived from specific places: the living room, the main terrace, the bedroom. Before drawing the pool we define where it will be seen from and adjust its position and height so that its edge matches the horizon line as seen from those rooms.
Make the pool an extension of the house. The pool works best when it is part of the sequence of outdoor spaces. The living room opens onto the terrace, the terrace reaches the water and the water opens onto the landscape. Floor-to-ceiling glazing and paving that runs from inside to outside reinforce that continuity.
Make the most of the slope. On hillside plots the pool usually sits at the edge of a stepped terrace. The difference in level makes it possible to hide the overflow channel and the plant equipment on the level below, and in some cases the pool can even cantilever over the ground.
Choose materials carefully. The lining of the basin, the colour of the water and the material of the edge completely change the pool’s appearance. Natural stone and tones that echo the sea or the vegetation help the pool blend with the rest of the house and its surroundings.
Solve the technical side from the start. The overflow channel, the balance tank, waterproofing, structure and maintenance access are defined at design stage, before construction begins. That way the effect lasts for years and the pool causes no problems.
Think about orientation and privacy. The pool needs sun at the times it is used and, at the same time, protection from the neighbours’ view. Changes of level, low walls and planting make it possible to achieve both.
Villa R Quinta: the pool at the heart of the design
Villa R Quinta sits on a hillside in La Quinta, Benahavís, with endless views of the Mediterranean. Its stepped architecture adapts to the slope and combines clean lines, noble materials and generous terraces that blur the boundaries between inside and outside.
Each level opens onto a different panorama, and the infinity pool becomes the heart of the design. From the interiors, filled with natural light thanks to floor-to-ceiling glazed façades, the view crosses the terrace and the water all the way to the sea. Stone, wood and glass bring warmth and continuity between spaces.
At Villa R Quinta we were responsible for the architecture, interior design and construction management, so that the relationship between the house, the pool and the horizon worked as well in the finished building as in the design.
Villa Pera: infinity pools that carry life outdoors
Villa Pera is located in Marbella, on a 3,762 m² plot, with 489 m² built. The project was conceived as a masterplan combining contemporary architecture with a Mediterranean lifestyle.
The villa blends into the landscape with pure volumes, floor-to-ceiling glazing and noble materials such as stone, wood and glass. Its stepped layout maximises views and privacy, while the terraces, gardens and infinity pools carry the life of the house outdoors.
Inside, the interiors stand out for their spaciousness, natural light and fluid connections between the social areas, the private suites and the leisure zones, which include an entertainment room, gym and spa. As at Villa R Quinta, we handled the architecture, interior design and construction management.
Luxury homes with an infinity pool: a pool designed with the house
Villa R Quinta and Villa Pera show two different scales of the same principle in luxury homes with an infinity pool. In the first, one infinity pool organises a stepped house on the hillside. In the second, several pools form part of a sequence of terraces and gardens that extends a home of more contained proportions across a large plot.
In both cases the pool was designed at the same time as the architecture and the interiors. That is the difference between a pool that completes a house and one that looks added on later. We apply the same approach in other projects, such as Villa Trazo in Benahavís, whose infinity pool cantilevers over the slope, or the Club House at Dunique in Marbella, with a rooftop crowned by an infinity pool cantilevering more than five metres.
One team from idea to handover
The infinity pool is one of the elements where the gap between render and reality shows most. A few centimetres’ difference in the height of the edge is enough for the water to stop matching the horizon. That is why we work with small teams that follow each project from concept to handover and coordinate architecture, interior design, engineering, costs and construction.
We design luxury homes with an infinity pool from our offices in Marbella and Madrid, and we work wherever we are commissioned, with residential projects on the Costa del Sol, in La Moraleja and in Tangier, among other destinations.
Frequently asked questions about luxury homes with an infinity pool
What does a home need to have an infinity pool?
Views to open the edge of the water towards, and a position on the plot that allows that edge to line up with the horizon from the main rooms. Sloping plots are the best suited.
Can you build an infinity pool on a flat plot?
Yes, although the effect changes. Without a drop, the edge merges with the garden or the vegetation rather than the sea, and the overflow channel and equipment require a different technical solution.
When should the infinity pool be designed?
At the same time as the house. Its position, level and structure depend on how the home sits on the plot, and deciding them late usually means giving up the effect or making construction more expensive.
Which materials work best in an infinity pool?
It depends on the landscape. Natural stone and linings in tones that echo the sea or the vegetation help the pool blend with the house and its surroundings.
Does Archidom Studio also design the house and the interiors?
Yes. At Villa R Quinta and Villa Pera we were responsible for the architecture, interior design and construction management, with the pool as part of the same project.
Luxury homes with an infinity pool: turn your idea into reality
If you are thinking of building or renovating a home with an infinity pool, the first step is to analyse the plot and its views. We help you decide where to place it, how to integrate it with the house and how to build it without losing what makes it special.
Contact our studio and let’s talk about your project.
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