In pool design, one big challenge is to make sure that the pool blends in with the rest of the architecture. If it is being designed from scratch, the materials must meet the necessary design criteria, as well as the technical requirements of areas exposed to the elements and in direct contact with water.
These were the premises that Sebastián Arquitectos took into account in this project for a villa—Casa EA!—, using a single floor tile collection by Gres Aragón. Set in the midst of Litago nature reserve, at the foot of Mount Moncayo in Zaragoza (Spain), the villa blends in beautifully with its surroundings.
The same tiles were used throughout the whole project: for the lining and outer area of the pool and for the outdoor terraces and courtyards, linking seamlessly up with the interiors of the home. The end result is a project conspicuous for its uniform straight-lined appearance and pronounced angles, with tiles that fit in perfectly, adding harmony and balance.
The main design concept for Sebastián was to make sure that all the different elements were carefully integrated into the project. With this in mind, he chose a multi-format porcelain tile collection; Urban Grafito, manufactured by horizontal extrusion. These unpretentious-looking, minimalist tiles blend in with the concrete floor of the courtyards and concrete plinths, giving the project a stone-like appearance in keeping with the rocky landscape.
Extruded Tiles in the Design of Pools and Poolside Areas
This degree of architectural coherence and aesthetic balance can be especially well achieved with extruded ceramic tiles. Thanks to their high-performance properties, they can be used in the whole design of the pool and for all its required shapes. A pool needs inner and outer corner tiles, step risers and treads, skirtings, grating and gutter tiles, coping and other special tiles. These special 3D tiles can only be found in extruded tile collections.
Guaranteed Safety Thanks to Non-slip Treatment
In wet areas where people go barefoot and there is a risk of slips and falls, safety must also be taken into account. Thanks to Urban Grafito’s non-slip treatment, a safe grip is ensured. All the flooring on the terraces and poolside area and the tiles used for the pool coping have a class 3 non-slip grip, the highest classification in the slip-resistance standard.
The tiles are virtually non-porous. This makes them fully impervious, preventing the growth of surface bacteria and other microorganisms. Because they are swift and easy to clean, they are low on maintenance and their chemical resistance protects them from the cleaning products regularly used to clean pools.
Extruded tiles are unalterable. They are resistant to sunlight and sharp temperature changes and their color does not fade over time.
Sergio Sebastián founded his architect’s studio in 2006. The Zaragoza-based studio mainly specializes in architectural design, albeit in its broadest of senses, in order to offer a response to projects of differing requirements and scales. The fields that it covers include landscape design, urban planning, building developments, catering projects, industrial and graphic design, and museum design.
In his words, whether referring to natural environments, urban settings, small villages or big cities, “we view all our projects in the same way: as magnificent opportunities to plan and build.”
