1. Improve the existing pool and its immediate setting
This concept keeps the current pool arrangement and focuses on a defined finish, edge or surrounding-area scope. It can be a useful comparison when the operator’s main concern is condition or a disconnected appearance rather than a need for another amenity.
Example: compare a coordinated interior, waterline and coping package with selective replacement where neighboring materials remain. Include assessment and preparation in both descriptions. Retaining the layout does not establish that hidden conditions, required reviews or closure needs will be identical.
2. Reorganize the gathering space around the water
Start with where users actually sit, meet and pass through the area. A concept might relocate seating or change the relationship between the terrace and pool. Its value in the brief is the specific use it supports, not an assumed increase in property value.
Example: a property with unused corners may compare several small gathering areas with one central seating zone. Show routes, access and the operator’s working space in each layout. More furniture or a larger terrace is not automatically a usable solution.
3. Evaluate a separate or raised spa as a complete addition
Treat a spa as a separate project decision with its own footprint, equipment, access and operating implications. A raised form may change views and the relationship to the pool, but that visual effect is only one part of the proposal.
Example: compare a spa concept with an outdoor seating improvement that addresses the same social goal. Ask how the spa would be used and operated, what additional systems are proposed and what review it requires. Do not assume therapeutic benefits, universal accessibility or CPR capability from a reference image.
4. Create a focal point with a defined water effect
A water effect can be considered for a particular view or sound experience. Describe its location and operating modes before choosing an infinity edge, fountain or spillover. These are different arrangements, not interchangeable decorative accessories.
Example: compare a limited water effect viewed from a lounge with a dry architectural focal point. Include the feature’s intended water path, controls and service access in the concept brief. Evaluate the specific design and approval needs rather than assume an effect is safe or economical because it is attractive.
5. Make resource management part of the concept
Build the water and energy goals into the design brief rather than add a green label at the end. EPA identifies several sources of pool-water consumption, including evaporation and cleaning. Select proposals that address the actual property’s recorded conditions and operating practices.
Example: compare a design that accommodates practical cover deployment with one that adds more water effects. Record how each would be used and assessed; do not assign guaranteed savings to either. Keep environmental documentation and applicable project approvals distinct.
Choose the next design step using one comparison
For each shortlisted concept, record the main purpose, retained features, proposed changes, unresolved questions and operator responsibilities. Include a baseline option so the owner can see what changes when an amenity is added. Do not compare a fully defined package with a rendering that omits its associated work.
Where Los Angeles County’s public-pool guidance applies, design and material changes need the applicable review; other authorities may have their own procedures. Discuss which concepts fit a defined CPR Pools construction scope before treating the shortlist as an offer or approved design.