the swimming pool market in the context of Italian real estate

The object of the study was the low number of private swimming pools in Italy compared to other countries with similar climatic conditions and wealth per capita. The data used for the initial premise of the research comes from the cadastral land registry at a national level which provides information on 36 million homes, 2.5 million of which have a private garden. This real estate wealth, unique in Europe, located in a very favourable climate zone together with a strong orientation towards property ownership typical of Italian culture does not explain the reasons for such a limited number of pools both in absolute terms (about 130,000 pools) and installed each year. We interviewed a sample of potential customers and owners of swimming pools, asking for their explanations for this disparity. We found the following negative considerations based on standard pools.

The comparative photographic below explains the differences of Biodesign product to the traditional swimming pools.

Maintenance costs

The cost of maintaining a pool depends on the kind of use it is subjected to. The greatest inconvenience for owners of a standard pool is maintenance even during the period of non-use. In contrast, Biodesign can operate for entire seasons in the lake mode with minimal interventions and then be reconverted to a swimming pool when needed without ever degrading the surrounding landscape.

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Very long and invasive construction works

Biodesign creates a new setting in perfect harmony with the landscape and fully integrated with the garden. In fact, Biodesign is always a decorative feature of the garden.

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Difficulty in placing it in the yard

Biodesign pools can be installed very quickly, by a single operator and especially with extremely low construction impact. There is no need for
complex and extremely invasive construction works.

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Aesthetics during the cold season

Biodesign is an all season pool. It is always a decorative feature for the garden even in harsh environments as it is una_ected by freezing temperatures.

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Long waiting times for permits or more taxes

Biodesign is a non-invasive concept based on fully certi_ed technologies intended for the creation of small arti_cial lakes, with no reinforced concrete or environmental pollution. As a result it is much easier to obtain permits and increases in property taxes are less likely.

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Limited Use

Biodesign is designed and furnished as part of the home so as to o_er maximum liveability: seats, beaches, and wellness zones turn your pool into a small garden spa.

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Bathing establishment
Santa Cesarea Terme (LE), Italy

The pool consists of three basins (for a total water surface area of 3,400 m2), two of which have an infinity edge on the seaside to créate a sense of continuity with the horizon. Thanks to their placement on di_erent levels; the basins spill over into an open-air, non-bathing channel of 300 m2 that acts as a compensation tank and ornamental fountain.
The lower pool has a curved shaped and is crossed by a wooden bridge; at the centre of the widest part of this pool, a geyser of air and wáter intermittently spurts from a sand dune. Finally, the third basin was specifically designed for children in a somewhat secluded area, so that the other pools are quieter and, at the same time, to allow greater control over the adjacent areas.
The location of this construction is situated on a coastline composed almost entirely of rocks overlooking the sea, interspersed with marvellous beaches reachable only by boat. The intention was to create a section of sea and sand that could be reached easily and accommodates a large number of people.
Thanks to the low environmental impact of Biodesign construction technology, it was posible to construct this project in an extremely charming natural setting; Biodesign’s innovative structural system ensures excellent water tightness even in a rocky area with many static problems.
Construction times were very fast: less than two months from excavation totalling, allowing the client to open the facility to the public in the month of July, exploiting the most profitable part of the tourist season.

Relilax is the foremost beauty spa in Italy due to its history and size. Since 1982, it has been located in one of the most renowned spa hotels, the Hotel Terme Miramonti of Montegrotto on the Euganean Hills fifteen kilometres from Padova, Italy, managed by the historic Braggion family of innkeepers that has directed it for four generations.
This Hotel has become the best place to experience the thrill of swimming in a Biodesign pool that is open all year round.

The heart of the entire Biodesign project is the construction process, which provides a coating of natural granulated stone modelled by hand over a structural nets, all laid over an elastic waterproof liner. The result: a solid structural soundness and highly elastic waterproofing far superior than that of traditional swimming pool. In addition they can be realized in a wide range of spectacular colours that only natural stone like marble or quartz can guarantee, capable of replicating the colours of exotic white sand atolls, the world’s most beautiful beaches, and even the green of alpine lakes. The advantages related to the Biodesign technology do not end here.

When speaking about swimming pools, the mind runs immediately to the traditional “boxes” of reinforced concrete. Good for swimming maybe but not particularly aesthetically pleasing, creating difficulty for their integration into the surrounding environment. At least that was the situation until recently. Today Biodesign Pools offer an alternative that radically changes this concept. Our company has been in operation for over 40 years as a market leader in the field of monumental fountains, artificial lakes and biological wa- ter treatment systems. A leading productive reality, a guaranteed network of authorized in stallers in various countries qualified to realize our pools, and an in house design studio and seasoned research and development department guarantee a high quality result.
Almost ten years ago, the Biodesign innovative, patented technol- ogy was born, thanks to which, pools have changed their image. The pool has now become an extremely comfortable living area modelled to accommodate the bathing needs of the client and to adapt to the surrounding landscape. This personalization is created through the in- clusion of a series of exclusive features from beaches for shoreline re- laxation and sunbathing, a safe place for children to play, to modelled submerged chairs, beds and even an aero-therapeutic massaging zone, without the loss of the swimming areas.

A product that allows you to get easy building authorizations.

There are many characteristics that makeBiodesign an innovative product, starting with its limited environ- mental invasiveness, which allows the pool to fit harmo- niously into the context without the use of reinforced concrete. Therefore, the environment is the first benefi- ciary: the products used, the waterproofing as well as the weight of the supporting structure are a true innovation. This is a system designed to create luxury, well- being and ambiance simultaneously. Quality, natural- ness and beauty, a mix of natural components skilfully integrated with the best technology, combining ethics and aesthetics: this is a Biodesign pool, an outstanding example of the “Made in Italy” in the world.
Sustainability, environmentally friendly and bio-com- patible. When these words are used, they are generally used as a business slogan and certainly do not refer to humans actual sensitivity towards the environment.

We often deal with this issue in our courses deliberately asking the audience open questions. Responses are al- ways a confirmation of our impressions. The only com- plaints about environmental matters that engage the audience are in fact those related to the difficulties ob- taining permits to build swimming pools or those cases when they are denied.
We should try thinking about whether or not by chance our insensitivity actually has something to do with those administrative restrictions. Years of environmentally ag- gressive construction practices towards the environ- ment and the beauty of Italy as a whole have perhaps contributed to the creation of terrible procedures. Let’s be clear, this is not a justification of the inefficiency of the Public Administration, but rather and invitation for us all to increase our awareness in the first place.
In recent years we have interacted many times with the Public Administration, Building Offices of Planning and Development Departments, and the Superintendency of Fine Arts while assisting our customers and helping them out with permit applications for the construction of pools based on Biodesign technology. On many oc- casions we have witnessed the resigned look of officers, who at the word “pool” did not even finish looking at the rest of the documentation and closed the matter.
But these initial responses were not enough to discour- age us. We enriched our documentation and returned to the same offices with the relevant certifications. We presented technical reports emphasizing the charac- teristics of the technology we intended to license and specifying the advantages including the absence of reinforced concrete and the use of waterproofing tech- nology even recommended by Green Peace, as well as geological reports and landscape screenings. In that way we demonstrated that for all intents and pur- poses, Biodesign pools do not degrade the sur- rounding beauty rather they are just an artificial lake perfectly integrated with the environment.

An investment in your property that lasts over time and follows the natural change of seasons. There is nothing less appealing than a pool or spa during the seasons in which it is not in use. They create environments that are devoid of emotion which in the seasons of disuse invade the garden with unsightly covers.

Biodesign is an outdoor decorative feature throughout the year, both in warm periods which invite bathing and in cold periods when it assumes the characteristics of a natural lake following the seasonal changes in the garden. The use of Biodesign technology also means reducing installation time and eliminating the disadvantages and problems of complex constructions. A technical team is able to completely install 20 m2 Biodesign in 6 working days, complete with filtration system, edge, air jets, hydromassage jets, and lighting, all without needing to interrupt the continuity of the work. Compared to traditional pools, this is a huge advantage in terms of the environment and the reduction of inconvenience for the customer. Biodesign is first and foremost an investment that increases the value of your property, forever.

Biodesign is an outdoor decorative feature easily inte- grated into any landscape throughout the year, both in warm periods which invite bathing and in cold periods when it assumes the characteristics of a natural lake fol- lowing the seasonal changes in the garden. In addition, its unique shape and the stone interior lengthen the bathing season, offering warmer water than traditional pools or whirlpools.
Biodesign can become a lake for entire seasons while maintaining its quality of a decorative feature and maintaining its value until turned back into a pool for bathing. It is unthinkable to do the same thing with a traditional pool since frequent maintenance is required even during periods when not in use.