WORLD NEWS

IN BRIEF

PENTAIR EARNS 2020 ENERGY STAR® AWARD

Pentair has announced it has received the 2020 ENERGY STAR ® Partner of the Year – Sustained Excellence Award for continued leadership and superior contributions to ENERGY STAR. This honour marks the seventh year that Pentair has garnered recognition for its continued leadership in protecting the environment through superior energy efficiency achievements.

“Pentair is committed to bringing innovative products and solutions to our customers. Our high-performing variable spe ed pool pumps help conserve energy resources and reduce energy costs, allowing pool owners to simply concentrate on enjoying their pool. We are proud to be recognised as an ENERGY STAR ® Partner of the Year for seven consecutive years,” said De’Mon Wiggins, Vice President of Pentair Pool. “More than a decade ago, Pentair introduced variable speed technology to the pool industry. Today, we remain equally dedicated to delivering smart, sustainable water solutions.”

T&A CELEBRATES ITS 25TH ANNIVERSARY

Technics & Applications (T&A), the Belgium-based automatic cover manufacturer, are celebrating their 25th anniversary this year.

Established in 1995 by Ludo Vervoort, under the leadership of Managing Director Joeri Dils, the company has prospered and enjoyed significant growth in 2019, resulting in it becoming one of the leading manufacturers of automatic pool covers in Europe.

Situated in the North of Belgium, T&A produces 4,000 covers per year distributed in more than 20 different countries.

T&A produces high quality made-to-measure products using only high-end raw materials and sub-assemblies. The company controls the production process from start to finish, therefore ensuring it is possible to supply a high quality and stable product time after time.

The Everyday Meets The Exceptional At Canadian Aquatics Facility

Beloeil in Quebec, Canada is defined by the dramatic cliffs of Mont Saint-Hilaire, the Richelieu River and picturesque agricultural lands, and the city’s new aquatics centre from architectural practice Lemay offers a strong design response to this unique environment.

The company’s vision for the modern centre proves that thoughtful design can elevate projects with modest budgets and integrate them with the most rural landscapes.

“Our goal was to maximise delicate and nuanced design strategies to make the most of this com munity-building opportunity,” said Lemay’s Pierre Leclerc.

A luminous, translucent glass box on a black base comprises the building’s simple massing of two distinct and complementary geometric forms, its elements echoing the meeting of sky, water and plain. Smooth and shiny by day, at night the light box reveals the depth of its structure and the nature of the activity taking place inside.

By the simplicity of its form and construction, the project reflects the duality of everyday and exceptional: the geometric encounter between opacity and transparency, the darkness of the base and the lightness of the water bodies offer rich vibrations of textures and variations on architectural form. These formal variations are revealed from a distance and in the approach to the building through the rhythms of pedestrians, cyclists or motorists.

“The project’s design-build approach and cost constraints created a challenging context

for excellence, but we ultimately succeeded in creating an integrated presence that echoes a contrasting environment,” said Andrew King, Partner and Design Principal at Lemay.

The interiors are flooded with light and the southeast façade is directly in line with the axis of Mont Saint-Hilaire, so that users can swim, bathe or slide while maintaining contact with the mountain.

Waterco Bolsters Business By Acquiring AutoPool

International water treatment and swimming “Clearly, it’s pool equipment manufacturer, Waterco Ltd, great that they’ve great that they’ve has acquired Automated Pool Products Pty Ltd got the official (AutoPool) in Australia. distributorship

The move bolsters Waterco’s extensive range of Kreepy Krauly, of Kreepy Krauly, of filtration, sanitisation and heating equipment but that wasn’t the prime driver of our acquisition. but that wasn’t the prime driver of our acquisition. while consolidating its position as one of the When we looked at AutoPool, we didn’t regard them industry’s last remaining Australian-owned and as competitors but rather a new revenue stream. operated companies. That’s why we’re keeping the AutoPool business as

“Purchasing APP, or AutoPool as it’s known, is part is; we’re retaining the name and the owner Grant of our strategy to strengthen Waterco’s market share,” has stayed on. It’s business as usual.” said CEO and Chairman, Soon Sinn Goh. “AutoPool’s Goh advised that over time, they’ll explore other established brand name, excellent market reputation synergies, including utilising their existing access and digital transformation will enable us to offer to markets in Europe and North America. comprehensive pool and spa solutions to customers Grant Craig said it is pleasing that AutoPool will throughout Australia and globally.” continue as normal.

AutoPool owner and general manager Grant Craig “We will maintain our existing locations with our will continue working for the company. existing team of professional staff. It is an exciting

Waterco Group Marketing Director Bryan time for AutoPool to merge with Waterco and we Goh describes Waterco and AutoPool as Goh describes Waterco and AutoPool as look forward to continuing to provide the highlook forward to continuing to provide the high“complementary companies”. “complementary companies”. quality products and service

“Both have a strong we have become known presence in a number of for.” markets we’re not involved Craig added he was in; a big presence in WA and looking for a partner to work a significant presence in with, and Waterco ticked all Queensland,” he said. the right boxes.

Studio Apostoli Signs Off On Stunning Interior Design

The Lefay Resort & SPA Dolomiti is a complex that seems to emerge from the woods and blends perfectly into the landscape in which it is located. It reinterprets the traditional architecture of the area and in line with the philosophy of its owners, rediscovers the recurring elements of mountain buildings.

Multi-disciplinary design company Studio Apostoli developed the entire interior design scheme for the prestigious 5-star Resort recently inaugurated in Pinzol, a ski resort of Madonna di Campiglio in northern Italy.

Studio Apostoli laid the foundations for the interior design concept – a design idea that, in accordance with the client’s wishes, communicates precise values, including Italian lifestyle, contemporary luxury and environmental and energy sustainability.

Set in the surrounding mountains, the structure is on nine levels – four dedicated to private residences and five to hotel accommodation.

The large entrance lobby with lounge, reading room, outdoor Sky Lounge, meeting areas, indoor shops and two restaurants make up the large common areas, however the real heart of the resort would undoubtedly be that of the SPA. Covering about 5,000 square metres, the wellness area is spread over several floors, differentiated at a functional level: an entire floor dedicated to treatments, the in and out swimming pool with family sauna, the Lefay SPA Method energy-therapeutic paths and the large fitness area. Natural oak parquet, light-coloured leather upholstery and walls in natural granite stone make up the material palette. Ivory or dark stone is used to define the various zones of the wellness area, overlooking the surrounding Dolomite landscape through large windows.

Lapitec Chosen For Hidden Manhattan Oasis

There are secret places in the heart of New York where you can find refuge from the bustle of the metropolis. One such example is this swimming pool – tucked away in the basement of one of the most prestigious buildings in Manhattan – where a harmonious space has been created for users to stop the clock and recharge their batteries.

Designed with essential lines and pure geometrical balance, the space is emphasised by artificial lighting and intersected by the effect of the water itself and the wooden wall cladding, which creates a clear contrast with the slabs of Bianco Polare Lapitec that have been used.

Sintered stone covers almost all of the surfaces, in fact, it’s featured in different textures and formats, embodying the material’s aesthetic qualities and technical features. Large-format slabs of Lapitec Bianco Polare in the Vesuvius finish surround the long rectangular pool and climb the walls; small, rectangular tiles are used on the base of the columns and within the shower area, where Lapitec also supplied the bespoke interior floor plate. The Satin finish was used for the interior of the pool, while the Lux polished version covers the stairs leading to the upper floor, to great luminous effect.

In contact with the water, and also below it, Lapitec expresses its ideal features: due to its composition, which renders the surface free of pores, the sintered stone does not absorb liquids, does not allow mould to form and is non-slip and easy to clean. Lapitec is also resistant to surface damage such as scratches, abrasions or chromatic alterations due to time and intense wear, all fundamental properties for a public space such as a swimming pool.

Lapitec S.p.a. +39 0423 703811 www.lapitec.com

NIVEKO Provides A Private Paradise In The Swiss Countryside

Near the Swiss town of Baden, in the municipality of Lupfig, there is an oasis of peace and quiet, which is home to the Silvestri family. Until recently, the one thing missing from this idyllic setting was a swimming pool, but thanks to NIVEKO, this final piece for the perfect lifestyle has now been provided.

“We like living in the countryside,” said Mr Silvestri. “For us, our pool is like having our own private stretch of lake or sea in our own garden. The water and the sun reflecting off the surface are soothing and encourage us to stop for a while and take a break from the hustle and encourage us to stop for a while and take a break from the hustle and bustle of life.”

As the property was already built, the family was somewhat limited with regards to the pool design. “We had not heard of NIVEKO before this, but our friend and neighbours had also had this, but our friend and neighbours had also had a NIVEKO pool installed and are very happy with a NIVEKO pool installed and are very happy with it. So, we took inspiration from publications as well as from our friends. However, the process took some time – we spent two years planning, thinking up designs, then expanding on them or rejecting them,” explained Mr Silvestri. “The overall design of our garden also played a major role. The pool, house and garden had to match each other perfectly and share a consistent theme in terms of material, shape and colour. So, various different zones were created with the pool – these being the pool itself, 1.43 m deep, then a bench to sit on, which is really more a designer accessory. The distinctive and broad shallow end is a wet playground for the children, but is also intended to optically soften the transition between the terrace but is also intended to optically soften the transition between the terrace and the pool. The individuality of the shape and and the pool. The individuality of the shape and colour of the design, as well as the precision colour of the design, as well as the precision craftsmanship and quality – these were the main craftsmanship and quality – these were the main criteria for us when choosing a manufacturer.” criteria for us when choosing a manufacturer.”

NIVEKO s.r.o. NIVEKO s.r.o.

+420 572 693 246 +420 572 693 246 www.niveko-pools.com www.niveko-pools.com