Indoor pool for a cool home

Indoor pools are becoming a popular addition to home interiors, say interior designers. There are several reasons for this trend. Some homeowners prefer swimming in the comfort of their home. Some want to relax by it with a book or a cup of tea or host social gatherings around it.

Experts share how you can build a multi-purpose indoor pool at home. 

Key pointers

Ventilation plays a vital role when designing indoor pools, begins Sumit Malik, founding principal of Design Consortia in New Delhi.

Emphasising the need for good air quality, Malik says, “Without proper ventilation, chlorinated water can emanate an unpleasant smell. A fresh air intake system (high-capacity inline fans or an air-handling unit) and exhaust fans help keep humidity in check.”

Special drainage systems are needed to avoid the accumulation of water inside the home. “Indoor pools have different drainage needs compared to outdoor ones. Channel drains that direct water to a single collection point need to be set up,” he explains.

Malik says you can get creative with finishes and materials. “In the case of an indoor pool, you can choose furnishing options without worrying about the weather. For instance, you can use motifs in glass or wooden accents around the pool area. In outdoor pools, these details fade away because of sunlight, rain, and temperature changes,” he notes.

Lounge around

Outdoor swimming is possible only for a few months in cities with extreme weather like Delhi. In such cases, indoor pools are a smart choice, says Malik. “A covered pool allows for better temperature control, making it possible to swim all year round. Anyone who enjoys swimming for recreation or fitness should consider adding a pool to their home,” he adds.

In a recent home project in Delhi, Malik designed an indoor pool as part of an entertainment space. During the day, it serves as a swimming area. At night, it becomes a centrepiece as it is within view from a gym, a bar and a spa.

Build a bridge

Amirah Ahamed, principal architect at Bodhi Design Studio in Bengaluru, talks about her current project in the city. “The client’s family wanted a welcoming space for gatherings, especially for the festival season. We built a water body with pebbles and water lilies in front of their shrine. Then we added a bridge that crosses over the water body and leads to the pool area. It is situated to the right of the foyer and is the first thing guests notice when they enter. Guests have to cross the bridge to access the puja area,” she elaborates.

Bengaluru’s pleasant weather in most parts of the year helps keep the home cool. This is thanks to a process called evaporative cooling. “But in humid places like Kerala, designers skip indoor water features as they tend to add to the humidity,” she adds.

Adding sources of natural light (like windows or skylights) can enhance the aesthetics of the pool area. “The sunlight creates dynamic patterns on the walls due to the reflection of the water,” she explains.

Semi-open layout

Jugal Mistri is the founder and principal architect of his eponymous firm in Mumbai. He talks about an indoor pool in a Goan villa his team has designed. The site had a “tight layout”. To achieve a semi-open design, his team opted for a U-shaped plan that positioned the pool as the villa’s central feature. This layout ensures that the pool is visible from all key points of the home — kitchen, dining, and living spaces. It creates a seamless connection with the water body. 

The entrance reveals a blue pool framed by pink walls and an arch. The design is a nod to the Portuguese influence in the architecture. “We oriented the indoor pool to face east. If we had placed it on the west, the pool would have looked dreary due to the shadows from the courtyard walls,” Mistri illustrates.

Consider basement

Architect Rajkumar Kumawat is the founder and principal architect of his firm in Jaipur. For a home project in the city, he built a pool, spa, gym, salon, and home theatre, all in the basement. It is designed for large family gatherings. Kumawat says he wants to beat the perception that basements are suffocating spaces.

They built skylights to let in the natural light and also used warm white lights to mimic sunlight. A vertical garden surrounds the pool and it also boasts sculptures of cows with their mouths open and hands that spout water. “We have placed the pool in the northeast of the house in accordance with vastu principles,” Kumawat shares.

Smart solutions

Monika Choudhary, founder, Punjab-based Habitat Architects, talks about her recent project for a joint family in the state. “We designed an indoor pool in a way that it connected two family homes together with a lawn in between,” she says.

The pool is located on the first floor and has louvres that block sunlight and let in soft light.

“Large windows maximise the natural light and also offer a view of the outside, thus, giving the pool an open feel. We have added a clerestory window — a specific type of window that can be flipped or raised. They can help families control privacy, glare, and airflow,” she notes. 

This pool doubles up as an entertainment space, thanks to the hydrotherapy zone and underwater sound systems her team have added. Automated lights allow the space to adapt to different activities. For example, the lights switch colours to match the music, she says.

Design challenges

*Since the pool shares walls with the house, watch out for the water level and take extra care of waterproofing, says Mistri.

*Amirah says indoor pools can be tricky if a family has young kids. Safety buffers like glass barriers, slip-resistant floors or a gate to block access to the zone will be needed.

Wallet factor

Set aside Rs 8 lakh to Rs 9 lakh for a simple design (a pool with a basic structure and water circulation systems). Elaborate designs (with high-end materials for aesthetics, heating systems, smart controls for lighting, and fresh air systems) can cost anything between Rs 9 lakh to Rs 35 lakh.