It's not often one comes across a square of suspended water in the Australian bush, or anywhere for that matter. Thus, this geometric, seemingly gravity-defying spa slowed down my usual lightning-fast Houzz browsing mouse finger and made me stop and stare. As it turns out, it has four raised glass sides, making it a dazzling focal point in this luxurious backyard in Dural, Australia, about 40 minutes northwest of Sydney. Principal designer Dean Herald of Rolling Stones Landscapes approached the large yard as he would a luxury resort, creating strong relationships between the pool, spa, house, outdoor pavilion and surrounding gardens and the greater enviromnment of the Australian bush land. Dean Herald-Rolling Stone Landscapes Herald designed the water-filled square as a key sculptural focal point in the garden. The spa is made of glass on all four sides. Square floating steppers connect the water and the pavilion physically and geometrically, and the bench and lower level of the spa form a smaller square that adds repetition, dimension and depth.

The spa connects to the pool through geometry and through a part-time waterfall. "When the spa is not in use, the water from the pool is pumped into the spa to flow over, providing a water feature," Herald describes. "When heating, the water from the spa is heated and returned only." Dean Herald-Rolling Stone Landscapes Herald sited the pool, pavilion and other prominent backyard features to be visible from key view portals inside the house, playing off straight and curved lines.

Entertaining was also important to the homeowners, and Herald gave them plenty to celebrate in the yard. The luxe pavilion includes an outdoor kitchen, dining space, lounge and fireplace, and looks out on the spa. Dean Herald-Rolling Stone Landscapes While the hard square of water is the center of the garden, the design softens as it moves out from the spa to the untamed bush land that covers the majority of the property. "The lush gardens have been positioned and planted with selected species to soften the structural elements while enabling a blending into the natural bush land beyond," Herald says. Dean Herald-Rolling Stone Landscapes "At night when illuminated, the spa is an amazing feature and at times can look like a block of ice floating," the designer describes.

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