Water drew most of us to Southwest Florida, and water keeps us here. The effect of this core element on our lives is manifold. Color theory says blue hues are calming. Psychology posits that, due to our dependence on it, the mere sight of water releases happy-inducing neurochemicals. The 2015 Blue Mind book famously introduced the idea of water as a scientifically backed mood and wellness-booster. But, in Southwest Florida, we have long intuited—water equals peace of mind.
Here, design pros deftly use aquatic features to connect residences to the paradisiacal setting, with infinity pools that seem to vanish into the ocean, water gardens reflecting swaying palms and cascading water walls (charmingly referred to as ‘weeping walls’ by some) adding to the ambience. “Water, and the shaping of water and how water’s presented in a project, is really important,” Naples-born landscape architect David Young says.
In a stilted Siesta Key property, where the Gulf of Mexico is visible from the front of the home, David flowed water gardens throughout most of the first level. Walk - ways bisect the zero-edge-like pool, which extends under the house. Standing inside, you look down and see the cerulean water flow right up to the home; look up, and the azure views continue out and into the Gulf. “We like to play with the idea of continuation,” he says.
Courtesy DWY Landscape Architect
Famed Mexican modernist and proponent of water in architecture Luis Barragán, whose ethos informs David’s work, notably said, “In fountains, silence sings.” White noise from moving water can be doubly beneficial—the subtle murmuring and smooth pitter-patter drowns out traffic, noisy neighbors and maybe even the chatter in your mind.
Visually, water’s reflective quality is hypnotizing. Still bodies of water like zero-edge pools (where the surface and deck are on the same plane and water seemingly disappears into the edges) create a mirrored effect that reflects its surrounding landscape and architecture, like a living canvas. Meanwhile, the moving water in fountains and rippling ponds refracts light, casting patterns and creating glimmering moments nearby. Young recently completed a project on Bird Key, inspired by Barragán, with a scupper-like waterfall. “It gives more ambience than flat, still water,” he says. Strategic lighting can enhance the effect—from a fountain oriented toward the sun to soft white LEDs illuminating a weeping wall to sultry neons inside a pool. David lit the Barragán fountain from below to create a dance of light and shadow on the exterior walls. “That’s all visible from the glass foreplay inside,” he adds. A Wiel Arets Architects project, dubbed the Jellyfish House for its ample use of aquatic elements, has a glass-bottom pool on the home’s upper level, casting watery patterns onto the sitting space below.
Ralph Choeff, of Choeff Levy Fischman Architects, also likes bringing water views into the home. But, he recommends caution with aquatic features directly inside in South Florida. “It creates issues with humidity and can interfere with the AC, causing sweating in the ducts,” Ralph says. Though intricate engineering can help offset the con, Ralph’s firm mostly keeps water outside and relies on steady doses of glass to make exterior water features visible inside. They’ll take it a step further, creating the illusion of indoor flows by cutting a slit into the home where water seemingly comes in. “You might have a pool with a shallow channel that extends toward the residence, and the residence is split with a room on either side,” he says. Ralph once installed a glassed-wrapped atrium with a water sculpture garden. Pavers cut across the pebble-lined pool, so residents walk over water through the atrium or around it, to and from the surrounding liveable spaces that overlook the bay. “It creates a different experience each time,” he says.
Courtesy Rene Gonzalez/Venjhamin Reyes
Ralph touches on the spiritual potential for water in the home. “For feng shui- or Vastu Shastra-[mindful] cli - ents, we might use water to balance out a portion of the residence,” he says. Jun Feng Shui owner Jun Sun Filthaut, who consults on the traditional Chinese practice, says water symbolizes good fortune and prosperity. She suggests placing water near the entry at the “dragon side” (to the left, when you’re standing in front of the house, facing out) to enhance abundance. “The water should flow toward the house, not away from it,” she explains. Still, she advises using aquatic features mindfully. “An excess of the water element could create an energy of spaciness and feeling overemotional,” she says.
Courtesy Khoury Vogt Architects
When it comes to water-enhanced transcendent residences, few do it quite like Naples architect Mark Leonardi. In one of his Port Royal homes, a stream follows a limestone wall in the forecourt leading toward the home. As you approach the front door, the wall starts to fragment, and water cascades through, flowing from a fountain inspired by Italian master Carlo Scarpa. In Mark’s designs, aquatic features may begin at the front of the home and continue out back, so the entire building seems to float on water; reflection pools may run along glass walls, visible within; or a faceted glass sculpture may stand in front of a tall window at the end of a hallway, playing off the water and reflecting the sun throughout the space. The architect often uses dark stone to line his water features, enhancing the reflective quality and the element’s organic origins.
Water adds a sensory layer to a design through reflections, sound and spatiality, fostering a distinct sense of tranquility. “It’s something that kind of draws you to it,” says David Corban, the architect behind such projects as Naples’ Celebration Park and Rebecca’s Wine Bar. “That’s why they use it in Japanese gardens to draw you to a certain space.” Architects might also use water to de - fine an area, draw attention, or create a divider, guiding people through a space. “You can move people where you want without putting a wall there,” David says.
Despite—or perhaps because of— water’s potential for greatness, architects advise keeping the overall forms clean. “The sexiest pools are long and lean,” David says. David’s projects are often free of harsh breaks. “Joints are like acne of architecture,” he says. “We do everything we can to get rid of them.” The best water features, he proposes, are seamless.
You can have your watery landscape and enjoy it more, too, by following sustainable practices. While aquatic features (the non-chlorinated kind) can attract wildlife and provide habitat for birds and butterflies, they also require a lot of water. To ensure a more harmonious design, opt for recirculating systems that use the same water for extended periods. Ralph suggests sticking with shallow reflection pools that need less water. Using rocks or pebbles along the bottom also lessens the maintenance load.
Create an aesthetic feature that doubles as a net-positive stormwater retention system, and you’ll do your part to help prevent flooding and keep our waterways clean. Ralph likes to integrate rain gardens, shallow trenches filled with Florida-friendly plants that capture, filter and slowly release water into the aquifers. “At Naples Botanical Garden, water flows off into rain gardens between the two parking areas. People don’t really even think of them as being water retention systems—they’re just areas with nice tropical landscaping,” he says. A naturally treated pond with a waterfall or aerator—to keep water moving and oxygenated—can also qualify.
Courtesy Michael G. Imber Architects/Richard Powel
Ralph notes that we have a particularly special relationship with water in Southwest Florida. “Like with Hurricane Ian, it came in, and it was this sort of malevolent force. Then there are other times, like [last] summer, when we needed water, and it wasn’t there,” he says. Living so closely interlinked with the element keeps us in constant reverence and attuned to its power.