The hortus conclusus of water

A swimming pond at the heart of a sheltered garden, set against the backdrop of the Berchtesgaden Alps.

Location	Berchtesgaden
Size	1,000 m²
Design	Hans Rampf (landscape architect)
Implementation	Fuchs baut Gärten GmbH – Gärtner von Eden
Photography	Klas Stöver
Award	“Gärten des Jahres” 2021 (Callwey) – nominated and published in the book · View the project in the competition

“The naturally designed swimming pond has not only improved the look of the garden. The microclimate has improved as well.”

— Hans Rampf

At the centre is a swimming pond right next to the house and the Zuhäusl (annex), with its wide glass front. A large regeneration zone keeps the water clean without chemicals; water lilies, marsh marigolds, reeds and irises line the pond. Reflections of light open up the narrow space – a quiet retreat and a place for swimming fun in one.

The garden belongs to extreme mountaineer Thomas Huber of the Huberbuam. He tells the story of how the idea came about himself in our video Conversation in the garden: without the natural pool at Aschauerweiher, which we also built, he would never have thought of wanting a swimming pond in his own garden. A public pool thus became a private pond – built by the same people.

It all began with a move: the family moved into the mother's childhood home, and the garden behind it lay neglected. The swimming pond had long been a dream – it was included in the plans for the redesign from the start and is now the heart of the property.

The installation in numbers

From the project data sheet of our system partner BIOTOP for this installation.

Swimming area	45 m²
Mineral filter area	48 m²
Total volume	120 m³
Construction	Masonry construction with liner waterproofing (“Mauer Finish”)
Liner	anthracite
Surface cleaning	Arc-screen skimmer
Water circuit	Circulation pump Optimax 20,000, biofilter Universal eco 4,000
Additionally	Spring stone pump Universal eco 4,000
Lighting	one LED underwater spotlight

One figure is worth a second look: the mineral filter and the swimming area are practically the same size here – 48 versus 45 square metres. That is exactly why the water stays stable without chemicals: the planted and filter area removes the same nutrients that algae live on, and the more of it there is, the greater the buffer in hot weather, with falling leaves or with many bathers. It is also the answer to why a swimming pond needs more space than a pool – you build the treatment plant in at the same time, except that it looks like a piece of nature. How it works technically is explained on the Swimming Pond page.

★★★★★

“After we moved, redesigning the garden was next on the list. With the swimming pond, we fulfilled a long-cherished dream. The wonderful thing about it is that it has filled our garden with life: it has become an absolute magnet that simply draws in our children and their friends. It is simply great to see the joy it brings to every member of the family. As a family, we wanted our garden to be natural, authentic and honest, and our swimming pond fits that perfectly. When we all sit together by the campfire in the evening, enjoying the view of the water and the surrounding mountains, everything just feels right, and we are certain: with this decision, we got everything right!”

— Thomas Huber, client – approved customer testimonial from the press