Thank you Alvin and Ginny for sharing the experience of building your swimming pool dreams
Pool - mid-sized mediterranean backyard stone and rectangular lap pool idea in San Francisco

Ambient Elements creates conscious designs for innovative spaces by combining superior craftsmanship, advanced engineering and unique concepts while providing the ultimate wellness experience. We design and build outdoor kitchens, saunas, infrared saunas, steam rooms, hammams, cryo chambers, salt rooms, snow rooms and many other hyperthermic conditioning modalities.

This Gulf facing property is nestled among a native Cabbage Palm hammock, supplemented with new palms and native grasses, sea grapes and other salt-tolerant native vegetation. The view from the home gives the user a true native beachfront experience.

Set on a narrow hillside lot overlooking the San Francisco Bay in Point Richmond, California, Bay Heirloom is a Mid-Century Modern family home restored, modernized and adapted for contemporary living. Oriented south-southwest toward the Marin Headlands, with views of the Golden Gate Bridge, the residence captures shifting Bay light throughout the day, from fog-muted mornings to vivid, glowing sunsets. The home was built by Karlyn Neel’s grandfather, the owner of the construction company Flo-Crete, one of the Bay Area’s early concrete pumping firms. Flo-Crete completed the foundation and structural concrete work, with family photographs documenting the original cinderblock walls and pours. The firm also contributed to major regional infrastructure projects, including the Transbay BART tube and Candlestick Park, situating the house within a broader legacy of Bay Area construction. Growing up, Neel spent considerable time in the home, developing an early appreciation for mid-century modern principles. Instead of parting with this family heirloom, she purchased the home from her grandfather’s estate. While her grandfather continued to live in the Point Richmond house, Neel purchased a Mid-Century Modern residence in Palm Desert. In contrast to the Bay Area’s cool temperatures, salt air, and persistent winds, the desert home is shaped by heat and sun and requires a different material response. A substantial renovation she led there emphasized thermal performance, filtered light, and restrained detailing. The experience later informed the restoration of her Bay Area family home. What began as a modest Mid-Century Modern update expanded when decades of exposure to marine conditions revealed leaks and significant structural and seismic deficiencies. Neel was determined to honor her grandfather’s perseverance and without hesitation pivoted to a much more intensive project. Addressing these challenges required close coordination between Neel, Klopf Architecture and Kasten Builders, with architectural restraint and construction precision guiding each intervention. Rather than alter the home’s defining features, the project focused on reinforcing the structure from within. Discreet beams were embedded along the rear facade and in an upstairs wall, strengthening the building while maximizing the wall of glass facing the Bay and opening the wall between the kitchen and the living space. These structural interventions allowed the space to open fully to the Bay without visual interruption, with the kitchen repositioned as the social and functional core of an open, continuous living space. The building envelope was updated using weather- and corrosion-resistant materials appropriate to the marine environment. The house unfolds vertically from the street, beginning with a modest garage level and workshop, with the main living spaces located below. Original slate flooring at the entry was preserved, along with select furnishings and artwork collected by Neel’s grandfather, anchoring the restored interior in its past. A restrained palette of black accents and pale, natural finishes replaces darker wood tones, reinforcing openness and calm. A naturally illuminated stair connects to the lowest level, where a former basement was transformed into a guest suite and family room opening onto a deck. From there, steps lead directly to a small concrete boat ramp at the water’s edge. Throughout the project, decisions were guided by continuity rather than transformation for its own sake. Lessons drawn from both desert and coastal climates informed a material strategy rooted in performance and restraint. Bay Heirloom stands as a measured evolution of a family house, structurally renewed and carefully modernized, grounded in the discipline and care that first shaped it. Klopf Architecture Project Team: John Klopf, AIA, Angela Todorova and Fernanda Bernardes Landscape Architect: Huettl Landscape Architecture General Contractor: Kasten Builders Photography: ©2025 Mariko Reed Year Completed: 2022 Location: Point Richmond, CA

Thank you Alvin and Ginny for sharing the experience of building your swimming pool dreams
Mid-sized tuscan backyard stone and rectangular lap pool photo in San Francisco

The Envoy® NXT is a great choice if you desire a large lounge spa with high-performance features, powerful full-body massage, and a look that will enhance your outdoor space. As a part of the Highlife® Collection, the Envoy NXT also offers the very best in energy-efficiency, and is available with the ACE® salt water system, all to provide you with The Absolute Best Hot Tub Ownership Experience®.

Ambient Elements creates conscious designs for innovative spaces by combining superior craftsmanship, advanced engineering and unique concepts while providing the ultimate wellness experience. We design and build outdoor kitchens, saunas, infrared saunas, steam rooms, hammams, cryo chambers, salt rooms, snow rooms and many other hyperthermic conditioning modalities.

Alpha Wellness Sensations is the world's leading manufacturer of custom saunas, luxury infrared cabins, professional steam rooms, immersive salt caves, built-in ice chambers and experience showers for residential and commercial clients. Our company is the dominating custom wellness provider in Europe for more than 35 years. All of our products are fabricated in Europe, 100% hand-crafted and fully compliant with EU’s rigorous product safety standards. We use only certified wood suppliers and have our own research & engineering facility where we developed our proprietary heating mediums. We keep our wood organically clean and never use in production any glues, polishers, pesticides, sealers or preservatives.

Congratulations to the family that allowed us to transform their kitchen space! We managed to complete this remodel - just in time for them to bring a beautiful baby girl into this world! It was quite an amazing experience to design and remodel this home with our new Medallion Cabinetry product line. The main area of cabinetry features our Gold Line in Park Place door style, in the color Sea Salt with Pewter Highlight. Their new 7ft island is our Appaloosa Peppercorn with matching island legs. New Vista managed this project from start to finish, including all permits required by the local building department. The previous 20ft wall had been located from the area of the remaining post to the window to the right of the sink, shown in these photos. Proper removal of this wall did require a structurally sound weight load transfer in the attic. Safety comes first! Also included: Granite counters, new appliances, brick style backsplash, flooring, gas line/plumbing/electrical relocation, can lighting and new plumbing fixtures. Our CAD drawings are proving to be incredibly helpful in the design process of our remodels, allowing customers to really SEE what they can do with the space they have! This project had closed without any change orders and the total time encompassed exactly 8wks - from demolition to final inspection!

Alpha Wellness Sensations is the world's leading manufacturer of custom saunas, luxury infrared cabins, professional steam rooms, immersive salt caves, built-in ice chambers and experience showers for residential and commercial clients. Our company is the dominating custom wellness provider in Europe for more than 35 years. All of our products are fabricated in Europe, 100% hand-crafted and fully compliant with EU’s rigorous product safety standards. We use only certified wood suppliers and have our own research & engineering facility where we developed our proprietary heating mediums. We keep our wood organically clean and never use in production any glues, polishers, pesticides, sealers or preservatives.

This Doylestown, PA pool has a unique Tiki Bar. In addition it has all the water features an in ground pool can have, a huge paver patio pool deck, a fire feature, and to top it all off a low voltage lighting system that really brings the party to life at night. Lets not forget the pool house, and matching paver stone driveway entrance. This outdoor living space has it all and then some. A very impressive space. The water features include a raised heated spa, a large sun-shelf, a cozy corner, a boulder waterfall, water jet streams, and colored led night lights. The fire feature includes a natural boulder fire pit which is both elemental and essential to make this space a well rounded outdoor experience. A unique feature is the Tiki bar hut which just makes such a cool element for entertaining guests during parties. Lastly, a convenient pool house makes this place stand out as an awesome pool project.

Alpha Wellness Sensations is the world's leading manufacturer of custom saunas, luxury infrared cabins, professional steam rooms, immersive salt caves, built-in ice chambers and experience showers for residential and commercial clients. Our company is the dominating custom wellness provider in Europe for more than 35 years. All of our products are fabricated in Europe, 100% hand-crafted and fully compliant with EU’s rigorous product safety standards. We use only certified wood suppliers and have our own research & engineering facility where we developed our proprietary heating mediums. We keep our wood organically clean and never use in production any glues, polishers, pesticides, sealers or preservatives.

Ambient Elements creates conscious designs for innovative spaces by combining superior craftsmanship, advanced engineering and unique concepts while providing the ultimate wellness experience. We design and build saunas, infrared saunas, steam rooms, hammams, cryo chambers, salt rooms, snow rooms and many other hyperthermic conditioning modalities.

This Doylestown, PA pool has a unique Tiki Bar. In addition it has all the water features an in ground pool can have, a huge paver patio pool deck, a fire feature, and to top it all off a low voltage lighting system that really brings the party to life at night. Lets not forget the pool house, and matching paver stone driveway entrance. This outdoor living space has it all and then some. A very impressive space. The water features include a raised heated spa, a large sun-shelf, a cozy corner, a boulder waterfall, water jet streams, and colored led night lights. The fire feature includes a natural boulder fire pit which is both elemental and essential to make this space a well rounded outdoor experience. A unique feature is the Tiki bar hut which just makes such a cool element for entertaining guests during parties. Lastly, a convenient pool house makes this place stand out as an awesome pool project.

Gunite swimming pool was built in Coram, NY by Gappsi. This gunite swimming pool was built in Coram, NY by Gappsi. The construction design layout, created by Giuseppe Abbrancati, consists of 10 inch walls and an 8 inch floor with 5,000 PSI dry-shot cement mix. The travertine pavers surrounding the pool were installed on 4 inches of poured concrete base and one inch of clean sand. The joints between pavers were filled with polymeric sand.This gunite swimming pool was built to accommodate the clients wishes. It measures over 1,400 sq ft of surface area, and has a depth going from 46 to 50 inches deep. The Fiorito used for the pool coping and surrounding patio is one of the most beautiful travertine patterns selected from the Gappsi Natural Stone Showroom collection. The pool design also incorporates a large sundeck that features a jet bubbler. It is entertaining for the kids and also serves as small water fountain feature in the center of the sundeck.The deep end of the gunite swimming pool contains a free form stairs and bench design. The plaster finish applied on the swimming pool walls is Diamond Brite Tahiti Blue, which is a combination of Tahoe Blue and Super Blue Diamond Brite quartz finishes. 6x6 inch tiles were installed at the water line and 3x3 inch tiles were used as markers at the edges of the steps and benches.The pool has many options starting with 3 large LED lights in the pool, one small light in the sundeck step, and the bubbler used in the sundeck has a light as well. The entire gunite swimming pool has a full automation system that works from a smart phone, allowing the customer to control the gas heater, salt chlorine generator, and Ozone system. On the outside of the pool, a wood-burning fire pit was built with firebricks and veneered with travertine. And at the deep end, a Inter-Fab X-Stream 2 pool slide was installed. Letter From Customer Our experience with Gappsi began in August., 2017 and it was purely by chance. My husband found their website, and dropped by their business after setting up an appointment with another pool builder down the block from them. Immediately upon walking into their place of business, he received a hospitable reception which gave him the “warm and fuzzy” feeling he likes to get when doing a business transaction. This is his indication of an honest, trustworthy company. And his intuition proved to be right. Having spent months prior doing research, we knew exactly what we wanted, a gunite pool to fit the existing landscape of our nice sized yard. The owner, Giuseppe Abbrancati, came out, took notes and pictures of our yard, and within a week, had computer generated renderings, which we were able to modify on the spot. Giuseppe and his son, Emanuele, did a phenomenal job at giving us exactly what we wanted, instead of trying to sell us on the expensive add-on features that we didn’t want. And what that enabled us to do was go bigger with our free-form design, one of the largest residential gunite pools they had done and at a very reasonable price. The only major hiccup was when their project manager had to be replaced, but once that hurdle was overcome, the newly assigned project manager, Tosh, made sure getting our pool, the gas lines, the electrical, the masonry, the sodding and landscaping were all completed in time for the opening of our pool in June, 2018. We are delighted and thrilled beyond measure at our resort style backyard. We would recommend Gappsi, a family-run business, to all!! Thanks for making our home the “destination stay-cation” of Coram, NY for our family and friends!! Everyone is in awe when they see it!

Ambient Elements creates conscious designs for innovative spaces by combining superior craftsmanship, advanced engineering and unique concepts while providing the ultimate wellness experience. We design and build outdoor kitchens, saunas, infrared saunas, steam rooms, hammams, cryo chambers, salt rooms, snow rooms and many other hyperthermic conditioning modalities.

A vibrant yellow solid-core front door opens into a private alcove patio hidden from the main house. White outdoor chairs, cedar eaves, and dark thermal wood siding create a warm and modern entry sequence for this ADU by MAK Design+Build.

This Doylestown, PA pool has a unique Tiki Bar. In addition it has all the water features an in ground pool can have, a huge paver patio pool deck, a fire feature, and to top it all off a low voltage lighting system that really brings the party to life at night. Lets not forget the pool house, and matching paver stone driveway entrance. This outdoor living space has it all and then some. A very impressive space. The water features include a raised heated spa, a large sun-shelf, a cozy corner, a boulder waterfall, water jet streams, and colored led night lights. The fire feature includes a natural boulder fire pit which is both elemental and essential to make this space a well rounded outdoor experience. A unique feature is the Tiki bar hut which just makes such a cool element for entertaining guests during parties. Lastly, a convenient pool house makes this place stand out as an awesome pool project.

Set on a narrow hillside lot overlooking the San Francisco Bay in Point Richmond, California, Bay Heirloom is a Mid-Century Modern family home restored, modernized and adapted for contemporary living. Oriented south-southwest toward the Marin Headlands, with views of the Golden Gate Bridge, the residence captures shifting Bay light throughout the day, from fog-muted mornings to vivid, glowing sunsets. The home was built by Karlyn Neel’s grandfather, the owner of the construction company Flo-Crete, one of the Bay Area’s early concrete pumping firms. Flo-Crete completed the foundation and structural concrete work, with family photographs documenting the original cinderblock walls and pours. The firm also contributed to major regional infrastructure projects, including the Transbay BART tube and Candlestick Park, situating the house within a broader legacy of Bay Area construction. Growing up, Neel spent considerable time in the home, developing an early appreciation for mid-century modern principles. Instead of parting with this family heirloom, she purchased the home from her grandfather’s estate. While her grandfather continued to live in the Point Richmond house, Neel purchased a Mid-Century Modern residence in Palm Desert. In contrast to the Bay Area’s cool temperatures, salt air, and persistent winds, the desert home is shaped by heat and sun and requires a different material response. A substantial renovation she led there emphasized thermal performance, filtered light, and restrained detailing. The experience later informed the restoration of her Bay Area family home. What began as a modest Mid-Century Modern update expanded when decades of exposure to marine conditions revealed leaks and significant structural and seismic deficiencies. Neel was determined to honor her grandfather’s perseverance and without hesitation pivoted to a much more intensive project. Addressing these challenges required close coordination between Neel, Klopf Architecture and Kasten Builders, with architectural restraint and construction precision guiding each intervention. Rather than alter the home’s defining features, the project focused on reinforcing the structure from within. Discreet beams were embedded along the rear facade and in an upstairs wall, strengthening the building while maximizing the wall of glass facing the Bay and opening the wall between the kitchen and the living space. These structural interventions allowed the space to open fully to the Bay without visual interruption, with the kitchen repositioned as the social and functional core of an open, continuous living space. The building envelope was updated using weather- and corrosion-resistant materials appropriate to the marine environment. The house unfolds vertically from the street, beginning with a modest garage level and workshop, with the main living spaces located below. Original slate flooring at the entry was preserved, along with select furnishings and artwork collected by Neel’s grandfather, anchoring the restored interior in its past. A restrained palette of black accents and pale, natural finishes replaces darker wood tones, reinforcing openness and calm. A naturally illuminated stair connects to the lowest level, where a former basement was transformed into a guest suite and family room opening onto a deck. From there, steps lead directly to a small concrete boat ramp at the water’s edge. Throughout the project, decisions were guided by continuity rather than transformation for its own sake. Lessons drawn from both desert and coastal climates informed a material strategy rooted in performance and restraint. Bay Heirloom stands as a measured evolution of a family house, structurally renewed and carefully modernized, grounded in the discipline and care that first shaped it. Klopf Architecture Project Team: John Klopf, AIA, Angela Todorova and Fernanda Bernardes Landscape Architect: Huettl Landscape Architecture General Contractor: Kasten Builders Photography: ©2025 Mariko Reed Year Completed: 2022 Location: Point Richmond, CA