The Dacha

Our Projects
Written By Kim Manunui

Designed to maximise both the lake views from the home and the experience from within the pool, this custom hillside project balances thoughtful engineering with careful integration into the landscape.

 

2026 SPASA NZ Award

Highly commended: Fibreglass lap pool

Perched on a hillside overlooking the lake, this custom pool was designed to make the view the hero — both from the water and from the home above. The brief was clear: create a pool that celebrates the landscape without interrupting the sightlines from the house.

To achieve this, the pool was carefully positioned below the home and built into the hillside at precisely the right level. From the water, swimmers enjoy a seamless outlook across the lake, where the pool’s surface appears to merge with the natural landscape beyond. At the same time, the pool sits low enough in the terrain that it never intrudes on the panoramic views from the house.

Building into the slope required thoughtful engineering and site stabilisation. Robust retaining structures were integrated into the landscape design to support the pool while keeping structural elements discreetly hidden. The retaining wall on the lake side also created a unique advantage — its height and smooth vertical face removed the need for safety barriers in that direction, allowing uninterrupted views from the pool across the water.

The pool layout itself was intentionally simple, allowing the elevated setting and surrounding scenery to take centre stage. Equipment was cleverly housed in a bunker close to the pool, improving efficiency and reducing installation costs by keeping pumps and filtration nearby.

Finished with materials chosen to complement the home’s stone façade and contemporary detailing, the pool forms a neat extension of the property’s design — a refined, luxurious space where water, architecture, and landscape meet.

Pool size & depth: 17m x 3.3m

Pool features:

  • Fresh water salt unit by Filtermaster

  • Speck pump

  • PAL lighting system

  • Filtermaster filter tank

  • Bowman heat changer

Pool build: Mayfair Pools Otago & Southland - Pisa Pools

Architect: Eliška Lewis Architects

Photographer: Simon Larkin

Kim Manunui

Hi, I’m Kim and I work with a great team to help individuals, as well as small and not so small businesses get their message, product and services to the world using digital media and creating wonderful websites that don’t cost the earth.

I was born in Canada, and grew up around Vancouver and the mountains of British Columbia. My love of pristine environments led me to New Zealand and eventually to the mountains, lakes and rivers of the central North Island which is home. My family’s heritage is here, and it’s from here that Korio traverses the planet.

The digital world is never static and neither are we.

And I say ‘we’ because I work with an awesome group of talented people who I gather together as required to complete a project.  Whatever your business, not-for-profit or individual needs are we gather the best team to get the job done.

Collaboratively we are creative, share sustainable values and work hard for great outcomes because that’s the buzz of satisfaction that drives us.

If you have an audience and market to reach, we can make that happen. Creative design, words that work and smart behind the scenes stuff that cuts through the online noise. We’ll design your website and then build it. We’ll manage the content as well as all your hosting needs. We can handle your online advertising so you get noticed,
and we’ll manage your social media presence so you get the clicks, likes and engagement to grow your business. All within the budget you set, because none of this needs to cost the earth.  And the job doesn’t stop when your website goes live. We are your virtual business partner.

https://www.korio.co.nz
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