Pool water
25–28°C
Pool water
[ Pool ]
Ornamental and Landscape Pool Builder and Contractor in the UAE and the GCC
Short answer: An ornamental pool is a water feature built to be looked at rather than swum in: a reflecting pool, a landscape pool or a spillway. It still needs a waterproofed shell, filtration and circulation. Sauna Dekor builds them for hotels, developments and villas across the Gulf.
Pool water · 25–28 °CDesign · Manufacturing · Installation5,000+ projects · 41+ countries · since 1987
In brief (November 2026): an ornamental pool is a shallow decorative pool in a courtyard, a lobby or a garden, built for its water surface and reflections rather than for swimming. Like any pool it needs a waterproofed shell, filtration and a plant room; Sauna Dekor builds them for hotels, residential compounds and villas, with a 5-year warranty on structure and waterproofing.
Who it is for: hotel courtyards and lobbies, residential compounds and villa gardens.
Sauna Dekor — saunas, Turkish hammams, steam rooms, salt rooms and pools, manufactured since 1987 in our own facility in İkitelli OSB, Istanbul; 5,000+ projects in 41+ countries.
25–28 °CPool water
[ What to know ]
Olympic pool
50 × 25m
depth at least 2 m, 3 m recommended
Spa pool, for comparison
30°C
30 °C
Manufacturing
Own facility, İkitelli OSB, Istanbul
01 — 143 words
Sauna Dekor builds ornamental, reflecting and landscape pools as a turnkey contractor for hotels, resorts, mixed-use developments and private villas across the Gulf. Manufacturing in Istanbul since 1987 and now in our 40th year, we have delivered water features and wellness packages in 41+ countries. An ornamental pool is a waterproofing and circulation problem dressed as a landscape element — the detailing that keeps it clean is invisible from the terrace.
What is an ornamental pool? An ornamental pool is a water feature built to be looked at rather than swum in: a reflecting pool, a landscape pool with planted or stone edges, or a pool with a water curtain or spillway. In engineering terms it is still a pool. It needs a waterproofed shell, filtration and circulation, overflow or skimmer detailing and, where the water spills over an edge, a balance tank.
02
Sauna Dekor is an ornamental and landscape pool builder and contractor for hotels, resorts and private villas in the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Qatar, manufacturing in Istanbul since 1987.
40Years of experience
Since 198703 — 41 words
Sauna Dekor Spa & Solutions has manufactured in Istanbul for 40 years, since 1987, and builds both decorative ornamental pools and landscape pools. We bring the same build standard to landscape pools that we apply across 5,000+ projects in 41+ countries.
01
Crafting Landscape Pools: A Symphony of Nature and Design
Ornamental and Landscape Pool construction is an intricate process that begins with meticulous planning and excavation. Sauna Dekor specializes in polyethylene lining, ensuring a durable foundation. Our approach involves choosing liners that complement the dimensions of the pond, guaranteeing both functionality and visual appeal. Whether it's a small backyard pool or a larger project, we emphasize details like the appropriate wattage for water pumps, striking a balance between efficiency and cost-effectiveness.
02
Bridging Outdoors and Indoors: The Water Element in Landscape Pools
Water, a fundamental element in landscape architecture, takes center stage in our landscape pool projects. Beyond adding visual pleasure to outdoor spaces, our landscape pools create a serene atmosphere, offering a retreat from the stresses of daily life. Sauna Dekor specializes in creating a diverse ecosystem around the pool, incorporating colorful plants, natural stones, and even fish to enhance the visual appeal. This approach extends seamlessly to indoor living, where the calming effect of water becomes a centerpiece of your home.
03
Landscape Pool: Shaping Your Outdoor Oasis
As a landscaping company with a global footprint, Sauna Dekor Spa Solutions, creating Living Outdoors Pools & Landscape. Our work extends beyond traditional pool landscaping, creating outdoor spaces that seamlessly transition from poolside beauty to lush greenery, elevating your living experience and delivers landscape and pool designs as one scope.
01
Innovative Designs: Small Backyard Pool Designs for Every Space
Sauna Dekor, in collaboration with Living Outdoors Pools & Landscape LLC, brings innovation to small backyard pool designs. Our teams tailor designs to maximize space, creating intimate oases that seamlessly blend with the natural landscape. The result is a small backyard pool that enhances both aesthetics and functionality, allowing you to enjoy the outdoors in the comfort of your home.
02
Pool and Landscape Contractors: Creating Harmonious Outdoor Spaces
Our collaboration extends to pool and landscape contractors who understand the intricacies of designing cohesive outdoor spaces. Sauna Dekor works on Outdoors Pools & Landscape to bring your vision to life, ensuring that pool and landscape designs harmonize with each other, creating a unified and elegant outdoor oasis.
03
Landscape with Pool Design: Transforming Your Outdoor Haven
Sauna Dekor's work in Ornamental and Landscape Pool construction with pool design is a testament to our commitment to transforming your outdoor haven. Our designs encompass a wide array of styles, from classic and elegant to modern and minimalist, ensuring that your landscape with pool seamlessly integrates with the surrounding environment.
04
Explore More Pool Types
See our infinity pools, outdoor pools, and swimming pool solutions. Enhance your landscape with an ice fountain.
05 — 178 words
Ornamental pools are a maintenance decision first
A reflecting pool, a landscape water feature and a koi pond look similar on a drawing and behave very differently once they are filled. A still, shallow, sunlit body of water in a Gulf climate warms quickly, evaporates fast and grows algae unless it is turned over, filtered and dosed. The three decisions that keep it looking the way the render promised are water depth, turnover rate and the finish colour — a dark finish reads as a mirror but runs hotter, a light finish stays cooler but shows every particle.
| Type | What it is for | What it needs |
|---|---|---|
| Reflecting pool | Mirror surface for a facade or courtyard | Shallow depth, dark finish, level edge, wind shelter |
| Cascade / weir feature | Sound and movement | Pump duty, level weir, splash containment, scale control |
| Planted / natural pond | Landscape and biodiversity | Biological filtration, aeration, planting shelves, liner detail |
| Koi pond | Fish keeping | Larger depth, dedicated biofilter and UV, no copper-based chemistry |
| Fountain / jet feature | Focal point | Wind-off control, low-level lighting, accessible nozzle service |
06 — 95 words
Detailing that stays invisible
Tanking, movement joints, edge details and the position of the plant chamber are what separate a water feature that still looks good in its fifth summer from one that is drained. The circulation principles are the same as for a swimming pool and are set out in water circulation in a pool; the cleaning and chemistry regime follows pool maintenance. Where a client asks about salt systems for a landscape pool, the trade-offs are covered in salt water pools, and the regional water and climate constraints in swimming pools in Dubai.
07 — 149 words
Who builds an ornamental pool, where the works are made, and who makes the plant
The shell, the waterproofing, the edge detail and the stone or mosaic finish of an ornamental or landscape pool are built and installed by Sauna Dekor, and the fitted stone and metalwork are made in the company’s own workshop at İkitelli OSB, Başakşehir, Istanbul by nineteen people. The same company commissions the pool in the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Qatar. Sauna Dekor has manufactured since 1987, is in its fortieth year and has completed work in 41+ countries.
The circulation pumps, the underwater lighting, the filtration and the dosing plant are bought-in equipment made by their own manufacturers and supplied with those manufacturers’ certification. Sauna Dekor’s own certificate is TS EN ISO 9001:2015, covering the manufacture of sauna and spa products and after-sales service.
An ornamental pool is a maintenance decision before it is a landscape one; the shared scope behind every pool type is set out here.
Comparison
Pool water temperatures compared
Water temperatures of the pools we build. Competition pools follow the World Aquatics range; a spa pool runs warmer; a cold plunge closes the circuit.
| Pool | Water temperature | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Competition swimming pool | Water 25–28 °C | World Aquatics |
| Spa / hydrotherapy pool | Water 30 °C | Typical operating value |
| Cold plunge pool | Water 2–15 °C | Built to the specified setpoint |
Sources: Sauna Dekor approved operating values (October 2026); competition pools: World Aquatics Facilities Rules FR 2.
Comparison
How do the pool types differ in size, water edge, shell and finish?
Pools differ by how the water surface is skimmed and how the body is built. Overflow and finish are chosen after the sizing and the hydraulics, not before.
| Type | What defines it | Water edge | Shell and finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| Swimming pool | Sized to its use, the space and the budget | Skimmer or overflow | Concrete or shotcrete shell; glass mosaic, porcelain, liner or natural stone |
| Indoor swimming pool | Humidity and ventilation designed with the pool | Skimmer or overflow | Concrete shell; finish chosen for an enclosed hall |
| Olympic pool | 50 × 25 m, depth at least 2 m (3 m recommended), 8 lanes of 2.5 m plus 2 empty lanes | Overflow channel around the pool | World Aquatics Facilities Rules |
| Infinity pool | One edge ends in a weir below the water line | Catch channel and balance tank | Concrete shell; the edge is levelled precisely |
| Prefabricated pool | Pool body made in one piece, delivered ready to install | Integrated skimmer | Fibreglass or precast shell |
| Outdoor swimming pool | Planned to the size and the ground of the site | Skimmer or overflow | Excavation, waterproofing, concrete and lining |
| Ornamental and landscape pool | Decorative water planned with the landscape | — | Waterproof liner |
Sources: Olympic dimensions — World Aquatics Facilities Rules FR 2; Sauna Dekor pool construction scope.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
How deep should a reflecting pool be?
Shallow — typically 100 to 250 mm of visible water over a dark finish, with the working depth and the plant connections hidden in a separate chamber. Deeper water does not improve the reflection and makes the feature slower to warm, slower to clean and harder to keep clear.
How is an ornamental pool kept clear in a hot climate?
Continuous turnover through filtration, controlled chemistry or biological filtration depending on type, and UV or ozone where planting or fish rule out conventional dosing. Shading, water depth and finish colour all change how hard the plant has to work, which is why they are chosen with the filtration rather than after it.
Can a landscape pool hold fish and plants?
Yes, but it becomes a different system. A planted or koi pond needs biological filtration, aeration, greater depth for temperature stability, and chemistry that is safe for livestock, which rules out the copper-based algaecides used in ornamental water. That decision has to be made before the shell is built, not after stocking.
How long does an ornamental pool take to build?
A courtyard-scale reflecting pool or cascade runs roughly 8–14 weeks from approved drawings to handover, covering shell, tanking, plant, finishes and commissioning. Larger landscape schemes are programmed against the hard landscaping and the irrigation works around them.
Which countries do you deliver landscape water features in?
Across the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the wider GCC as a turnkey contractor, and as a supplier with supervision further afield — we have worked in 41+ countries from our Istanbul base since 1987.
Last updated: 12 November 2026
From our portfolio
Pool projects
Rooms we manufactured in Istanbul and installed with our own team. Each frame opens the project page.
All projects
Gallery
Pool examples
Get a quote for a pool
Send us the room size and ceiling height; we will work out the scope and the budget range with you.
Last updated: 12 November 2026