There are certain luxury items that become necessities, rather than enjoyable amenities, for the very wealthy. From heated bathroom floors to parking elevators that you take up to your apartment (whilst you remain in the driver’s seat), conveniences that seem outrageous to the 99% quickly transform into must-haves for the remaining 1%. The latest to join the ranks of the absolutely-essential to the elite is the disappearing pool, also known as the hydro floor. Initially designed to accommodate the monied masses living in congested cities and therefore dealing with space limitations (think New Yorkers, Londoners and the like), these technological marvels have become the de rigeur feature of interior design to show off to neighbors and friends in certain ZIP codes. The video below shows one example of how these statement amenities work.
The wooden deck version featured was designed by Agor Engineering Enterprises Ltd, and it turns what looks like just slats of timber into a full-size swimming pool through use of a hydraulic system. The firm mainly constructs what they term “moveable floors” in private residences in Israel and London (again, areas where space is a concern and which prize any innovation that makes a single space multi-use), and their portfolio features various moveable floors in a variety of sophisticated residences. As is frequently the case with consumer goods too precious for the average purchaser, the price is “available upon request.”
Agor isn’t the only company designing and building these features, and it doesn’t seem that any version can be had in a middle-income home. Indoor versions can cost up to half a million dollars, depending on how extravagant the design. Of course, as with any product new to the market, certain concerns do exist, but those are dismissed with different technological advances in materials and design. Worries about aging and splintering are assuaged by designing decks with specially engineered lumber that does not splinter, and maintenance becomes a nonissue because filtration systems run constantly beneath the hydro floors, keeping the water clean and at a predetermined temperature.
From wooden outdoor decks to beautiful indoor tiles, there are several options for the newest must-have in pricey homes. It won’t be long before every million-dollar-plus home features a hydro floor – you heard it here first.
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