GREEN LIVING
Denley, Managing Director at Dubai’s Desert INK, offers keen insight. “There will be a shift towards simplicity. Landscapes of 2017 will be more focused on delivering value,” he explains.
“Solar-powered products, living walls and biophilic design, and rustic and industrial style design, are three of the top outdoor design trends,” suggests Managing Director and Head Designer of Terra Verde, Nehme J Moujaes.
His other 2017 trend suggestions include “fully integrated outdoor kitchens, salt water and ozone swimming pools, and swim jets and lap pools.”
Outdoor dining is also connected to planting trends in the garden in 2017, according to Nakkash: “Edible gardens will become more popular as homeowners look to create outdoor spaces that are visually appealing and provide healthy, natural produce.”
Sustainability is also key, according to Denley: “This is not only inevitable due to increasing maintenance costs and public awareness, but can be read as a sign of designers and end-users in the region maturing.”
His essential elements for outdoor living in 2017 include shading, water and lighting. Pools are defying standard shapes and blue glass mosaic tiles. “Now they incorporate infinity edges, planters, shallow decks, flush edges and decking. We pioneered several new finishes and 2017 will see several of our pools being constructed using new stone claddings and an innovative resin-bound aggregate material,” he says.
Zucchetti. Kos Group received the Good Design Award 2016 for embracing these news shapes. Their Quadrat pool, designed by Ludovica+Roberto Palomba, is an infinity-edge outdoor/indoor minipool featuring an absolute and sculpted geometry that makes it appear like a shape suspended in space.
Lighting should also be thought about expansively. “Well-considered lighting extends the use of the space into the hours of darkness,” says Denley. “Less is more. A common mistake is to illuminate the entire space with light, which kills any sense of discovery or atmosphere.”
Nakkash also sees a convergence of elements. “The gorgeous mix of fire and water is making a big statement this year. Fire features like fire bowls, fire orbs and fireplaces are built right into pools to create a wonderful interplay.”
And given the range of outdoor activity, outdoor showers are a necessity. According to Hansgrohe, "The sky, foliage, earth, water and other outdoor elements make us feel refreshed and calm – therefore natural materials, trees and plants are encroaching ever further into the bathroom space."
Cracknell’s Senior Design Director, Rob Shakespeare, sees a direct connection to health and wellness. “Ongoing development of bike trails, jogging tracks and other recreation facilities has moved people outdoors,” he says.
But it’s also about mental health and cultural immersion. “Public art and artistic furnishings create interest and potentially becomes an interactive element. It gives a space identity and recognition,” Shakespeare explains.
Forward-thinking galleries like Nakkash are on trend. This year the gallery unveiled a disruptive installation entitled ‘Chic Sheep’, which saw 100 sheep dispersed across d3’s community and then sold, with all proceeds going to the Al Jalila Cultural Centre for Children.
Shakespeare also foresees the use of focal planting. “We often propose that a unique tree or focal tree is used to give a space a real identity.”
But it’s the integration of technology that is pushing boundaries. “We try to create options that combine multiple elements within the pool, including shallow deck lounging spaces with contoured bases, bubble pools and decks, wide seating steps, seating pockets and linear seating. We also try to give our pools a unique look using LED lights, or star effect lights in the pool base,” says Shakespeare.
“We have also been developing ideas that use compressed air to create pixelated patterns in water, and can be linked to a Bluetooth beacon. For example, the public could take a ‘selfie’, which would then appear as a pixelated pattern in the water: Water as live art,” he explains.