Natural Swimming Pools, Swim Ponds & Water Features.
Create a place to swim, unwind, and live beside water. AE Outdoor Living designs natural swimming pools, living swim ponds, pondless waterfalls, and architectural water features as part of one complete Arizona outdoor environment.
Image above is design inspiration. AE will use approved project photography in “Our Work” sections.
Start with the experience — not the equipment.
Not every water project should be a swim pond, and a swim pond is not simply a pool with rocks around it. The right system depends on how you want to use the water, how natural or architectural you want it to look, the available space, the site conditions, and the level of care you are comfortable with. We help you choose the right type before we design the details.
Six ways to live beside water.
Natural Swimming Pools
A swim-first experience with clean water, a pool-like layout, and biological and mechanical treatment tailored to the project.
Explore
Living Swim Ponds
An organic swimming environment with planted edges, natural stone, and a stronger connection to the landscape.
Explore
Pondless Waterfalls & Streams
Moving water and natural sound with a hidden underground reservoir and no exposed pond at the base.
Explore
Architectural Water Features
Water walls, spillways, bowls, fountains, rills, and custom hardscape-integrated features.
Explore
OASE Water Systems
Project-specific pumps, skimming, filtration, lighting, controls, and water-management components from OASE or Atlantic-OASE when appropriate.
ExploreService & Renovation
Commissioning, troubleshooting, equipment upgrades, cleaning, seasonal care, and maintenance plans.
ExploreBeautiful water requires a real system.
These projects are not maintenance-free. A natural pool or swim pond is a living or highly technical water system. The right design can create exceptional clarity, movement, sound, and beauty. A poorly sized or poorly maintained system can become an expensive problem.
Our process starts with the property, water source, sun, wind, heat, bather load, access, desired appearance, and long-term care plan — not with a pump selected from a catalog.
Which water environment fits you?
Natural Pool+
- Primary use
- Swimming
- Visual style
- Clean to softly natural
- Swim capability
- Yes — dedicated swim zone
- Planting level
- Optional / hybrid
- Typical space
- Pool-scale footprint plus treatment
- Water treatment
- Biological + mechanical
- Day-to-day look
- Stable, swim-ready
- Care expectation
- Active operating system + service plan
- Best fit
- Swim-first, design-led owners
Swim Pond+
- Primary use
- Swimming + living habitat
- Visual style
- Organic, planted, landscape-first
- Swim capability
- Yes — separate swim zone
- Planting level
- Significant planted zone
- Typical space
- Larger overall footprint
- Water treatment
- Biological + mechanical
- Day-to-day look
- Seasonal variation expected
- Care expectation
- Active ecosystem + service plan
- Best fit
- Owners who want a living landscape
Pondless Waterfall+
- Primary use
- Sound, movement, focal point
- Visual style
- Natural cascade or modern spillway
- Swim capability
- No
- Planting level
- Surrounding planting only
- Typical space
- Compact to moderate
- Water treatment
- Mechanical / circulating
- Day-to-day look
- Stable, weather-dependent
- Care expectation
- Periodic service + autofill
- Best fit
- Sound + curb appeal
Architectural Feature+
- Primary use
- Visual focal point
- Visual style
- Architectural, hardscape-integrated
- Swim capability
- No
- Planting level
- Surrounding planting only
- Typical space
- Compact to moderate
- Water treatment
- Mechanical / circulating
- Day-to-day look
- Stable, architectural
- Care expectation
- Periodic service + autofill
- Best fit
- Modern hardscape projects
Conventional Pool+
- Primary use
- Swimming
- Visual style
- Architectural to resort
- Swim capability
- Yes
- Planting level
- Surrounding planting only
- Typical space
- Pool-scale footprint
- Water treatment
- Chlorine + filtration
- Day-to-day look
- Stable, swim-ready
- Care expectation
- Regular pool service
- Best fit
- Traditional swim-only
Designed for desert reality.
Heat and sun
Circulation, shade, equipment loads, and material selection must account for Arizona conditions.
Evaporation and wind
Exposed water, splash, waterfalls, and wind affect water use; design should control unnecessary loss.
Hard water and scale
Accessible equipment, cleanable details, source-water review, and maintenance planning matter.
Dust and monsoon debris
Skimming, prefiltration, drainage, and stormwater control are part of the design.
Plant selection
Use plants and planting media appropriate for the climate and selected treatment system.
Leak awareness
Autofill should not hide water loss; include meter, monitoring, or inspection provisions where appropriate.
Arizona does not make these projects impossible. It makes disciplined design non-negotiable.
Engineered water movement, filtration & control.
AE can specify OASE and Atlantic-OASE components when they are the right fit for the design. Equipment may include pumps, skimmers, prefilters, biological filtration, drum filtration, spillways, lighting, aeration, and smart controls. The equipment package is selected after the hydraulic and maintenance plan — not before it.
Explore Water-System TechnologyProduct selection, availability, warranties, and final specifications are project-specific. Brand references do not imply certification or exclusivity unless expressly stated.
Is this the right project for you?
- Want a custom environment rather than a commodity pool or fountain
- Value landscape integration, natural materials, and water sound
- Understand that water quality and appearance require an operating system and care plan
- Want one team coordinating pool, landscape, hardscape, lighting, glass, and construction
- Are willing to make decisions based on site conditions rather than forcing a one-size-fits-all package
- Only want the lowest upfront price
- Expect no maintenance, no insects, no wildlife, and no seasonal variation
- Want a detailed construction quote from a photo or a square-foot number
- Want fish and swimming water combined without a specialized design
- Are unwilling to follow the commissioning and care plan
We would rather tell you the truth before design than sell you the wrong system.
From first idea to finished water environment.
- 1
Fit Call
15–20 minutes to confirm project type, property, location, timing, and investment mindset.
- 2
Site & Water Assessment
Access, elevations, sun, wind, drainage, source water, utilities, and existing conditions documented on site.
- 3
Concept & 3D Design
Layout, water experience, landscape integration, preliminary system concept, and care expectations.
- 4
Engineering & Proposal
Hydraulics, structure, electrical, barriers, equipment, scope, allowances, and applicable permits.
- 5
Construction & Commissioning
Build, fill, start-up, water balancing, system verification, and owner orientation.
- 6
Care & Support
Scheduled service, testing, filter care, plant care, equipment service, and seasonal adjustments.
Design directions in progress.
Approved AE project photography will populate “Our Work” sections as projects complete.
One team for the entire backyard.
Honest answers to the hard questions.
What is the difference between a natural swimming pool and a swim pond?
+
A natural swimming pool is designed primarily for swimming, with a defined swim zone and project-specific biological and mechanical water treatment. A swim pond leans into landscape character — it usually combines a swim zone with a more prominent planted regeneration area and reads more like an organic part of the yard.
Do natural pools use chlorine?
+
Not every system uses chlorine the same way a conventional pool does. Some designs reduce or eliminate routine chlorine in favor of biological and mechanical treatment. Treatment approach is project-specific and decided during design — we do not promise that every system is chlorine-free.
Can a natural pool work in Arizona heat?
+
Yes, when designed for the climate. Heat, sun, evaporation, and bather load are inputs to the design from day one — not afterthoughts. Disciplined sizing, circulation, shade, and source-water review are what make these systems perform here.
Will a swim pond attract mosquitoes?
+
A properly designed and maintained system keeps water moving and prevents the stagnant conditions mosquitoes need to breed. No outdoor water can promise zero insects, but circulation, skimming, and care plan are how we manage it.
Can fish live in the same water people swim in?
+
Fish and swimming water are treated as separate system types. Combining them requires a specialized design and operating protocol that we have to approve up front — it is not the default for a swim pond or natural pool.
How much maintenance is required?
+
These are not maintenance-free systems. Expect routine inspection, skimming, filter care, water testing, equipment service, and seasonal adjustments. We build the care plan into the design and offer ongoing service.
Can a natural pool be heated?
+
Heating is project-specific. Heat affects biology, energy use, and equipment selection, so it is something we plan for during design rather than bolting on later.
Can a waterfall or stream be added to an existing pool?
+
Often yes — we design and build pool-integrated waterfalls, streams, and spillways as renovations. The right approach depends on existing plumbing, structure, and the hydraulic capacity of the equipment.
Do swim ponds require permits and barriers?
+
Permit and barrier requirements depend on depth, use, location, and the authority having jurisdiction. We coordinate applicable requirements as part of every project rather than leaving that to the homeowner.
How much do natural pools and water features cost?
+
We do not publish per-square-foot or starting-from numbers. Final investment requires a site and system assessment because the inputs (system type, excavation, access, structure, hydraulics, filtration, hardscape, planting, electrical, controls, permits, commissioning, and service) all move with the project. You get a clear written scope before construction.
What does OASE equipment do?
+
OASE and Atlantic-OASE manufacture pumps, skimmers, mechanical and biological filtration, drum filters, spillways, lighting, and smart controls used in water features. AE selects equipment after the hydraulic and maintenance plan — not before.
Does AE offer ongoing service?
+
Yes. New-system commissioning is part of every swim project, and we offer scheduled maintenance plans, water testing, equipment upgrades, and existing-system assessments.
Plan your water project with clear information.
Natural pool vs. swim pond vs. traditional pool
Choosing the right system before you fall in love with the wrong one.
Article coming soon
How biological and mechanical filtration work together
The two halves of water quality in a natural system.
Article coming soon
What Arizona heat, wind, dust, and hard water mean for water features
What disciplined desert design actually looks like.
Article coming soon
Pondless waterfalls: how the hidden reservoir works
Why there is no pond at the base — and why that matters.
Article coming soon
What natural pools really require for maintenance
An honest baseline before you commit.
Article coming soon
Questions to ask before hiring a swim-pond contractor
The checklist most owners only learn the hard way.
Article coming soon
Build the right water environment — not just another feature.
Tell us how you want the water to look, sound, and function. We will help you determine whether the right answer is a natural pool, a living swim pond, a pondless waterfall, an architectural feature, or a different solution entirely.