Riaan Landman
POTKOOK MOUNTAIN RESORT ECO POOL
- Swim zone
- 5 × 5 m25 m² (269 ft²)
- Wetland
- 5 × 5 m25 m² (269 ft²)
- Location
- PiketbergWestern Cape, South Africa
- Climate
- Warm temperate
- Build
- Owner builtSteel-reinforced concrete
I always tell people I didn't set out to be my own contractor, but a career as an engineer will do that to a man. When we started dreaming up Potkook, set atop the Piketberg's serene western slopes and overlooking Aurora village and our own private nature reserve, I knew exactly what kind of pool I wanted: something that belonged to the land rather than fighting it.
We're barely a two-hour drive from Cape Town here, but looking out over the fynbos, the rugged Cederberg and the Atlantic in the distance, it feels like a world of its own.
Working with Andy has been an exceptional experience. Building a natural pool isn't a one-time transaction, it's a journey. Every project is unique, and Andy brings a level of care, expertise, and attention that reflects that.
Over the years, from the initial design through construction and ongoing maintenance, he has guided us every step of the way. His knowledge, patience, and unwavering support have made the entire process both enjoyable and rewarding.
Built by hand, on a remote mountainside
Building it myself was never really a question. I'd spent my career around concrete and formwork, so when Andy handed over the plans, I could see exactly how it would come together.
Everything here is steel-reinforced and poured on site, in about as remote a location as you'll find. And because it's built properly with concrete from the start, there's no fibreglass and no anxious waterproof plaster to worry about down the line. Just honest concrete, holding water, doing its job.
The moment it started feeling like a pool
You can already see it taking shape here. That's the wetland cell starting to find its form on the far right. That's the biological filter that does all the real work in a natural pool, and watching it emerge alongside the swimming basin, with the ocean sitting out there on the horizon, was the moment this stopped feeling like a construction site and started feeling like a pool.
Water in, plants in
This was one of my favourite days on the whole build: filling the pool and getting the first plants into the wetland. The mist had rolled in off the mountain that morning, which somehow felt fitting.
There's something quite emotional about watching months of concrete work finally hold water, and then watching living plants go in on top of it. That's the point where a swimming pool becomes a natural pool.
Support that didn't stop at handover
Something I want other pool owners to know is that Andy doesn't disappear once the concrete has cured. Long after the build was finished, I could still send him a message on WhatsApp with a question, water lilies looking sad in winter, plants needing a feed, and he'd talk me through it or send through exactly what I needed.
Building your own natural pool in a spot as remote as this, that kind of ongoing support matters more than people realise.
Worth every bit of the effort
This is where it ended up, and I still can't quite believe it's the same site as those early photos. It hasn't all been plain sailing. We've had wildlife coming down off the mountain to help themselves to the aquatic plants in the wetland, so we had to ring-fence that section to give it a proper chance to establish.
It's worked well, and now the whole system runs the way it's meant to. Sitting out here in the evening, with the pool glowing below the lodge, makes every bit of the effort worth it.
Drawn to build from
Riaan built Potkook from a set of my drawings. The walls, the wetland cell and the spillway were all set out and detailed on paper first, which is what let Riaan pour it on a remote mountainside with confidence.
Curious what is possible on your own site?
Start with a plan set drawn for your size of pool, or book a session with me if your site needs a closer look.
