Pool deck, Jumeirah Village Triangle, Dubai

Jad Shamseddin and his family completed a private pool project at their new home in Dubai's Jumeirah Village Triangle. The scheme grew out of their interest in planted outdoor spaces: the garden combines dense planting, real grass, heat-resistant trees and a naturally treated pool.

The decking is Kebony modified wood. The owner stresses that this is real wood rather than a plastic composite, that it ages well in the Dubai climate, and that the surface stays comfortable underfoot even in high heat.

That last point matters on a pool deck in a desert climate, where mineral paving and composites reach high surface temperatures. The wood modification process, based on a bio-based liquid, also gives the structure a long service life with no finish to reapply.