Pools, terraces and renovations in Guardamar del Segura

What we usually build in Guardamar del Segura

Guardamar has two very different kinds of plot, and the work follows that. Inland at El Raso, and along the foot of the Sierra at Els Secans, most homes are detached villas with a garden of their own. New-build plots there run from roughly 160 to over 300 m2, and 6 by 3 m is the pool size the developers put on them; on the bigger corner plots a 7 by 3.5 with a shallow shelf fits without eating the whole lawn. Around it we lay porcelain or travertine terracing that stays cool in August, gravel and drought-proof planting on drip irrigation, and low-voltage lighting. Closer to the beach, in Campomar, El Moncayo and Pinomar, the housing is bungalows and townhouses, much of it from the nineties, with small tiled patios and a community pool. The jobs ORIGEN gets called for there are patio rebuilds, composite decking, an outdoor shower, a pergola, and inside, the kitchens and bathrooms that have not been touched in decades. In the apartment blocks at Puerto Marino and Las Viñas it is mostly interiors: bathrooms, kitchens, full refits between tenants.

Getting it licensed in Guardamar del Segura

Building work in Guardamar, a pool included, goes through the Ayuntamiento de Guardamar del Segura, on Plaza de la Constitución, and its Urbanismo department. ORIGEN draws up the project, assembles the documents and files the licence application at the town hall itself, so you do not have to chase anyone. You receive a copy of everything submitted and of the licence when it arrives. How long that takes depends on the town hall's workload at the time, not on us, so we plan the start date around it and do not open the ground until the licence is in hand.

Sand, wind and the river: how the ground behaves here

Guardamar is built on sand. The dunes were fixed with pines a century ago, but under Campomar, Pinomar and the seafront it is still loose ground, so the shell is cast against well-braced shuttering on a compacted base. The town also lies low at the mouth of the Segura, ringed by the wetlands and salt marsh that give the Almarjal district its name, so drainage around the shell and waterproofing get extra care. At Els Secans, under the Sierra, there may be rock. The easterly wind carries salt onto everything and August sun hits 31 degrees, so ORIGEN uses stainless fixings and pale, salt-rated porcelain. In the tight bungalow lanes we use a mini-digger or a crane over the roof.

El Raso, Els Secans, Guardamar centre, Marjal