I think a reflecting pool there would be a very nice addition to your new home.
(Did they tell you what the brick structure was supposed to have become?)

Standing water will eventually go stagnant, grow algae (from dirt and dust that
blows in) and breed mosquitoes. Moving water will take care of the mosquitoes
and keep some of the algae down. There are all sorts of choices to keep the
water moving. A pump under the surface will well the water and that would look
neat. Or a fountain head of your choice. A spitter on the side (think some kind
of critter with a stream of water flowing from it). Even a slate waterfall at
the far end.
There are chemical additives you can add to keep algae down (no fish or plants
so no worries that way) made for fountains.
Emptying and cleaning it out once a year will help as stuff will collect.

Filters are good for fish to take care of their waste.
UVs are good for getting rid of suspended algae that turns the water green. I
don't expect that would be a problem in just a water only feature.

Once you get the feel for the water you can think about plants and fish later.
There are filters that can be built around a pump (in a lightly stocked pond).


kathy :-)
algae primer
http://hometown.aol.com/ka30p/myhomepage/garden.html