What is a Luxury or High-end Pool?

Aquatic Technology Pool & Spa
Paolo Benedetti
Aquatic Designer, Aquatic Artist, Custom Swimming Pool Designer

Almost every pool ad in the yellow pages says "custom pools." So what is the difference between "custom," "high-end," "luxury pools," and an architectural swimming pool or aquatic art?

Since the term custom has been so over abused, it really doesn't mean much anymore. It just means that you visited the buffet. You piled those things onto your plate that were offered (take it or leave it!) & paid the cashier. Not much in the way of service, design or material options, or personalization. People who call themselves "high-end" or "luxury pool" designers or builders may just sell expensive pools.

The client wants a designer who approaches the project as an "aquatic architect." They need get inside the clients' head, find out what motivates them, where their interests lie, and the intended use of the facilities. They then investigate the site & it's architecture, to determine how best to fit the clients desires into the site.

From their vast background and knowledge of world history, international travels, material science, and product sourcing, they offer the client an assortment of concepts that are unique to that client. Ideas and methodologies that have not been combined or utilized before.

Oftentimes a landscape or structural architect will do the layout of an aquatic environment. However, they more than likely lack the knowledge as to how to "pull it all together to work." Having an aquatic consultant or aquatic designer involved from the beginning, will smooth out a lot of the architectural, structural, materials, control system, and visual integration issues.

This does not mean that the aquatic designer always has to INVENT something new. Rather it means being able to innovate or adapt elements that they have observed during their life experiences, and apply them to different scenarios.

I have taken small details that I have seen in my international travels and enlarged them to 100x the original application. The element may be used for an entirely different purpose. It is the ability to think about how things that are observed may be tweaked or modified for a different purpose. This is also a form of innovation...

Having clients that are willing to be the "first one" to have a particular element is also important. That they are willing to finance the R&D, is even more important. By R&D I mean, Rework & Demolition, should the element not function exactly as desired. But for their risk, they are rewarded with the bragging rights. Some clients, in order to reduce the risk, are even willing to pay for us to create mock-ups or models to help ensure that the risks are minimized as much as possible.

But, given the new found knowledge, I will twist it a little an incorporate another variation on the original idea. Again, another form of innovation.

Given that everyone is calling themselves a "custom pool builder," "luxury pool designer," or "high-end pool builder," isn't an "Aquatic Artisan" what you're really looking for?

In order for your aquatic environment to truly be custom, luxurious, and high-end... they must be works of art. Like the Masters... though each artist has their style, each painting or sculpture is unique unto itself.

That's the definition of custom... your's and your's alone!



Paolo Benedetti - Aquatic Artist
"Creating water as art."™
Aquatic Technology Pool & Spa
©www.aquatictechnology.com