Designing Pools With Passion JOAN ROCA

Pool Magazine is proud to present an exclusive interview with internationally acclaimed, award-winning pool designer Joan Roca of Joan Roca Master Pool Designs. For those unfamiliar with Roca’s work, he is a true artist in the world of luxury swimming pool design, with a passion for creating breathtaking, one-of-a-kind pools for his clients.

For Roca, building pools is more than just a job - it’s a true passion. From the moment

BY JOE TRUSTY

he begins working with a new client, he is focused on bringing their dream pool to life. It’s this dedication to excellence and attention to detail that has earned Roca a reputation as one of the premier pool designers in the industry.

In this special feature, we had the opportunity to sit down with Roca at the International Pool Spa Patio Expo and learn more about his approach to pool design, his favorite projects, and what sets him apart from the competition.

PM: PM (Pool Magazine): How did you first get started in the pool industry?

JR (Joan Roca): I am an industrial engineer. I graduated from the University of Costa Rica in the early eighties and I’ve been working in the swimming pool industry since 1975. Back then, I was a kid working along with my father. That’s when I really fell in love with the pool industry.

In 1982, was my first international pool experience, I really fell in love with that as well. It was more amazing than I thought it could be.

It was there that I had the luck of meeting the three founders of Genesis. I did all the programs that they had. You know, if you are an engineer or a doctor or whatever and you wanted a master’s degree or PH degree, there are hundreds of universities in the world where you can go to get it. But if you’re a pool builder, there was really no place to study something like that. So they created a program called Genesis. I did the whole thing, and I became the highest category, which is the master pool designer.

PM: What was that you learned in the Genesis program that gave you the knowledge and the confidence to go out there and dominate?

JR: Genesis gave me the ability, confidence and, technology to add to my passion and talent. If this was basketball - on your own, you can train and train and still never be like Michael Jordan. If you have the talent inside you to be a star, Genesis will bring that out of you.

PM: What inspires your design process and how do you work with a client on helping them conceptualize their ideal outdoor living environment?

JR: Well, the question is not easy because what inspires you? I was thinking about this question, and I think that what inspires me is the site. When you actually visit to the place as a designer, you are there, you see it, you feel it, you see the architecture of the house, of the buildings. It’s at that time that you see the view, the weather, how the sun is moving. Is it a cold place, a tropical place? How is the garden, the landscaping? This is where I get my inspiration and of course, knowing who is going to swim there. When I am there, I’m imagining what the area will be and that is what inspires me to take my paper and pencil and start designing.”

PM: What we enjoy about your work is that really, no two pools are quite exactly alike. Can you explain your design philosophy?

JR: Every pool is different because when I sit at my drawing table to design a pool, I start from scratch. I sit there and I say, okay, we have the images of the property, the survey and all the notes that I wrote when I interviewed my customers. I start by making a shape that conforms to all that information. Taking all that information and translating that into a drawing.

PM: You’ve been in the pool industry since 1975, what’s changed since you first started?

JR: When I started building pools, I remember that my father used to do everything in one and a half inch. One skimmer, one main drain, one and a half inch, one pump. In that time, everything was very simple. I think that mainly what has changed the most is technology and maybe some tendencies. Like in the past, people used to have very deep pools.

PM: What do you foresee the next couple of years looking like for our industry?

JR: Well, the whole industry has always been up and down other than in 2008. It’s my gut feeling that things are going to be okay. What could be affecting things with economy right now is the situation with Russia and their war in the Ukraine, for example. In Jacksonville, there are a couple of customers that I designed a really nice pool for, people unrelated to each other and they decided to the pool builder, to wait until they see what happens there. I think that this “wait and see” way of thinking could be happening with more and more people.

PM: What is some advice that you would impart on professionals that are looking to design and build the way you do?

JR: The first thing that came to my mind is dedication and integrity in their work. Whatever you do, even if you are a shoemaker, soccer player, teacher, do it with dedication. If you put dedication into your work, the first 50% is done. And then, integrity - in the full concept of the word. Do it well, with the right skills, and make it with passion and respect. Apply all your knowledge, technology, and abilities in each and every design that you do. Above all, pay attention to your customer.