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 he begins working with a new client, he is focused on bringing their dream pool to life, taking the time to carefully listen to their vision and incorporate their unique style and preferences into the design. 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. Keep reading to get an inside look at the world of Joan Roca Master Pool Designs, and discover why this talented designer continues to make waves in the pool industry.
One-on-One Interview With Joan Roca
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. Since then I started coming here every single year to all of the expos and even some of the regionals in Florida to expand my knowledge and learn more. When you come to the expos it’s a great opportunity to go to seminars. One way or another you always learn something. 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.”
“That’s why I am a master pool designer. It’s not just a name that I came up with. Since then, I’ve been enjoying even more of what the profession has to offer. Since then, I’ve been designing with more confidence and more acknowledgment. So practically all my life I’ve been doing this and have been blessed with a lot of success.
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, whatever it is.
“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. Is it going to be a family? Is it going to be a condominium? So it’s going to be a group of families, a multifamily place. 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. When I show it to my customers, most of the time, they say, ‘Wow!’ and we may make a few revisions or small changes. But always my first original drawing is usually a wow because it’s a response of all the information that I got from my customers. I don’t know if that is a philosophy, but all I do is listen to my customers and make sure I’m designing what they wanted, not the way I want it. I’m adding my point of view, but the way that they want it. Maybe that’s just me being altruistic.”
PM: You’ve been in the pool industry since 1975. What’s changed about building pools 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. Now we have pumps that are so quiet, you don’t even know they are there. Technology changes a lot and maybe some tendencies. Like in the past, people used to have very deep pools. People these days understand that they don’t need an 8-foot deep pool with a diving board. This is one thing that might have changed substantially. Now, in the majority of my pools, are designed with an overflow or vanishing edge. The decks used to be more with some kind of mix of aggregate and cement and things like that. Now they are using much more natural stone.”
PM: What’s hot and trending in your local market of Jacksonville right now?
JR: “Well, it is one of the 20 cities I read about in an article before I came to Jacksonville. Jacksonville was rated one of the 20 better cities to live in the world. Now that I live here, I can tell you first-hand that the quality of life there is high. Most of the people, when they want a pool, they don’t just want something average. They want something nice like a showpiece for their backyard. They figure, if they can pay a designer to have a custom pool, why not do it if they have the money”
PM: What are they putting in these pools that make them like such a focal piece of the backyard?
JR: “For example, a perimeter overflow that probably carries an extra pump, an extra filter, and maybe has a surge compensation tank. Talking about and all the gutters that you have to do underneath the deck, that’s probably another $30,000-$40,000 more than an average pool just to have that feature.”
“I had a project in Costa Rica where the customer paid $1.5 million. People said, what? You did $1.5 million pool in one house? Well, we built two pools, one indoor pool, and one outdoor pool. The outdoor pool has a waterfall, a spa, an infinity edge, and a spa. The interior pool has lots of details that make the project more expensive too. You add three or four fire bowls, and because you have those kind of water features, the pool gets more expensive.”
PM: You’re doing projects all over the world. What’s that process like for you and how do you manage that kind of remote work?
JR: “Well, it’s not the same, because as I told you before, my first inspiration is going to the site. What I do in those cases is ask the customer or somebody there to take photos of the property, make videos, and try to get as much of that feeling of being there, as possible.”
“It’s not quite the same. Even if you understand the situation when you see a video and you know what is on the right side and left side, what trees you have there, and the view, it’s still not the same as being there, but it does the job.”
“During the height of the pandemic for example, I was at my property that I have in Costa Rica which is about 200 acres. I got a call from a customer in Toronto. They bought a property in Panama, and they were looking for a designer on the Genesis website. They saw that I was from that area so they hired me. I think that was one of the first ones I did remotely.”
“I told the customer, I’ve never done this before without visiting the job site, but let’s try it. Well, it’s been a success, but I still felt it could have been better if I really knew the place and had been there. But I think that it’s just where we were at the time, you couldn’t really travel.
PM: Were they happy with the design you did for them?
JR: “I mean, they were happy, and I’m happy, but what happened is that I went to the place right after the pandemic finished. When I got there I start understanding things that I never understood just from the pictures and the videos.”
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.”
“They may be thinking ‘We’re ready to make that investment, but let’s see what happened there first’. But besides that war, I don’t think the pandemic is going to really affect things in our industry going up or down. That has been more or less established.”
PM: When you look back at the few decades and your own body of work, what are some of your favorite projects?
“I have maybe two pools that I like more. And why do I like them more? I don’t know why. Why do some people think Sofia Loren is more beautiful than Rachel Welch? What I’m saying is that it’s very personal. Both are beautiful, both are the greatest.”
“I have a pool that I did just for me back in 2000 and I think it’s one of the best swimming pools in the world. But maybe that’s because I get to enjoy it. All the pools that I did for other people are really nice but I don’t enjoy them as much because I don’t use them. Now my pool in Costa Rica, it’s an amazing oasis. For some reason, that place, the pool, the surrounding, the view, the mountains, the house, the rocks, it’s very special.”
“I also built a pool in Panama for a really rich family in a remote place, a pool that was surrounded by mountains. Beautiful. I really love that project. It was one of the pools that they show on the front cover of magazines. But yeah, those are the ones that personally resonate.”
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.”
About Joan Roca Master Pool Designs
Joan Roca (Barcelona 1958) emigrated to Costa Rica in 1973 and began his career in the swimming pool industry in 1975. A member of the Association of Pool & Spa Professionals (APSP) since 1982. He graduated as an Industrial Engineer in 1984. Certified in 1986 by the National Swimming Pool Foundation (NSPF) first as Certified Pool Operator and then in 1988 Certified Pool Instructor.
In the following years he continued his studies through educational programs and more than 200 high-level seminars, and in 2005 he was certified as a Certified Building Professional by the APSP and graduated Master Professional.
Watershape Designer SWD at Genesis University, creating his recognized swimming pool design and construction company under the seal of JOAN ROCA MASTER POOL DESIGNER
Three times awarded Master of Design by Pool & Spa News: 2008, 2014 & 2018. Over the years his work has been recognized and awarded internationally 19 times. Several publishers around the world have admired his creativity publishing his work in books in 7 languages and has been on the front cover of 16 prestigious magazines in the USA: Luxury Pools, Aquamagazine, WaterShapes, Pool & Spa News.
In 2013 he obtained a Master’s degree at INCAE Business School moving his head office to Panama until 2020 to attend Latin America. In 2021 he moved to Jacksonville, Florida, expanding his work worldwide.
The excellent work of his firm has contributed to raising the quality of the swimming pool industry to the highest level.
Joan Roca, with 47 years of experience and more than 1,000 swimming pools under his belt, residential and commercial, fountains, reflecting pools and water gardens, in design and construction, turns outdoor space into a work of art, combining natural and avant-garde elements with the latest technologies.
Listen to our entire interview with Joan Roca at the International Pool Spa Patio Expo in Las Vegas on the Pool Magazine podcast.
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