After nearly five decades in the pool industry, Joe Surace has seen just about everything.
From the era of kidney shaped pools and bold tile choices to today’s more refined, design-led builds, his perspective is shaped by experience, but also by a willingness to evolve.
As the director of Aquazone Pools, Joe has worked across residential projects of every scale. For more than 20 years, that has included a close working relationship with Remco, integrating automatic pool covers into builds where performance and usability matter.
Over time, that experience has given him a clear understanding of what clients actually use, and what tends to be left behind.
Watch the full interview
In this conversation, Joe shares more about the Mitchellstown project, his approach to designing for real life use, and why the right systems make all the difference over time.
Designing for a weekend escape
In this interview, Joe walks us through a recent project in Mitchellstown, a large scale pool designed for a client’s weekend home.
The brief called for something generous in size, built to suit a property designed for entertaining, relaxation, and extended stays. It needed to feel substantial, while still sitting comfortably within the landscape.
One of the defining features was depth. The client wanted a pool suitable for a diving board, which brings its own set of structural and safety considerations.
Deep pools require a different level of planning. It is not simply about increasing depth, but about proportions, transitions, and how the space will actually be used.
Where practicality meets design
While the visual outcome is always important, Joe’s approach is grounded in how the pool will function over time. That thinking extends to when and how he introduces automatic pool covers into the conversation.
Rather than treating it as an add on, he raises it early in the design process, when decisions around structure, integration, and long term use are still being made.
Introducing an automatic cover at this stage allows it to be properly integrated into the build, both functionally and visually.
A cover that actually gets used
For many homeowners, a pool cover is something they know they should have, but do not always use. Across many projects, a common pattern emerges. Manual covers are installed with good intention, but over time they are used less and less, often being removed and left off altogether.
Automatic systems change that behaviour.
By making the process simple and quick, homeowners are far more likely to use the cover consistently. This has a direct impact on water temperature, cleanliness, and overall maintenance.
It is a small shift in usability, but one that significantly improves how the pool performs day to day.
Trends come and go, but usability stays
Over 48 years, Joe has seen clear shifts in pool design trends. There was a time when kidney shaped pools were dominant, often paired with darker finishes and bold tile choices.
Today, the direction is more restrained. Cleaner lines, more considered materials, and a stronger focus on how the pool integrates with the home and landscape. But, beyond aesthetics, one thing has remained consistent. Homeowners want something that works. Something they will actually use.
You can find Joe and the Aquazone team here: https://aquazonepools.com.au/