Even now, Mark immerses himself in every design detail, and when the construction starts, you won’t find him in the office. Oh no, you’ll see him running heavy equipment. When an engineer is far removed from the actual building process he cannot possibly plan for all contingencies. With Mark digging the footings he can immediately see if the soil quality is what he expected in his initial pool design. If it’s not, he can react by tweaking the structure. If the soil is better quality than expected, he can save time and money there also. This level of attention may seem strange to a pool installer from Florida, where the soil is sandy and the entire state is as flat as a pool table. Western NC is far from flat and the soil conditions vary wildly, but the biggest reason why Mark still digs the footings is because of his designs.
Mark’s ability as an engineer allows his customers the freedom to let their imagination wander, to try something totally different. He designs pools that are nestled into rocky mountainsides, on tiny building sites with very little access for heavy equipment. Many are ‘infinity pools’ which seem to flow out over a distant vista with no visible means of support. Medallion Pools are the ones gracing pages of glossy architectural magazines, and the book ‘Swim’ by Lynn Sherr. His ‘Cloud Pool’ was recently featured on an HGTV special, with more on the way. “This is the ultimate Civil Engineering career,” says Mark.
[quote]“Customers bring me ideas from scenes witnessed in nature, or water features they’ve seen at a resort. If I can dream it, then I can build it.”[/quote]As an architect/engineer, Mark works at the edge of technology. This is an enviable position, for his designs are limited only by imagination. But, Mark is quick to point out that none of his designs would be possible without the support and trust of Medallion’s customers. He wants to design spaces that enhance the lives of those who use them, so Mark takes the time to fully understand family dynamics and how his customers plan to use the outdoor living area. The design path he follows is called functional design. It’s the process of responding to the needs and desires of the family who will use a living area, in such a way that allows their needs and desires to be met. Functional design is both an outcome and a process.
As an outcome, it describes a pool scape that works well to fit the customer’s needs; as a process, functional design is a set of practices guided by the principles that deliver this positive outcome.
Water shapes, or pools, are living systems that go through changes like anything else that lives outdoors. They are subjected to hot and cold, rain and snow. If low chemical use is high on a customer’s list, this must be designed into the pool. If a pool scape is to be used year round, that must also be addressed on the drafting table, before the first shovel hits the dirt. All his designs are fully automated, so at any time, Mark can check on his finished pools’ health with a few simple mouse clicks. Sustainability is also built in from the beginning.
Real estate markets have been unpredictable lately, but not Medallion’s business. They have a healthy backlog and continue to attract customers and accolades, not only from Western North Carolina but from other states as well. For the near future, Medallion is working to close a service gap. There are no luxury pool companies servicing the Eastern Tennessee market, and they intend to fill it. Additionally, Medallion is working toward international business. Their functional design process could easily accommodate a customer, say, in Dubai. Mark could fly out for an initial consultation and a look at the job site, then follow up via phone and Internet. Once the design is approved, a Medallion construction manager could then fly out and oversee the installation.
Medallion Pool is a member of the invitation-only Master Pool Guild, an international association containing 108 members worldwide. Mark’s architect/engineering credentials are rare, even within the Master Pool Guild. His skills continue to be Medallion Pool’s secret weapon. As the accolades keep flowing in for the little company in Western North Carolina, you’ll not see Mark resting on his laurels. No, you’re more than likely to see him ‘resting’ at the controls of a track-hoe by day, and nighttimes, hunkered down in his office designing another complex outdoor living space. In between, he’ll be dreaming of growing his business, because, he knows that if he can dream it, he can build it.
