Edwards Pool Construction, based in Wichita, Kansas, has steadily carved out a niche for itself as the premier pool builder in the area. Headed by the visionary Steve Edwards, a seasoned pool builder and hot rod aficionado, the firm has transformed from its roots in pool service to one of the most respected names in pool construction. This transformation reflects their commitment to not only creating stunning designs but also building pools with service in mind.
Approaching Pool Construction With Future Maintenance in Mind
Steve Edwards, the driving force behind Edwards Pool Construction, has a unique approach to his work. In an interview with Pool Magazine, he shared his journey, stating, “I never worked for anyone and just reverse-engineered everything, as I learned.”
Hot Rodding Pools For Performance
Edwards’ passion for hot rods coupled with his mechanical knowledge has significantly influenced his pool construction techniques. He revels in modifying pool equipment pads for higher performance, drawing parallels between his love for speed and his innovative pool designs.
Averi Edwards, Steve’s daughter, maintains pools for the company. She explained that the service aspect is always an important consideration in her father’s mind. “My dad started in the business servicing pools. He would hot rod equipment pads and make them easier to work on. That is what is always in the back of his mind when he’s building something.”
On Building Pools With Maintenance in Mind
Edwards says that her father’s doctrine of building around ease of access for maintenance remains a mission-critical aspect on every pool project.
“He’s always thinking, how is this going to be serviced? How are we going to clean this and get a vacuum hose down here? He’s making sure that we have adequate filtration. That the pipe sizes are big enough, that we’ve got enough pumps, enough chlorinators, enough sanitation. These things are always in the back of his mind. So really, by the time that our service guys come in, it makes it really easy on us to take over,” Averi explained.
Seeing Things a Little Different
One of the most intriguing aspects of Edwards’ philosophy to building pools with service in mind is his ability to envision three-dimensional structures in his head, a skill that has helped him hone his craft as a builder. “I make my living doing things I’ve never done before and it’s been like that since day one,” explained Edwards. “The art of putting water over an edge or up in the air; that type of plumbing, it all comes back to hot rod knowledge, mechanical knowledge, and my ability to see hydraulics and structure in my head.”
Bringing The Wow Factor to Wichita
When it comes to designing and constructing pools, Edwards begins with the homeowner and the traditional expectations of Wichita’s conservative market. “Rectangular pools with auto covers are popular out here because we’ve got a lot of wind up here. So how do you dress that up? You curve it up on the inside, curve it up on the deck,” explained Edwards, “most of my design work is on the ground with a can of paint. Once people can see what I’m able to do there are x amount that will just let you go. Those are my favorite projects. I’ve had several clients just turn me loose. Not loose financially, but a little bit architecturally.”
Going outside the box seems to be working for Edwards. One of his most recent projects features killer geometry with an almost ampersand-shaped swimming pool and lazy river. The project presented numerous technical challenges and we were eager to learn more about what went into building the vessel.
“This project was brought to me by a builder I’d never heard of,” said Edwards, “he just walked into my shop and threw down a set of plans. That project ended up probably at 10 million, I would think. We shot that pool and it was challenging.”
When an opportunity to hot rod the lazy river aspect of the pool presented itself, Edwards jumped on it. “I made some changes to the lazy river and how it was designed. It’s got two Riverflow, 3000 gallon-a-minute pumps in it. I’ve used Riverflow twice before. Never in a lazy river, but it all works amazing,” said Edwards.
Edwards’s unique ability to find ways to improve the aesthetic of the overall project would foster a unique collaboration with one of the industry’s leading tile artisans.
“They wanted to do tile and we introduced the idea of glass. So we contacted Jimmy Reed. We ended up tenting the pool. It was nice and air-conditioned through the rain and heat and the guys were able to work continuously for six or seven weeks. Then we had to cover the tile up and set for another winter before we ever plastered that pool,” explained Edwards.
The end result of this sophisticated and avant-garde design represents a significant departure from the prototypical geometric-shaped swimming pools typically found throughout the Wichita market. In fact, the design is so unique that one might wonder if this pool in particular might usher a renaissance towards more unconventional designs.
“Batman Lives There”
“It’s an incredible pool,” Edwards remarked cheerfully, “you could plop that pool down in California just about anywhere but it’s really crazy for Wichita. I tell people Batman lives there because the Batmobile sitting in front of that house would look right at home.”
The success of this build has already led to more work of this nature for the Wichita pool builder. “I’m lucky to have been a part of this project I thought I’d never build anything like that. I just walked it the other day, and it’s just crazy when you realize you built something like that,” said Edwards. “Now we’ve got two other projects of that scale going at the same time in the same neighborhood. I never would have thought I could build two at the same time, but we’re doing it.”
Listen to our entire conversation with Steve & Averi Edwards on the Pool Magazine podcast.
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