Mr. poolman - David Tisherman

Originally, he was trained as a historian and industrial designer. But it was pool design that became his livelihood. And not just any pool. He creates wonderful pools where he plays with the reflections of water as an active element. Now at 77 years old, David Tisherman is to the pool industry what Frank Lloyd Wright was to modern architecture.

Pooldesign - David Tisherman — David Tisherman has spent a long career creating amazing pools all around California.

The Californian summer is long. And hot. So naturally, a cooling pool is a necessity for many homeowners. Of course, for a few thousand dollars, you can install a prefabricated pool in your backyard. If you have a little more money to spend, it's even possible to have it dug into the yard to create a real pool environment.

But for 77-year-old David Tisherman, that's just not enough. "Water is the most important element on earth. It's colorless. But it's indispensable. It reflects its surroundings and creates the perfect base for a pool, whether you're sitting in a chair on the edge enjoying the view or swimming in it three times a day," he explains and continues:

"A new pool should be a visual experience in itself. So, when I start a new project, it's not enough to come up with great new design ideas. It's also about creating a design that matches the house and the people who live in it. So, I start by looking at their furniture, the color of the house and of course the surroundings. The sky, mountains and perhaps the city skyline are crucial to the final design. A beautiful house will be reflected just as beautifully in a new pool."

David Tisherman has been creating amazing pools for more than 40 years. Whether it's an infinity pool on a rocky cliff or a pool environment in an old overgrown garden, he's tried it all. But the fact that water and swimming pools would become his life's work is a bit of a coincidence.

Taught disabled children

"When I was very young, I didn't have many ideas about what I wanted to do. I studied both history and industrial design at UCLA. At one point, I wanted to become a pharmacist. But a friend of mine got me into a program to teach at a government-funded arts program for 'challenged children'."

But it was a job at a local pool company that really got him steered in the right direction. "I didn't get hired in the first place. Apparently, it was too much for the company to pay the five dollars an hour I had asked for! But a couple of weeks later they called me back anyway. I got to work and quickly came up with a lot of new ideas for solutions that no one had seen before."

And in 1979, he took the plunge and started his own company: David Tisherman's Visuals, Inc. His first projects attracted a lot of attention almost immediately. "It was a hot tub in a backyard with an unobstructed view of the mountains in the background. Unlike everyone else, I took into account that in a hot tub you want to be able to sit comfortably and lean your back against a comfortable surface. We also created a tiled edge where you could place your drinks. All without a visible edge. It was a solution that in the L.A. Times was described as a project that took the spa to a whole new level."

David Tisherman's attention to detail and sense of creating a visually beautiful environment was crucial to his success. "Actually, I haven't spent a lot of money on marketing. It's word of mouth that has brought customers to me."

But it has certainly helped that over the years, Tisherman's projects have been featured extensively in major American media outlets such as The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times and L.A. Times Magazine.

Built Stallone's pool

Over time, this has meant that he has built pools for some of the most famous celebrities in California.

"I've built pools for a lot of famous movie and sports stars. Unfortunately, all of my projects are covered by non-disclosure agreements that prevent me from telling you who they are. But often we end up becoming friends, so I dare to reveal that I built a wonderful pool for Sylvester Stallone, among others!"

It's one thing for David Tisherman to deliver the goods and create amazing pools. But when word-of-mouth marketing works, it's not least because he doesn't compromise.

For example, he is true to the principle that water should be drinkable. That's why he doesn't use chlorine or salt water. In his pools, the water is purified using ozone.

And he's constantly pushing the boundaries of what's possible. In a mountainous area like California, it partly comes down to the subsoil. What kind of soil to dig into? How should the foundation be poured? How can the reflections of the water be best utilized? All elements that help drive the price of a Tisherman pool up to 2-300,000 dollars. And that's even the cheapest of his designs. Right now, he's working on two projects that amount to $3-4 million.

"Usually, the most important thing is how the ground and foundation are built. But these days, the big trend is to build a rooftop pool on your house. It offers new opportunities to work with water - but also new challenges," explains David Tisherman.

Although most 77-year-olds are enjoying their retirement, David Tisherman is still active. Despite a long career of often heavy construction work to create beautiful new pools, he claims he has 'never worked a day in his life'. That may be true when it comes to the actual construction work. But he's still an important part of the company's biggest projects.

Part of the respect that has been built up around his person is surely due to his willingness to share his knowledge of design, technology and civil engineering. In fact, he is still on the landscape architecture faculty at UCLA, where he teaches water effects design.

This is perhaps what ties things together for David Tisherman. He started out teaching art to disabled children. And over the years, he has shared his knowledge with hundreds of students who, like him, see working with water as an art form.