Jay Marciano has spent his long and illustrious career surrounded by artists. You might recognize some of their names: Epic musicians like Elton John, the Rolling Stones, and Justin Bieber. Marciano is chairman and CEO of AEG Presents, one of the largest concert promoters in the world with multiple international holdings including 27 festivals like Coachella.
Richard Babcock, owner of Babcock Custom Pools & Environments, recalls being on the work site just after dawn in the backyard of Beverly Hills, Calif., home owned by Marciano and his wife. The couple had hired Babcock Pools to replace and upgrade their 30 x 15-foot 1960-era plaster pool. Babcock, who custom designs every one of his company’s projects, had arrived ahead of his crew and was mentally rearranging the swimming pool equipment elements of his initial plans.
“I didn’t know Mr. Marciano was there watching me. When I saw him he smiled and said, ‘I’m very used to working with artists’,” Babcock said. Artistry and excellence are among Babcock’s primary values. Another is making his clients’ dreams come true.
Marciano and his wife, dream was for a peaceful, elegant rectangular pool, and one that would be fully, and painstakingly, hand-tiled. Babcock had been introduced to Marciano and his wife by Jonathan Cohen, with the respected third-generation designers Joseph & Son Mosaics. For the bottom of the pool, Cohen created a custom sun-like tile centerpiece in the Fornasetti-esque manner of art seen by the clients during trips to Italy. Babcock’s artisans took care of installing it and tiling the pool.
Babcock stripped the original structure to its concrete foundation, preparing the surface with Miracote Products for all-detail waterproofing beneath the Italian tiles. The pool’s length was shortened by 14 inches to add more walking space at the shallow end, whose steps down into the water were marked by tiled lines that echo the window-paned sliders around the courtyard.
His workers took up all the surrounding original bricks to allow for new deck drains and custom decorative channel drains. The crew saved 75 percent of the weathered bricks to reconstruct the decking. They were able to source additional refurbished aged bricks to create new planter boxes tucked at the end of the pool. They added brick columns to the existing retaining wall to access the new spa, which was notched out in the decking, perpendicular to the pool’s long edge. Babcock suggested using clear acrylic as the spa’s pool-side wall, giving the feature a spacious window effect and clean lines.
“We also went beyond what’s conventional to install a new pool skimmer in sideways, so when you’re swimming you only see beautiful tile in the mouth of the skimmer intake, instead of a basket strainer – with leaves and who knows what else. We love to customize all the pool equipment, to be at a level of art itself,” said Babcock.
Other technical innovations included replacing all the plumbing with oversize plumbing for incredible pool circulation. All the lighting was updated to the new LED low-voltage fixtures. Waterspouts were added for fun and interest.
Babcock said he feels it is an honor to take clients’ visions and create something beyond their expectations. “I do take this extremely seriously,” he said. “I strive to design the unusual, the timeless, for my clients.”
Babcock Custom Pools & Environments — based in the Los Angeles region with additional operations in Arizona — believes that no design is too demanding, no engineering hurdle too challenging, no project too complicated. The key is listening to the clients, and then partnering with trusted individuals, engineers, manufacturers, and suppliers — like Joseph & Sons Mosaics — to create inspired environments, perfected down to the smallest detail.
“There are many great pool and outdoor environment designers and builders out there,” said Babcock. “Where I believe Babcock Custom Pools shines is with our integrity and creativity and hyper commitment to excellence. When customers hire us, they’re getting that immovable foundation. That’s what we build their dreams on. Plus, we absolutely love what we do!”
BABCOCK CUSTOM POOLS AND ENVIRONMENTS
9171 Wilshire Blvd., Ste. 500
Beverly Hills, CA 90210
310-717-4861
designmypool.com
[email protected]
In Business Since 2004
Designs and builds 10 pools per year
Service Area: Throughout the US
