Nicholas Hauk

Nicholas Hauk, 35

Nicholas Hauk’s fascination with pool design began at an early age as he watched his father meticulously draw pool designs by hand. At just 13, he was entrusted with bringing these images to life by coloring them with paint pens and colored pencils, igniting his ambition to become a pool designer and builder.

At 15, he started working for his father’s pool company, Hauk Custom Pools, mostly cleaning pools and digging drainage lines. A few years later, he moved to the service and warranty side of the business.

Hauk went to college while working full-time at a civil engineering firm. This combination provided him with a comprehensive understanding of construction methods and engineering practices.

With experience in hand, he didn’t have to wait long after earning his degree to start designing pools. 

“I graduated college on a Friday,” Hauk recalls. “On Saturday morning, my father took me to Target to buy a golf shirt, shoes, elevation equipment [for land surveying], a laptop and a clipboard. On Monday morning, I ran my first lead as a swimming pool designer.”  

Over the next eight years, alongside his brother, Hauk transformed his father’s pool company, increasing new construction sales from 40 to 250 pools annually. This high-volume environment allowed him to refine his design skills and master construction knowledge. Perhaps more importantly, he developed an appreciation for the people who contributed to the company’s success. He embraced his father’s dictum: “Ninety percent of our company assets walk out of the back door and go home to their family every day.”

Despite his achievements, there came a point when Hauk contemplated leaving the industry. Burnout and frustration loomed, but his determination led him to  launch Pure Design, his pool construction firm. He later expanded his horizons by founding complementary ventures like Elemental Acrylic, specializing in pool windows, and Park Cities Plumbing, dedicated to premium pool plumbing design and installation.

Through his business, Hauk gets to find innovative solutions, whether in construction techniques, design concepts or closing strategies. 

“My business partner, Peter, and I are always asking ourselves, ‘Why? Why should we build it this way? Why should we design this project differently?’ ” he explains. “It is my opinion that so many pool industry ‘experts’ are convinced they are correct because ‘That is the way we have always done it.’ For us, the ability to adapt and change is the key to a successful career.”