3D printed pools: The future is here

When it comes to innovative pool building, it appears that the future is here, with the San Juan 3D printed fiberglass swimming pool.

San Juan Pools, a Lakeland, Florida, family-owned company that has been in business since 1958, is the inventor of the full-body fiberglass swimming pool, and now, they have the additional distinction of being the first to use 3D printing technology to create swimming pools.

Partnering with Alpha Additive, another Florida company that builds custom 3D printers, San Juan Pools is now able to fabricate their fiberglass pools in far less time that it would take to build them normally.

Their first 3D printed pool, the Baja Beach model, was featured on “Fox & Friends” this June, and measures 12’ x 25’ with a depth of 3’. The front has a 12’ long acrylic glass window with a clear view, while the back contains a spa section that can accommodate 8 people, with a sloped beach entry into the pool.

But the best thing about these pools is that they can print them in any shape they want.

According to 3Dnatives, an online media platform on 3D printing, the materials used for the 3D printing process are a special Vinyl Esther Resin and fiberglass. And while San Juan Pools hasn’t given any information on the technology that was used and which parts were 3D printed in particular, 3Dnatives says they assume that the main body of the pool was printed using Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) technology.

San Juan Pools has traditionally used a manufacturing process adapted from techniques used in manufacturing boat hulls. According to the company, their original pool is still in excellent condition today, with people still swimming in it every summer.

The company claims to be the first to probe the gainful attributes of new technologies, and the first in continued research and development in fiberglass, and these claims sure seem to bear out with their latest 3D printed pool. And compared to their traditional manufacturing process, the 3D printed pools have the additional advantage of being environmentally friendly by using sustainable materials that are “completely recyclable.”

Furthermore, during the current pool-construction backlog, these pools can be finished in a matter of days instead of weeks, and because of the quick fabrication process, the company promises this summer’s customers can still get a new pool ready by the fall of this year – and installed in a single day.

According to their website, pricing for San Juan Pools ranges from $25,000 to $45,000 installed, without any add-ons such as heaters, decorative lighting, or water features, although it is not clear if their 3D printed pools will be offered at the same price points.

Will these pools revolutionize the pool industry? It probably depends on their long-term durability and cost.

What do you think of the 3D printed pool by San Juan Pools? Let us know at [email protected]