GENESIS® / PHTA®

Water is the essential element in a landscape. Whether you choose a swimming pool for family entertainment or maintaining a fitness regimen, look to a spa for relaxation, a water feature for design, or simply to create a serene sense of unparalleled beauty to your outdoor space, water is a medium of endless potential.

Choosing a qualified pool and spa professional to handle the design and installation of your aquatic environment is of prime importance, regardless of the size and complexity of your project. A properly designed and installed vessel can provide you with years of enjoyment, healthful exercise, and entertainment. When the work doesn’t equate to a quality standard, however,
a variety of potential problems are likely to follow.

Selecting a qualified professional is vital from the fact that the design and construction of pools and spas encompasses a variety of specific skill sets and areas of expertise. Truly, professional designers and builders are well-versed in multiple aspects to the project; hydraulics, electricity, geology, structural engineering, water chemistry, masonry and materials science, as well as purely aesthetic concerns including elements of architectural style, color theory, materials selections, and visual presentation, among others.

Brian Van Bower and Andy Kaner Aquatic Consultants Inc Architect: Jeffrey Photograph by Robin Hill, Silberstein Architecture

When you’re seeking the benefits and beauty of water features, you need true professionals to create environments that will provide years of carefree recreation and pleasure. The Society of Watershape Designers^® certification (SWD) is the only source in North America for certified professionals specializing in pools, spas, fountains, and water features – “watershapes” – of all types as well as the surrounding outdoor living environments.

Joan Roca Master Pool Designer Photograph by Rocio Escobar

Society of Watershape Designer certified members, an SWD Master, or an SWD Registered, have completed a required 150 or more hours of educational study within GENESIS, a company of the Pool and Hot Tub Alliance (PHTA). GENESIS, as the pool and hot tub industry’s premier educator, adheres to the stringent requirements of third party education accreditation through the International Association of Continuing Education and Training (IACET) ANSI/IACET Standard.

Society of Watershape Designer certified members have studied and comprehended the science of hydraulics, the nuances of soil conditions and structural engineering, electrical theory and installation, the arts and crafts of masonry. They have detailed knowledge of waterproofing, forming and excavation, interior pool finishes, equipment selection, pool and spa start-ups, control technology. Society of Watershape Designers required studies of the history of art and architecture, color theory, design elements, site analysis, project management, customer service, and relations, and sound contracting practices, provide you a professional of educated stature to create your dream. Society of Watershape Designer certified members are offered additional education practices on a variety of specialties, including landscape lighting, pond and stream construction, fire features, interactive water features, and landscape design.

Within the Society of Watershape Designers is an elite group of individuals who have achieved the highest level of professionalism — SWD Master certification status. SWD Masters are credited with the design and construction of the most conceptually creative, technically advanced, and structurally sound water structures in existence. These impressive structures collectively push the boundaries of artistic expression using water as their media.

Together, SWD Masters and SWD Registered members and form a tight-knit community of accomplished specialists dedicated to creating the most beautifully designed and expertly built water vessels in the world.

You want and deserve the best. If you are a trusted advisor or design professional, and you’re looking for excellence in character and craftsmanship in the field of water, look no further than a Society of Watershape Designer for your next backyard masterpiece.Find your professional at www.societyofwatershapedesigners.com.