education and events

Design Courses

Ready to launch your design skills to a new level? GENESIS® offers courses dedicated to advancing your knowledge in everything from basic drawing and computer modeling to advanced water feature design.

Interested in bringing GENESIS® faculty to your office/facility to meet with your team? An in-person GENESIS® program tailored to your team would save travel time and expenses for your staff and provide all with the same education to provide your company with an edge over the competition. Contact Jeanne Mendelson, PHTA Vice President of Education and Events.

Click on a course title below to expand the course information.

In-Person

In-person education includes PHTA-hosted events as well as educational sessions at conferences and tradeshows.

MasterCBP

October 2-3
Nashville, TN
8:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. CT
16 hours | 1.6 IACET CEUs | 16 PHTA CEUs
$1,690 PHTA Member / $2,190 Non-member

Register

Course Rating from Our Students:

D265

Click on the stars above to see testimonials from previous students.

Description:

Foresight is an essential component of good design. In this course, you will retrain how you think of water vessel design by changing the sequence of designing outdoor improvements first, and integrating the pool last. This course will challenge your design approach with a landscape-based process that considers the functionality of the entire space first. The course lecture and projects will focus on sightlines, living spaces, traffic flow, special considerations, and more, and will help you create beautiful designs with high functionality.

This is a required course to become a Certified Master Pool Builder & Design Professional.

Learning Objectives:

  • Analyze art examples; review principal areas of composition.
  • Identify categories of outdoor spaces.
  • Define site elements that occupy and enhance the function and esthetic of the space.
  • Review case studies on the use of outdoor space.

Instructor: Kirk Bianchi

Hotel Accommodations:

The housing deadline has passed, and rooms may not be available at the conference hotel. Contact JW Marriott Nashville directly to check availability and rates at 615-291-8600 or the hotel website. Travelocity, Expedia, and other similar travel websites may provide additional options for you in Nashville.

Expert CBP

November 9-10
Dallas, TX
Part of PSP/Deck Expo
8 a.m. - 5 p.m. CT
16 hours | 1.6 IACET CEUs | 16 PHTA CEUs
$1,790 PHTA Member / $2,290 Non-member

Register

Description:

This course is an introduction to the fundamentals of good design and will teach you how to lay out the different improvements in your projects (e.g., pool, spa, patio, etc.). We will break the fundamentals down into two categories: the Elements of Design and the Principles of Design. Once you have a good grasp of the fundamentals, you will learn how to apply them. We will start with short practice exercises and build up to a final project: creating a master plan that includes a pool and spa.

This is a required course to become a Certified Expert Pool Builder & Design Professional.

Exclusive for Expo attendees! On the first afternoon of class, we will visit the Nasher Sculpture Center, home to one of the finest collections of modern and contemporary sculptures in the world. We will explore the beautiful outdoor sculpture garden and focus on how the design fundamentals we are learning were used, how those fundamentals affect us when we enter the garden, and how to apply these same techniques in your projects. We will discover how colors and materials can make outdoor spaces look even more amazing; this is a chance to see how creativity can transform outdoor areas into something spectacular.

Learning Objectives:

  • Discuss fundamental Elements (e.g., line, color, and form) and Principles (e.g., unity, balance, and scale) of design.
  • Define perceptual skills and a better understanding of spatial organization and spatial relationships.
  • Use these concepts to design beautiful spaces that connect with the surrounding environment.
  • Use your communication skills to accurately portray your design intent to the client.

Instructors:

Expert CBP

November 9-10
Dallas, TX
Part of PSP/Deck Expo
8 a.m. - 5 p.m. CT
16 hours | 1.6 IACET CEUs | 16 PHTA CEUs
$1,790 PHTA Member / $2,290 Non-member

Register

Description:

Looking through a magazine of pools, it is easy to find well-conceived plans that failed to unify the design with proper material and color selections. Color is one of our basic means of communication and it influences our emotions, so it must be understood and controlled. This program introduces the basic dynamics of color; its principles, fundamentals, and psychology; and how to apply the science to project design.

This is a required course to become a Certified Expert Pool Builder & Design Professional.

Exclusive for Expo attendees! On the first afternoon of class, we will visit the Nasher Sculpture Center, home to one of the finest collections of modern and contemporary sculptures in the world. We will explore the beautiful outdoor sculpture garden and focus on how the design fundamentals we are learning were used, how those fundamentals affect us when we enter the garden, and how to apply these same techniques in your projects. We will discover how colors and materials can make outdoor spaces look even more amazing; this is a chance to see how creativity can transform outdoor areas into something spectacular.

Learning Objectives:

  • List light, vision, and color physics, color theory, primary colors, mixing, blends, color wheel.
  • Discuss color psychology, how color affects the viewer, influences of color and texture on purchasing decisions.
  • Understand the makeup of a color DNA and the ability to reproduce and match colors.
  • Understand the meaning of the color illusion and work through case studies analyzing how color can make or break the design concept.

Instructor: Feras Irikat

November 11
Dallas, TX
Part of PSP/Deck Expo
8 a.m. - 5 p.m. CT
8 hours | 0.8 IACET CEUs | 8 PHTA CEUs
$899 PHTA Member / $1,199 Non-member

Register

Description:

Health and wellness continue to be a growing movement in our lives, and that includes in the pool and spa world. Even if "wellness" isn't on the forefront of your client's mind, it exists in the background of their desires. As our customers envision their personal space as not just for living and fun, but as a way to create a wellness oasis, it is our responsibility to help them achieve their health goals. This course will help you take steps to integrate wellness into your business model.

Learning Objectives:

  • Review wellness staples, basics, and progressive trends.
  • Integrate wellness opportunities into your designs and business model.
  • Identify opportunities to upsell wellness into your projects.

Instructors:

Expert CBP

January 26-27
Atlantic City, NJ
Part of The Pool & Spa Show powered by NESPA
8 a.m. - 5 p.m. ET
16 hours | 1.6 IACET CEUs | 16 PHTA CEUs
$1,690 PHTA Member / $2,190 Non-member

Register

Description:

In our business, drawing is a tool that you must have in order to effectively communicate with your clients. In this course, we'll teach you fundamental sketching, drawing, and drafting skills, along with how to read and layout plans. No previous drawing experience needed.

This is a required course to become a Certified Expert Pool Builder & Design Professional.

Learning Objectives:

  • Learn the basic types of drawings: elevation, section, and plan.
  • Demonstrate how to draw, not for beauty, but as a communication tool.
  • Examine the common terms, symbols, and methods used by professional designers and architects.

Instructor: Andy Kaner, MLA, Master CBP

Expert CBP

February 5-6
Houston, TX
Part of the Southwest Pool & Spa Show
8 a.m. - 5 p.m. CT
16 hours | 1.6 IACET CEUs | 16 PHTA CEUs
$1,690 PHTA Member / $2,190 Non-member

Register

Description:

This course is an introduction to the fundamentals of good design and will teach you how to lay out the different improvements in your projects (e.g., pool, spa, patio, etc.). We will break the fundamentals down into two categories: the Elements of Design and the Principles of Design. Once you have a good grasp of the fundamentals, you will learn how to apply them. We will start with short practice exercises and build up to a final project: creating a master plan that includes a pool and spa.

This is a required course to become a Certified Expert Pool Builder & Design Professional.

Learning Objectives:

  • Discuss fundamental Elements (e.g., line, color, and form) and Principles (e.g., unity, balance, and scale) of design.
  • Define perceptual skills and a better understanding of spatial organization and spatial relationships.
  • Use these concepts to design beautiful spaces that connect with the surrounding environment.
  • Use your communication skills to accurately portray your design intent to the client.

Instructor: Kate Wiseman, MLA

Expert CBP

March 17-18
Amelia Island, FL
Part of the Master Pools Guild Spring Meeting
8 a.m. - 5 p.m. ET
16 hours | 1.6 IACET CEUs | 16 PHTA CEUs
$1,690 PHTA Member / $2,190 Non-member

Registrating opening soon!

Course Rating from Our Students:

D271

Click on the stars above to see testimonials from previous students.

Description:

Understanding the architecture of both built structures and the surrounding landscape will enable watershape designers to coordinate details and relate the water elements back to the surrounding environment in an appropriate way. It is easy to find examples of pools that clearly do not reflect the style of the home. They are usually the result of a production-type builder that is only comfortable replicating the same pool they have built many times. However, when the pool is well-designed to match the home's architecture, the effect can be breathtaking and add real value to the property. This process can only begin after a basic understanding of architectural styles - the palette from which we draw from. These pools not only reflect the home but also the surrounding landscape.

This is a required course to become a Certified Expert Pool Builder & Design Professional.

Learning Objectives:

  • Review design styles through the 20th Century. Includes Arts and Crafts, Prairie Style, California Bungalow, Bauhaus, Art Deco, Zig-Zag modernism, New England salt boxes, Ranch style, Mid-Century Modern, Brutalism, Post-Modernism, and others in the US and overseas.
  • Discuss the significance of changes in style and review key examples of these styles.
  • Describe the key principles of various styles and how to coordinate watershape design with architecture.

Instructor: Paul John Boulifard, Architect + LEED AP

Virtual

MasterCBP

January 14, 16, 21, 23
6 p.m. - 9:30 p.m. ET
16 hours | 1.6 IACET CEUs | 16 PHTA CEUs
$1,690 PHTA Member / $1,890 Non-member

Registration opening soon!

Course Rating from Our Students:

D280

Click on the stars above to see testimonials from previous students.

Description:

Water features have been a part of the landscape since ancient times. Are you familiar with the world's most famous water features? Can you effectively answer questions from your clients about them? Dive into the world of water history. This course will guide you through the world's most renowned swimming pools and water features from ancient (the world's first known swimming pool), historical (Versailles), to today's contemporary installations (Marina Bay Sands; Amangiri Resort, Utah). We'll identify the who's who of today's most influential water feature designers and why this knowledge is necessary to relate to your clientele.

This is a required course to become a Certified Master Pool Builder & Design Professional.

*Virtual Training Information: Additional homework and supplemental studies will be included in the curriculum for students to complete the course.

Learning Objectives:

  • Discuss the history of water features.
  • Review historic water features and vessels, from ancient water features through the 21st Century.
  • Identify global water features.
  • Discuss contemporary features.
  • Examine how history incorporates into the design and development of a student's creation today.

Instructor: Kate Wiseman, MLA

Read our registration and cancellation policy.

On-Demand

 

Pool & Hot Tub Alliance Strategic Partners:

  • Biolab
  • Fluidra
  • Hayward
  • Heritage Pool Supply Group
  • Lou
  • Lyon Financial
  • Pentair
  • Solenis
  • WatkinsWellness
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