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.
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
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
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
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
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
Course Rating from Our Students:
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
Accommodations:
Master Pools Guild has reserved a block of guest rooms at the Omni Amelia Island Hotel and the group rate is $349 plus taxes. Rooms are available on a first come, first served basis. The deadline to qualify for the MPG Group Rate is Thursday, February 13, 2025. To reserve a room, call 904-261-6161 and request the Master Pools Guild meeting rate or click here to reserve your room online.
Virtual
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 / $2,190 Non-member
Course Rating from Our Students:
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
April 16, 21, 23, 28
6 p.m. - 10 p.m. ET
16 hours | 1.6 IACET CEUs | 16 PHTA CEUs
$1,690 PHTA Member / $2,190 Non-member
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
May 12, 14, 19, 21
6 p.m. - 9 p.m. ET
16 hours | 1.6 IACET CEUs | 16 PHTA CEUs
$1,690 PHTA Member / $2,190 Non-member
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.
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
Read our registration and cancellation policy.
On-Demand
Plan development or design work is a professional service. No matter how small a project is, it starts with a drawing, diagram, sketch, or some representation of the final product - and those services have value. This session will walk you through examples of how, and what justification is applied, to charge for your plans.
Learning Objectives:
- Recognize the value of your design services.
- Examine outside industries charging for professional services.
- Discuss work product and final deliverables.
CEUs: 0.8
PHTA Members: View this course for free with the PHTA Class Pass
Non-Members: Purchase course here ($79)
All tile vessels are truly works of art. Yet, tile vessels with intricate, patterned designs embedded within take the beautiful to exquisite. As the industry advances, offering unique and challenging designs elevate you and your customers. But have you considered how that design comes from thought to fruition? During this course, you'll hear from tile experts Greg Andrews and Amy Denny on how a simple pattern can turn into your own piece of a Sistine Chapel.
Learning Objectives:
- Discuss how a design concept is developed.
- Identify the questions to ask your customers.
- Define the proper techniques to execute the tile design.
CEUs: 1
Instructors:
PHTA Members: View this course for free with the PHTA Class Pass
Non-Members: Purchase course here ($79)
Do you wonder what motivates your client's tastes? Are you answering leads for clients who are willing to spend significant money for a new look? These questions can be answered with a solid understanding of outdoor trends. During this session, Kate Wiseman will provide you insight into current outdoor trends, from colors and materials to furniture and layout. This is a must-attend session for anyone directly working with clientele and product selection.
Learning Objectives:
- Review past outdoor trends.
- Examine upcoming trends and colors.
- Review current influences and how those affect your client's desires.
CEUs: 1
Instructor: Kate Wiseman, MLA
Course Fee: $39/member and $79/non-member.
While creating a new home or renovation, projects may require collaboration between an architect and a pool designer to achieve the client's desired outcome. During this course, Paul John Boulifard, Architect and Jason Brownlee, Master CBP will explain how their relationship has advanced their customers' projects and their professions.
Learning Objectives:
- Discuss the need for collaboration of projects.
- Examine how effective communication is key.
- Discuss projects and planning.
CEUs: 1.3
Instructors:
PHTA Members: View this course for free with the PHTA Class Pass
Non-Members: Purchase course here ($79)
Composing the scene to be enjoyed as a whole, by night as well as day, is the key to exceptionally designed environments. This was recorded for the 2021 GENESIS® Symposium.
Learning Objectives:
- Discover and prepare for surprising fixture locations.
- Recognize ways to prioritize elements within your "canvas."
- Describe details on illumination.
CEUs: 1.5
PHTA Members: View this course for free with the PHTA Class Pass
Non-Members: Purchase course here ($79)
Does it ever seem like your customers' requests are coming from outer space? Are you looking for your crystal ball? Conceptualizing what your client wants and what you can provide can be a challenge. During this session, Kate Wiseman will walk you through her method to "read your client's mind." With some tips, tricks, questions, and observations, Kate will show you how to better understand your client's needs, minimizing misunderstandings and ultimately resulting in a smoother project.
Learning Objectives:
- Examine outside influences affecting your customers needs.
- Define questions to ask to ensure you have the information you need.
- Discuss methods of how to better understand your customers.
CEUs: 1
Instructor: Kate Wiseman, MLA
PHTA Members: View this course for free with the PHTA Class Pass
Non-Members: Purchase course here ($79)
Maintaining employees, ensuring you provide a quality product, managing customers, and running a business is difficult, especially during such a transitional year as 2020. However, it can also stall your creativity. To keep you motivated, we'll hear from multiple influencers on how they stay driven and inspired to develop iconic commercial and residential projects. This session was recorded at the 2021 GENESIS® Symposium.
Learning Objectives:
- Discuss how to stay inspired.
- Discuss tips and tricks on finding new ideas.
- Elevate your comfort zone.
CEUs: 1.5
PHTA Members: View this course for free with the PHTA Class Pass
Non-Members: Purchase course here ($79)
