Spas

2026 Awards of Excellence: Silver Winners

The 2026 Awards of Excellence Silver winners showcase exceptional pool and spa projects that combine creative design, expert craftsmanship and technical precision.

Modern luxury home with infinity pool overlooking landscape, featuring WAF 2026 Silver Award of Excellence certification

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The Chlorine Pyramid Side 2: Corrosion, Staining, Scaling and LSI

Haviland

This second side of the Pyramid explores the overlapping factors that control both sanitation and LSI (The scaling or corrosive nature of your water)

The Chlorine Pyramid Side 2: Corrosion, Staining, Scaling and LSI

2026 Awards of Excellence: Gold Winners (Part 2)

The second installment of the 2026 Awards of Excellence Gold winners showcases more standout projects recognized for exceptional design, craftsmanship and technical execution.

Luxury modern home with illuminated pool and manicured lawn at dusk, featuring HIA 2026 Gold Award of Excellence badge

2026 Awards of Excellence: Gold Winners (Part 1)

Throughout October, we’re announcing the winners of the Pool & Hot Tub Alliance’s prestigious Awards of Excellence. The first installment of Gold-winning projects pairs striking design with the technical skill and craftsmanship that bring each vision to life.

Luxury modern home with turquoise pool surrounded by mature trees and manicured landscaping, featuring 2026 Awards of Excellence gold badge

Time to Heat Things Up: Designing Spas for Wellness, Not Just Water

Putting wellness first can reshape spa design, from sightlines and seating to customized therapy zones that better fit how clients live.

Modern luxury backyard with rectangular spa and swimming pool, stone patio, manicured lawn, and stone building with water features.

One Goal, Two Standards: How PHTA-6 and UL 1563 Were Harmonized

A look at how industry collaboration brought PHTA-6 and UL 1563 into alignment, creating clearer roles for portable spa construction, certification and installation.

Modern hot tub installed on a concrete patio beside a contemporary home with dark siding and large glass doors

The Perfect Hot Spot

How to help customers find the ideal location for a hot tub installation.

Two men discussing backyard landscape design near a swimming pool and manicured lawn

Akari Sauna House: Where Brooklyn Goes to Find Its Chill

A Brooklyn sauna house offers a quiet, Japanese-inspired escape from city life.

Modern sauna interior with wooden benches and skylight opening to natural light

A Hydrotherapy Home Run

The Cleveland Guardians level up recovery with a new hydrotherapy room — complete with expanded pools, hot and cold plunges, and space for the whole team.

Modern indoor spa facility with two hot tubs, flat-screen TVs, and Guardian neon signage on textured tile walls

Spillover Spa Design

A closer look at the design decisions and equipment strategies that turn a spillover spa into the centerpiece of a backyard project.

Luxurious multi-level swimming pool with stone features in desert landscape

Major Impact in a Small Space

See how one Nevada builder turned a tight corner into a stunning backyard spa retreat with smart prefab design.

Luxurious hot tub overlooking city skyline at twilight with stone walls

Recycled in the Name of Relaxation

In Sausalito Bay, two Finnish-style saunas float on a 675-square-foot barge built from recycled shipping containers — an impressive feat of wellness architecture.

Modern wooden houseboat with warm cedar tones docked among sailboats in marina

2025 Awards of Excellence: Merit (Part 2)

Over the last month, we've had the honor to present the winners from this year's PHTA Awards of Excellence. The designs in this final list conclude the Merit award-winning projects.

Modern outdoor pool and lounge area with minimalist design, surrounded by forest

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