Design

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

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Industry Spotlight: LG Electronics

LG Electronics

Advances in compressor technology are helping manufacturers move beyond the traditional capacity range of residential pool heat pumps, creating new possibilities for larger pools, faster heating and cooling, and a broader range of applications.

Industry Spotlight: LG Electronics

Waterscapes as Wellness: A Designer's Manifesto for Sensorial, Soulful Spaces

Explore six guiding principles for creating waterscapes that harmonize with nature, architecture and the people who experience them.

Aerial view of a turquoise resort pool with two swimmers and tropical plants, featuring wooden lounge areas with white towels

Poolside Dreaming

LaPlaya Beach & Golf Resort pairs Gulf-front views with four lagoon-style pools, an oversized hot tub and upscale poolside amenities.

Beachfront resort at sunset with high-rise hotel, palm trees, pools, and ocean view

Pool Mania in Orlando

The Orlando World Center Marriott offers something for every swimmer, from a relaxing lagoon pool to thrilling waterslides and a winding lazy river.

Colorful water park with blue and yellow slides, swimming pool, palm trees, and lounge chairs under clear sky

Blending Ingenuity and Coastal Living

Casa Colinas transforms a tight coastal plot into a sun-drenched, poolside retreat.

Modern house with turquoise pool and wooden deck overlooking manicured gardens and countryside landscape

Mythbusters: Fiberglass Edition

We debunk 11 myths today's fiberglass builders wish their customers didn't think they know.

Pool technician demonstrates cleaning equipment to customer by backyard swimming pool

Brutalist Home With a Gentle Touch

A cave-inspired pool glows at the heart of this fortress-like brutalist home, softening raw concrete with light, water and a surprising sense of warmth.

Minimalist concrete pool area with wooden loungers and tropical greenery backdrop

Nature Sets the Curve

This family home in southern Vietnam acts as a "bridge," connecting nature to the human experience and the city beyond.

Modern minimalist living room with gray leather sofa, indoor pool, and white staircase

Relaxation That Transcends Walls

A town in the eastern Czech Republic is home to an indoor swimming pool that offers relaxation and environmental benefits to the community.

Modern glass-walled building with indoor pool, green lawn, and evening lighting

Lew Akins: Building Into the Sunset

Vanishing-edge expert and iconic pool designer and builder Lew Akins has been enjoying retirement in Mexico for some time, but he's still creative innovative pools — this time for himself.

4 X 425 Aq Wf2 Sin Título 76 3 Lg

Overlooking an Oasis

A family home in Singapore built its rooms around a pool, waterfall and a Koi carp pond.

1 P 125 Aq Wf1 Cornwall Gardens4 Lg

Planting Design With Style

Don't let planting design become an afterthought in your next backyard project — as with any pool build, a beautiful garden environment can take it to the next level.

1 A 624 Aq F1 Aroundthe Pool13 Lg

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