Southern Pool Designs, an award winning pool builder based in Sanford, has won a Gold Award in the Freeform category at the 2026 Pool and Hot Tub Alliance International Awards of Excellence, one of the highest honors in the pool and outdoor living industry. The awards, run by the Pool and Hot Tub Alliance, recognize the most outstanding pool projects in the world, selected by a panel of industry judges from entries submitted internationally.
For our clients across Central Florida, it means the team designing and building in your backyard is working to a standard measured against the best in the world.
What the award recognizes
The Freeform category is where design and craftsmanship meet. Our guide to freeform pool design in Central Florida covers how those curves are drawn and engineered. Every line is drawn and built by hand, shaped around the home and the way a family lives outdoors. Our winning project will be featured in the September issue of AQUA Magazine, the pool and spa industry’s leading trade publication, with additional coverage across the Pool and Hot Tub Alliance’s national channels.
“This award belongs to our whole team and to the families who trusted us with their backyards,” said Austen Ebenger, owner of Southern Pool Designs. “Freeform design is where craftsmanship shows. Being recognized at the international level tells our clients across Central Florida that the work happening in their backyard meets the highest standard in the industry.”
A year of recognition
The PHTA honor follows Southern Pool Designs being named a Top 50 Pool Builder in Florida for 2026 by the Florida Swimming Pool Association, capping a year of accelerating recognition for the Sanford builder.
Southern Pool Designs will be honored at the PHTA Awards of Excellence Reception on Monday, November 16, 2026, at the International Pool Spa Patio Expo in New Orleans.
The work behind an award winning pool builder
As an award winning pool builder, Southern Pool Designs designs and builds new construction pools, custom pools and spas, vanishing edge and geometric designs, water features and complete outdoor living environments. Engineering happens in house, and you can see your pool investment laid out before anything is dug.
About Southern Pool Designs, an Award Winning Pool Builder
Southern Pool Designs is a custom, high end luxury pool builder serving Central Florida from its base in Sanford, building since 1997. It is a Google Guaranteed provider and holds a five star rating across more than 100 Google reviews.
If you are planning a custom pool, we would love to design yours next. Start your design with a free consultation.