Unlike prefabricated fiberglass pools, where the shapes are decided for you, the options are basically endless for stainless steel pools.
Genesis co-founder Skip
Phillips, Gene 
Pool & Spa is “in a league by himself,”
an accolade which might one day adorn
Brown’s plaque in the swimming pool
builders hall of fame should one ever be
built. Elite building is part of the Brown
family heritage: Brown’s father Gary
attended the very first Genesis class,
and Valley Pool & Spa was the host of
Phillips’ Canadian work permit for many
years.
Through Genesis, Gene Brown
became the only Platinum-level designer
in British Columbia and has continued
to expand and elevate the pool industry
in the Okanagan Valley and beyond.
The company has been designing and
building stunning pools for 52 years,
and also has a retail store located in
Kelowna.
The majority of Valley Pool & Spa’s
projects were — and continue to be
— concrete, but when Brown began
a partnership with Chris Neal at Pure
Stainless Pools, based in Ontario, he
quickly realized the many benefits of
working with stainless steel pools.
A stainless steel pool, like this one, goes in faster than concrete and is lighter in weight, making it an advantageous choice in some situations.
BUILD TIME
Where Pure Stainless is based in central
Canada, their build season is much
shorter. Stainless steel provides a highquality
alternative to concrete that also
speeds up the building time.
“The actual production of the pool
happens off-site,” explained Brown, “and then it is delivered on-site and gets
finished.” The difference in the length
of time it takes to build a stainless steel
pool versus a concrete pool is clear:
“Instead of putting in two to three pools
per year as a one-crew concrete pool
company, one crew can put in a dozen
or so stainless steel pools in a year.”
Brown appreciates the shortened
build time, even though Valley Pool &
Spa builds year-round in their warmer
climate. His most common projects
are either commercial or high-end
residential, which are larger projects
with more complex features, therefore
requiring a much longer timeframe.
Stainless steel has allowed him to take
on more projects in the same amount
of time.
Stainless steel is a more rigid material than concrete, making perimeter overflows and vanishing edges like these much easier to accomplish.
DESIGN FLEXIBILITY
Part of what intrigued Brown about
stainless steel pools was that “we have
the opportunity to build exactly what we
want,” he said. “Valley Pool & Spa likes
to do exotic details like overflows and
acrylics,” and stainless steel allows them
to do so. Unlike prefabricated fiberglass
pools, where the shapes are decided for
you, the options are basically endless for
stainless steel pools.
With stainless steel being a more
rigid material, “building perimeter
overflows and vanishing edges are much
easier to do with stainless steel just
because it’s so perfect,” Brown said.
Although Brown still works primarily
with concrete, he highly recommends
stainless steel pools for customers who
are looking for their pool to be a work of
art. “It’s all about the design,” he said.
“It’s very specific to the customer and
the house. I build stainless steel pools
for customers in contemporary houses
who want a certain look.”
When Brown shows potential clients
his portfolio, he often hears, “I’ve never
seen something like that before—it’s a
piece of art.”
DURABILITY AND WEIGHT
Another benefit of stainless steel pools
is that they weigh much less than
concrete pools, making it easier to
install an elevated pool. One of Brown’s
most recently completed projects was
a stainless steel pool and hot tub on
the roof of a 34-floor high-rise. “There
are serious constraints to building a
concrete pool up high,” he said. “and
with stainless steel, you don’t have to
worry as much about waterproofing.”
Brown explained that concrete is less
expensive than stainless when you’re
building in-ground, but he much prefers
stainless steel when building in or above
a structure. “If we’re going up on the
second or third floor, let’s go stainless,”
he said. “We do a lot of projects that are
either cantilevered or built over the top
of the living space. For those, we use
stainless.”
QUALITY EDUCATION FOR
QUALITY POOLS
Over the last 25 years, Brown has
completed 20 Genesis courses in
construction, design, and engineering.
When asked to pick one thing that
he learned in a Genesis course that influenced his business, his reply was:
all of it.
“You really need to do it all,” he
said. “Start with the foundation in
construction and go from there. Learn
about the mechanical side of things.
Then get into design and start looking
at the effect of colors. You really need to
focus on the whole package.”
One benefit of Genesis education
that isn’t talked about very often is
the opportunity to see things through
the eyes of fellow builders. “It’s pretty
amazing how two different people can
come into one spot and come out with
two totally different design concepts,”
Brown explained. “I’ve learned a lot
from others’ perspectives.”
Many pool builders stay focused
on the construction part of the project
(which is important, of course — poor
construction leads to problems for
everyone), but it is also important to
remember that your clients are looking
for more than a structure with water
in it. They are looking for a backyard
oasis, a place to relax, a place to host
family and friends, their own personal
resort — regardless of their budget or
the size of the pool. Brown believes that
design is key. His philosophy is, “Even a
more affordable pool should be a piece
of art.”
This article first appeared in the August 2024 issue of AQUA Magazine — the top resource for retailers, builders and service pros in the pool and spa industry. Subscriptions to the print magazine are free to all industry professionals. Click here to subscribe.
