Andrew Kaner, MLA, PHTA Certified Master

Andrew Jay Kaner, President at Aquatic Consultants Inc. has a diverse background of education and life experience. At Florida International University in which Andrew has earned a Master of Landscape Architecture Degree, Andrew worked through a well rounded program of study in site design, regional design, urban design and created several projects focusing on ecology, landscape theory, history, and technique. Andrew completed his course work with a thesis and design proposal for the re-development of the Homestead Air Reserve Base in Homestead, Florida. The site plan included a wetland restoration area, a museum and environmental research laboratories. The design also incorporated a hotel to target eco tourism. With the site being centrally located between both the Everglades National Park and Biscayne National Park, the program called for sustainable design practices to restore native conditions and generate funding through tourism to help support research.

While studying, Andrew gained hands on experience as a landscape designer and gardener working for Palm Springs General Hospital in Hialeah, Florida.

His knowledge of landscape and gardening led him to a supervisory position of the "Roots in The City" project, a publicly funded community garden project in Miami's urban core. Upon graduation, Andrew engaged in work as a landscape architect intern at Geomantic Designs Inc. in Miami, Florida where he worked on college campus landscape and hardscape designs for the University of Miami as well as various upscale residential and commercial projects throughout the Miami area.

Understanding how people like to spend their free time is important to the types of projects and clients Aquatic Consultants deal with on a daily basis. With an Associate's Degree in Food and Beverage Management and a Bachelors degree in Hotel/Restaurant Institutional Management from Johnson and Wales University, Andrew has gained real world experience and exposure to high quality leisure environments while working in Hotels and Country Clubs throughout South Florida. This work experience and education is advantageous in communicating with clients and designing environments that are unique, beautiful, functional, and that set the stage for people to enjoy life and their free time.

While studying how people spend their vacations, free time and leisure activities, Andrew developed an interest in working with water as a medium and decided to expand on the idea of using water in a creative fashion to enhance natural and built environments. This idea has led to his current work and dedication in creating unique water environments for the clientele of Aquatic Consultants Inc. With Andrew's background in landscape architecture he has integrated landscape designs on many water related projects with Aquatic Consultants, including several residential and commercial sites at the Ocean Reef Club in Key Largo, Florida and on various residential projects throughout south Florida and internationally.

At Aquatic Consultants Inc., Andrew works with assisting homeowners, landscape architects, architects, developers, builders, property owners, managers and contractors worldwide, in realizing their visions of creating unique environments centered on water. Projects include water walls, swimming pools, fountains, spas, cascades, therapy pools, ponds and waterfalls.

Andrew engages in continuing education through the Genesis 3 Design Group and attends various industry educational conferences in which he participates in a multitude of design-build seminars focused on progressive ideas, technologies, methods, and techniques. He is one of only 35 people worldwide that have achieved the PHTA Certified Master certification through Genesis 3.

Andrew has worked on several award winning design projects at Aquatic Consultants Inc., including the most recent 2008 FSPA gold award for a vanishing edge pool.

Andrew gains inspiration by spending time with his wife, son, and daughter. Whether playing drums in his band The Fit, creating culinary inspirations, or designing outdoor environments, Andrew has a passion for both life and work.

Brian Van Bower, PHTA Certified Master

Brian Van Bower has nearly 5 decades of professional experience in the swimming pool and spa industry. He is currently active with two companies: He is CEO of "Aquatic Consultants Inc." a Miami, Florida based international consulting / design firm specializing in upscale and unusual pool and waterscape designs; Brian Van Bower is also President and co-founder, with partner Skip Phillips, of "Genesis 3 Design Group", an international company specializing in instructional and educational progressive schooling for those involved in the design, engineering and construction of swimming pools, spas, water features and outdoor living areas. He has been a contributing editor for Watershapes Magazine since 1999 in the US and is Senior Contributing Editor for WAVES Magazine in India. He is one of only 16 pool designers worldwide that have achieved the PHTA Certified Master certification through Genesis.

Brian holds a Florida State Commercial Pool Contractors license. He has served the National Spa and Pool Institute (NSPI) in various capacities since 1979 including President of Region VII (Florida), NSPI National Vice President, Region VII and he was inducted into the NSPI, Region VII "Hall of Fame" in 1994. He chaired the NSPI International Design Award Committee from 1997-1999.

Brian Van Bower has won over 100 industry design awards. He and his company's work have been featured in many national periodicals, magazines and television shows including Bob Vila's Home Again television show, Florida Home and Garden magazine, CNN News, Florida Lifestyles TV show, NBC News, CBS News Sunday Morning Show 8/2007, CNBC On The Money 2006, PBS National Television "Spotlight on Safety" segment, Homebuilding Digest show on Home & Garden Television, Architectural Digest, Florida Architecture (front cover), Tycoon Magazine, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Miami Herald, The Orlando Sentinel, Millionaire Magazine, Pool and Spa Living and Florida Trend Magazine. His expertise and projects are regularly featured in the industry trade publications, Home Magazine's TV show, Ambiance Piscines Magazine (France) and Aqua Magazine. He has contributed to SPLASH magazine in Australia. His work was prominently featured in the tabletop book, "Dream Pools" by Deborah Dietsch in 2002. For four years Brian was host of his own weekly radio show, "All About Pools and Spas" in South Florida.

Van Bower is known for his public speaking ability and as a popular seminar leader for many organizations and has given seminars and keynote speeches around the country and abroad. In 1998 he was a speaker at the International Pool Show in Lyon, France. In 2000 he was the keynote speaker for the Pool Industry Show in Australia and a featured speaker for the SPLASH Pool Industry Conference in Bali, Indonesia in 2001. Van Bower gave the keynote presentation for NSPI Region III in Houston, Texas in 2003. He delivered the keynote address to the Texas Pool and Spa Show in Ft. Worth, Texas in January 2008. He is an accredited Continuing Education instructor for the State of Florida Construction Industry Licensing Board. Brian and Genesis 3 are responsible for the design/build educational programs for the International Pool Spa Patio Expo show annually each November. Brian and Genesis 3 are members of BSW, the German Pool Association, and will be the featured presenters in Germany this year for the third time. His passion for his life's work and dedication to elevating the level of performance of the industry are matched only by his gusto for life.

Kevin VILLAR, MA

Kevin Villar remembers his first experiences in design through sketching houses in middle school. He would regularly look through architectural magazines and sketch the most intriguing and challenging details. It was through his love of sketching and development in his understanding of complex 3-dimensional forms and spaces that he chose to begin his pursuit of a life in design.

Having graduated with a master’s degree in Architecture from Florida International University, Kevin brings a new perspective into the pool industry through his experience and education. He previously worked in a design firm managing the renovations and master design plans of multi-million-dollar hotel properties in the Caribbean. Throughout his education, Kevin traveled to study abroad in Italy for three months which broadened his understanding of different cultures and European architectural styles. With Kevin’s work and educational experience, he has been able to implement new forms of design and styles to help Aquatic Consultants provide a better and more architecturally sensitive service to clients.

Working with Architect’s on new designs from the early stages of projects is a vital part of integrating the pool, landscape, and architectural designs to create cohesive living and relaxation spaces for all clients. Along with our team’s 30+ combined years working in the pool and landscape architecture industry from his team, Kevin’s architectural knowledge allows for an extended form of communication with other design teams and homeowners.

Kevin has enjoyed discovering and learning about the engineering and design of pools throughout his time working in the pool industry. Together with Aquatic Consultant’s leading innovative style of design, Kevin has been able to assist in successfully developing new pool construction details resulting in greater client satisfaction. With his artistic skills he is able to portray design ideas with greater precision and clarity.

With an exceptional skill of time management, Kevin has been able to help organize the company’s rigorous project schedule and office tasks. This has greatly increased the efficiency of the entire office’s time and effort to ensure a high level of service to our clientele.

Kevin continually states that he is very content in the pool design industry. He plans to continue to develop his skills in understanding the creation of relaxation spaces that appeal to the senses. He has taken Genesis courses to continue his education and advance his knowledge of pool design and engineering. He continually seeks out new design challenges to overcome and hopes he could introduce newer generations of designers to the beauty of pool design to enhance the industry as a whole.

Bryan Mayorga

Bryan Mayorga's first experience with the pool industry was not as a professional designer, but in his teen years as an athletic swimmer. For several years during his youth, he endured intense training as part of the Salvadorean swimming team and had the privilege to participate in several international competitions. This life experience opened up limitless boundaries of achievement. Bryan also found appreciation for the hard work that pool professionals do behind the scenes to ensure athletes perform at their absolute best.

As a young adult, Bryan completed a bachelor’s in architecture in the Universidad Centro Americana Jose Simeon Canas UCA, an international University located in El Salvador, Bryan's country of origin, and where he is a licensed architect. As part of his college education, Bryan learned a new appreciation of synesthetic environments, and how elements like landscape or water could be combined with architecture to influence the user senses and enhance the individual's experience of the space.

Corresponding his new appreciation for landscape design, Bryan's thesis project was research about the development of the biggest 22 public parks in El Salvador where he analyzed their history as well as their design. After visiting most of the parks, he found that the most successful parks had taken advantage of the many Salvadorean’s natural springs, and the mountainous terrain to create several natural pools that trickle down into each other, like a chain of lagoons connected by water canals.

Before becoming part of the ACI team, Bryan worked in a few companies that include a residential development firm, and another multinational company with retail stores in more than 23 countries. In these jobs, he had several responsibilities as architectural designer, landscape concept designer, interior designer, brand designer, and a few small roles in construction administration. Working in these different aspects of commercial and residential design gave Bryan an appreciation of all the phases and disciplines that are involved in designing a project, and a new understanding of the complexities of landscape design.

Bryan feels extremely fortunate about being able to work in an industry that has been so important in his life, in which he is always eager to learn and to apply all the complexities of the pool design to produce environments that utilize the benefits of water to feed the client's senses in a unique way to bring the experience to the maximum.

Every day Bryan brings his unique experience, and his knowledge of design to provide a personalized service to every client and to be confident that the final product is something that will benefit them for years to come.

Laura Meyers

Kramer James