Presented by Poolside, the National Pool of the Year Awards celebrate residential pool design and construction excellence.
Meet the judges of the Poolside 2026 Pool of the Year Awards:
Veda Dante
Pitch Partner
Veda Dante has 30 years’ experience as a media specialist — 20 of those in Australia’s swimming pool and spa space. Starting in 2000, Veda edited Lifestyle Pools + Outdoor Design magazine for a decade, where her role involved writing feature articles on industry topics; liaising with pool designers, builders and landscape architects; commissioning photographers; and co-judging the publication’s annual awards. Veda, whose work has appeared in various trade and consumer magazines, including Poolside, also has experience as a commercial photographer, though these days her lens is more likely to be pointed at her dogs rather than clients.
John Storch
A Total Concept
John Storch is the principal of A Total Concept Landscape Architects and has been designing pools and outdoor spaces for more than 30 years. He is a firm believer in creating a holistic space that flows seamlessly with all other elements of the landscape and the home. This design philosophy is where the name A Total Concept stems from. John has created many award-winning outdoor projects individually and collectively with his team of talented landscape architects and swimming pool designers. He is passionate about design in all forms, always looking at detail and how different aspects integrate. He loves nothing more than seeing a project evolve from a conceptual design into a beautiful finished space.
Tom Fisher
Davey Water Products
Tom has a strong industrial and consumer marketing background, having led global brands throughout Australia, New Zealand, the US, Europe and Africa. Outside of the business world, Tom is passionate about design and architecture and has designed, built and renovated multiple homes around the world with his wife and family. He appreciates aesthetically pleasing, functional and versatile outdoor spaces that bring joy and calm to home or work spaces. Through his work at Davey, Tom is developing a unique understanding of the Australian and global swimming pool markets, from consumer trends to the types of pool products that owners are using and requesting. He has already noticed an increasing requirement for smaller, low-maintenance designs, energy-efficient products, cleaner and healthier pool water, and options to extend the swimming season for year-round pool use.
The 2026 awards are proudly sponsored by:
