2012/11.1, November 7 — Naturalistic Watershaping, Fire Features, Pond Renovation and more

Microsoft’s corporate campus near Seattle has been the birthplace of much of the world’s most significant consumer-electronics technology. When it came time to adorn the ultramodern facility with a watershape of it own, reports Jon Mitovich, the scope and complexity of the system was intended to reflect the scale and grandeur of the world’s most famous software company — and to fit a circumscribed space as though it had been there from time immemorial.

This article, originally published in February 2003, has been digitized for all readers. Once you click ‘more’ on the next screen, you can zoom in on images to study the craftsmanship in detail. [continue]

If your aim is to draw people outdoors, writes Scott Cohen, there’s nothing quite like adding fire to a waterscape. Not only do you get the opportunity to work with dancing reflections, but there’s also the fact that you’re stretching the season by bringing sources of warmth to outdoor spaces. [more]

Skilled pond designers and installers are often called upon to deal with the unfortunate results of work done by others, notes Eric Triplett. As this four-part video shows, he and his staff were able in this case to get the pond back in shape — all within its original footprint. [more]

A long-time observer of industry programs intended to call attention to the value of watershapes, Jim McCloskey has taken a special shine toStep Into Swim — a National Swimming Pool Foundation campaign that’s just released a clever video on the importance of learning to swim. [more]

1. The Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport (CCES) has reduced a lifetime ban on Canadian swim coach Cecil Russell, enabling him to return to coaching as early as 2014. Why was Russell sanctioned in the first place?

a. He molested one of his swimmers

b. He committed an infraction of an antidoping regulation

c. He bet on the outcome of swim meets

d. He lied on his job application

2. What professional troupe of synchronized swimmers was featured on Justin Bieber’s recent music video for the song “Beauty and a Beat”? Hint: They also appeared on “Glee.”

a. Aquabirds b. Aquaroses c. Aqualillies d. Aquabelles

3. It recently was revealed that only an estimated 20% of this major Asian city’s residents know how to swim, in part because there are not enough public swimming lessons available. What city is it?

a. Hong Kong b. Tokyo c. Manila d. Kuala Lumpur