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]
FEATURE ARTICLE
The Sizzle of Fire and Water
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]
VIDEO GALLERY
Starting Fresh
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]
WATERSHAPES WORLD
Jumping In
A long-time observer of industry programs intended to call attention to the value of watershapes, Jim McCloskey has taken a special shine to Step Into Swim -- a National Swimming Pool Foundation campaign that's just released a clever video on the importance of learning to swim. [more]
Producing clear, clean water in just about any watershape is essentially a matter of achieving efficient, effective filtration. To get there, writes Steve Gutai, you need to understand the performance characteristics of filter media as well as the nuts and bolts of how filters are installed. [more]
WATERSHAPES CLASSIC
Ready, Set, Goal
Setting and pursuing goals has long been a key to his own success, wrote Brian Van Bower in his 'Aqua Culture' column ten years ago. But is goal-setting still a valuable exercise in today's business environment? [more]
TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE
Canadian Sports Ethics Body
Shortens Ban on Swim Coach
Many water-related stories have been in the news of late - including reports connected to the three questions below.
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?
Outdoor Living Systems & Accessories
Product information from S.R. Smith on its Destination Lounger, an in-pool seat for residential and commercial pools.
WaterShapes World (blog)
A recent blog about his WaterShapes-related New Year's Resolution drew an unusual quantity of reader comments, reports Jim McCloskey. Some volunteered to help; others just hated the idea. But there was also a third sort of response -- a set of observations that made his day.