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September 25, 2013 www.watershapes.com |
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ESSENTIAL
Teaming Perfection
Every great watershaping project involves a measure of design inspiration followed up by an equivalent measure of excellence in execution. In some cases, notes watershaper Brian Van Bower, a single entity or person drives both processes, but it’s increasingly common these days for superb projects to be the result of a team effort — as in the project discussed here, where there was a collaboration among architects, designers, contractors and subcontractors aligned in pursuit of a shared goal.
This article, originally published in October 2007, has been digitized for all readers. Click here to see the full text and enlarge the images to study the craftsmanship in detail.
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PONDCRAFT 101
Digging In
In excavating a pond, you’re very much caught up in the sort of hard work on display in this video. But for many reasons, explains Eric Triplett, you should also be looking ahead and thinking about how the watershape will ultimately look when you add rock, plants and fish. [more]
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 VIDEO GALLERY
Choosing a ‘Look’
Most homeowners want to get involved in selecting their own tile and coping, observes Lew Akins. That’s why — as he discusses in this video — he does all he can to share his experience and ensure that his clients are ready to make well-informed choices. [more]
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WATERSHAPES WORLD
Facing Our Aquatic Future
Gaining access to the life aquatic is no longer as easy as it was when he was a kid, writes Jim McCloskey. In light of that trend, he discusses the need to find more and better ways to provide avenues to swimming education and get kids back in the water, safe and sound. [more]
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PLATINUM REFLECTIONS
A New American Garden
James van Sweden has designed scores of renowned public and private spaces in the United States and abroad. Here, he profiles the Chicago Botanic Garden and its Great Basin, describing how he and his firm approached, bid and executed a project at the very highest level. [more]
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TRAVELOGUE
Wondrous Trouble
It may celebrate a history that many regret, notes Jim McCloskey, but there’s no denying the beauty of this tribute to the man responsible for bringing water to the desert that was Los Angeles — and for making bitter enemies of residents of a distant California valley. [more]
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WHAT’S NEW?
Now at WaterShapes.com . . .
While supplies last, you can purchase one of 7 available complete, mint-condition, 131-issue sets of WaterShapes, a print publication that set the tone for development of the art and craft of watershaping from February 1999 until July 2011. For ordering information, click here!
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While Committing ‘Unspeakable Atrocities’ . . .
North Korea’s Kim Jung Un
Visits Waterpark Construction Site
[more]
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WATERSHAPES CLASSIC
Proportional Responses
Watershape designs can easily get out of hand, wrote Brian Van Bower back in September 2003 — but he hoped through his column to persuade watershapers to step back and avoid getting carried away. [more]
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TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE
Has USA Swimming Banned
Anti-LGBT Discrimination?
Many water-related stories have been in the news of late – including reports connected to the three questions below.
1. At its recent House of Delegates meeting, USA Swimming (the national governing body of competitive swimming in the United States) voted to add sexual orientation and gender expression to other categories listed in its anti-discrimination rules — true or false?
a. True b. False
2. The city council of one Japanese metropolis is planning on turning the Dotonbori Canal — whose water currently is filthy and unfit for human contact — into an 800-meter-long (2,625-foot-long), sanitary swimming pool right in the heart of town. Which Japanese city?
a. Tokyo b. Osaka c. Nagano d. Kyoto
3. A court in one European Union country has ruled that a Muslim schoolgirl must take mixed-gender swimming lessons in accordance with her school’s policies. She will, however, be allowed to wear a body-concealing “Burkini” swimsuit. Which EU country?
a. Spain b. France c. Netherlands d. Germany
To find out how many you got right, click here.
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