Aquatic Culture | Watershapes

The web site for all professionals and consumers who've made or want to make water a part of their lives

Gold Sponsors

Photo courtesy Questar Pools & Spas, Escondido, Calif.
Photo courtesy H2Oarts, Santa Paula, Calif.
Photo courtesy Hess Landscape Architects, Lansdale, Pa.
Photo courtesy Design Ecology, Austin, Texas
Photo courtesy Longwood Gardens, Kennett Square, Pa.
Photo courtesy Huntington Library, San Marino, Calif.
Photo courtesy Rock Solid Tile, Calabasas, Calif.
Photo courtesy Hughes Water Gardens, Wilsonville, Ore.

Fluid Dynamics

For years, says watershaper and educator Mark Holden, landscape architects and watershape contractors have had profound difficulty in communicating about the way water should appear in given systems – whether it should flow over a weir, for example, or how much should spray from a nozzle and how far. The root of the problem, he observes, is what he describes as an addressable lack of water-defining detail in landscape architects’ drawings.

Every Piece in Place

Seven watershapes on three levels, each one as dramatic as the next? The concept alone is breathtaking, report Claude Kershner IV and Jeremy Guillen, who say a great design and a superb project team gave them exactly the support they needed to deliver perfection.

Rendering Aid

Mike Gannon is always gratified when a do-it-yourself pond owner trusts him enough to seek his professional help. But as he relates in introducing this video on one such transformation, there's a single point he keeps very much in mind as he approaches the various tasks at hand.

Subtracting a Deck

If a client asks you to get rid of an old deck all the way up to the coping without adding a new deck, you should think things through before taking the job. If you don't, advises Scott Cohen, things can go very wrong -- and you might be on the hook for a substantial shell-repair bill.

The Floating Stones

Using a concept based on no more than a photograph he'd once spotted online, Jerry Romano traversed uncharted territory to reverse-engineer the 'mystery fountain' that now serves as his company's calling card along a heavily wooded stretch of New Jersey road.

Constrained Expanse

Wrapping up a three-part series on his water-rich botanical gardens, Raymond Jungles notes that these institutions are often narrowly focused while wanting to be as inclusive as possible. It's a duality that kept him busy in Miami Beach as he tried to fit all he could into a compact space.

A Jewel in the Woods

Working with a property owner who insists on an unconventional approach to a project can be a challenge. But it definitely helps, reports William Drakeley, when that client is also open-minded, imaginative and absolutely set on achieving brilliant, gem-like results.

An Elegant Slice

Vera Katz Park was once just an empty sidewalk in Portland’s Pearl District – up until landscape designer and sculptor Scott Murase transformed it into a vibrant urban ‘sliver park’ complete with a long watershape and other attractive amenities. The results of his endeavors are chronicled here, with an emphasis on a unique design process and his use of a creative editing approach that perfectly served the needs of this distinctly urban space.

A Light on White

Its dominance may have faded in the past 20 years as designers and their clients have moved along to consider other options, says surfacing specialist Alan Smith, but in the period before the mid-1970s, it was tough to find a pool finished in any material other than white plaster. Here, he traces the history of this material and the many twists and turns that led to its decline – and discusses what he sees as the potential for something of a revival.

Proportional Response

Watershape designs can easily get out of hand, wrote Brian Van Bower back in September 2003, but he hoped through this column to persuade watershapers to step back and avoid getting carried away.

An Imperfect Flow

The Pittsburgh park where it stands is a wonderful achievement, writes Jim McCloskey, but there's something about it's big fountain that bugs him endlessly, despite his general appreciation of the sculptor.

Packaging a Designer's Messages

Many watershape designers' marketing materials, laments Mike Farley, do not show 'much attention being paid to how messages are conveyed in words, images or graphics.' Enter Marketing for Architects and Designers by Harold Linton, Laura Clary and Steven Rost, a book about which Farley writes, '...this is the only one I've found that cuts so close to the needs of watershapers.'

CRYSTAL FOUNTAINS VIDEO SHOWCASE

Click 'play' to watch the current showcase video

New Products at Watershapes.com

CMP Adds High-Flow UV Sterilizer

Pool/Spa Systems & Equipment
Product information from CMP on UV-C 50, a high-flow ultraviolet sterilizer for pools with capacities up to 50,000 gallons.

Hydropavers Introduces Permeable Decking

Landscape/Hardscape Materials & Equipment
Product information from Hydropavers on its water-permeable decking system that absorbs water to reduce puddling.

David Harber Produces Mirrored Water Bowls

Fountain Systems & Equipment
Product information from David Harber Ltd. on Chalice, mirror-polished stainless steel fountain bowls available in four sizes.

Pool/Spa Systems & Equipment
Product information from Pentair on the WhisperFloXF VS 5HP, a variable speed pump designed for commercial applications.

Landscape Structures Offers Water-Play Platforms

Other Watershape Systems & Equipment
Product information from Landscape Structures on HydraHub2, an interactive splash-zone system from Aquatix

Universal Launches Radiant Fusion Finishes

Construction Systems & Materials
Product information from Universal White Cement on its Radiant Fusion finishes from swimming pools and spas.

A Bumpy Road

WaterShapes World (blog)
A recurrence of back spasms resulting from an ill-considered bout with an old metal post has sidelined Jim McCloskey for a couple weeks -- a disruption that will see you treated here to second looks at some amazing articles from the WaterShapes magazine archives.