Fountains
Picture this: A seaside fountain in which jets of water are arrayed and programed to emulate a Pacific Ocean swell. It's designed as a mirror to existing conditions, using real-time ocean-observation data to determine the exact timing and height of the fountain's jet sequence. Or this: An installation scheduled by its managers to function as an interactive-play fountain at certain times of the day when children are likeliest to be present, or as a musical/performing fountain in the evenings or at other times when the property owner's desire is to entertain and help people relax. Or this: A fountain that
Among the best things about Philadelphia is its stock of public art - and that's not accidental: For many years, all construction projects in specific neighborhoods reaching certain dollar thresholds have been required to include an accessible work of art within their footprints. Whether it's a sculpture, a mural, a statue celebrating a Founding Father or a waterfeature, the city now boasts more than 1,000 of these art pieces, each one part of an outstanding cultural and historical landscape. One of our recent projects fit within this program: Located just across the way from Independence Hall, it's part of a
When we in the design community follow through with our belief that successful urban spaces must work as gathering spots and community resources for recreation, social interaction and relaxation, all sorts of good things start happening in these environments: Those who initiated the ideas are satisfied with the results; those who designed and built them are empowered to participate in effective, rewarding team processes; and those who use the spaces come back again and again, maintaining a high level of
All of our projects make us proud to be watershapers - but this one stands out among the most satisfying and rewarding of them all. The Veterans' Memorial was designed by David Richter of Richter Architects (Corpus Christi, Texas) and sits on prime real estate alongside City Hall in Portland, Texas. Two more Corpus Christi firms - Beecroft Construction and we at Aquaria Services - assembled the monument, which commemorates fallen veterans representing both
In his 1980 book, The Social Life of Small Urban Spaces, William H. Whyte described seven elements needed to make urban spaces successful: seating areas, ready street access, sun, the availability of food, the presence of trees, features that promote conversations among strangers and water - particularly in the form of water features and fountains. As an example of this formulation, there is no more illustrative space than New York's
It's easy to back up an assertion that a good fountain is the key to making a public space work. A monumental statue is great, for instance, but when you add water even in the quiescent form of a reflecting pool, the visitor's experience of the installation is enhanced in many ways. And while big, open plazas may serve as ready-made gathering places, if you add even a small fountain, the overall space will be defined by its presence and visitors will inevitably be drawn to it as a focal point. Public fountains take many forms, but whatever the specifics, their
We've designed and built lots of fountains and waterfeatures through the years on all sorts of scales and levels, but this one - a definite jump outside the box - will be particularly memorable for all of us. The client was The Woodlands, the big planned community near Houston. One of its highlights is a 1.7-mile-long waterway
It's a great time to be a watershaper. With so many talented designers out there, it's a world in which it's increasingly common to rush past conventional boundaries and deliver projects that delight the eye, warm the spirits and bring smiles to the faces of those lucky enough to enjoy them. There are extraordinarily skillful builders and subcontractors out there as well - people whose ability and determination are
To say that I've avidly followed the just-completed process of restoring and renovating the Main Fountain Garden at Longwood Gardens is putting it mildly: This water display has been part of my life since I was ten years old, and I'm proud to say that it's responsible both for my profound interest in water in motion and in some ways for my being a professional watershaper today. So it makes sense that I was there at Longwood Gardens (Kennett Square, Pa.) on May 27, 2017, when the fountain
In recent years, most watershapers have had to speak up in defense of their projects when prospective clients start asking questions about water use and how a pool or pond or fountain can possibly represent a sustainable use of a precious natural resource. These questions even come from those who are fully committed to making water a part of a business or civic setting or a feature in a home environment: They're looking for ways of
