ARTICLES Archives - Page 109 of 315

Given its spectacular ocean views, Randy Beard knew that this home called for a pool and spa that didn't get in the way. But that wasn't all he had to consider in designing the watershapes and organizing this remarkable space for entertainment as well as private enjoyment.

A Seaside Gem

With hillside projects, it's generally true that lines of sight mean everything. No matter whether the views are up close or in the far distance, no matter if the space looks out over water, trees, rugged terrain or other structures, a design wins huge style points (and a client's gratitude) if you are conscious of the way your watershapes fit into their environments. The project covered in this article had almost every advantage in the view department. Set on a slope overlooking the Pacific Ocean at Dana Point, Calif., the home sits

Serendipity

Just recently, a business acquaintance suggested I would enjoy a meeting scheduled for a downtown Los Angeles hotel. I figured I'd go because the Museum of Contemporary Art is right down the street and I hadn't been there for a while. So off I went, braving rush-hour traffic, biting hard when I discovered it would cost me nearly $40 to park for the morning and doing my best to

Color Me Unimpressed

It's attention-getting, so it's easy to figure out why it's done. But in this case, my feeling is that just because it can be done doesn't mean it should be done. What I'm agitated about here is the peculiarly popular practice of coloring fountain water to commemorate special dates or events. You know what I mean: Think about all those fountains dyed red for Valentine's

Water has a will of its own, observes Scott Cohen, and takes advantage of whatever pathways it can find -- quite often to go where you don't want it to go. Unchecked, it can lead to staining that will seriously mar a watershape's good looks, not to mention a homeowner's good mood.

Water on the Move

In my work as a construction-defect expert witness, I see a certain problem in the design and construction of spillways all too frequently: When the system is initiated, the flow of water down the face of the dam wall will behave more or less as desired, holding to a narrow path into the pool or trough that awaits it. After a time, however, that water will begin to migrate, spreading out farther and farther beyond the desired pathway until the material - usually some sort of

The Aquatic Quiz #22

French Olympic Swimming Champ Killed in Deadly Helicopter Crash

Illuminating Benefits

It's a fact: Those who own and operate commercial aquatic facilities spend a lot of time trying to find ways to keep costs under control. From elaborate hotel pools to huge waterparks, it's all about finding money to reinvest in new programs and features - or a simple matter of keeping the doors open. In a recent article, I wrote about how the increasing use of

He first became interested in computer-assisted design systems when they were still just a trade-show novelty, reports Barry Justus. But now, he says, he can't imagine developing his designs or communicating with his clients in any other way.

Thoroughly Modern

I followed a well-worn path when I started designing watershapes: I acquired a drafting table and worked at gaining proficiency in the use of pencils, protractors, scales, squares, various templates, colored markers and a multiplicity of other drawing tools as a means of communicating design ideas to my clients. To this day, I have great admiration for those who work quickly and decisively with these tools, but about ten years ago I was introduced to an array of digital design systems - and I've been

#17: Rolled-Edge Spa

In decades past, comfort wasn't typically uppermost in mind when spas were being designed and built in conjunction with swimming pools. Jet placements could be arbitrary, walls were almost always set at 90-degree angles to the seats and, perhaps least thoughtful of all, coping was set up pool-style, with grab edges that hit anyone tall enough to get on an amusement-park thrill ride somewhere in the back, shoulders or neck, making it difficult to relax and enjoy the experience. These days, fortunately,

Clearing the Shelves

For the past six years - ever since that fateful day in the spring of 2009 when I decided that my offsite storage space was far too inconvenient to be worth the monthly cost - I've been surrounded in my office by floor-to-rafters shelving stacked with back issues of WaterShapes. I love the old magazines, and despite the fact everything we ever printed is now easily available online, I still