ARTICLES Archives - Page 116 of 315

Ripples #100

Shakespeare Classic Performed In U.K. Edwardian Pool Complex

The Aquatic Quiz #10

Sloshed Brit Swims in River Directly in Path of Cargo Ship

Back in 2007, I helped a friend through part of the process of updating the exterior of his five-unit horseshoe of courtyard apartments. I was mostly there for moral support as he reviewed drawings and sought feedback on features for the common space. He had a vision - a small bowl fountain toward the back, a large

Technology has enabled vinyl-liner pools to catch up big time when it comes to the sorts of resort-style features homeowners crave. Here, Eric Gohn explains what's happened to facilitate these key changes. (Photo courtesy Johnson's Pools & Spas, Owego, N.Y.)

Custom Packages

When vinyl-liner pools first appeared more than half a century ago, they were offered as "standard" pools for middle-class consumers - plain, simple and relatively inexpensive compared to their concrete cousins. Back in the 1950s and '60s, these vinyl-liner packages had squared-off shapes, but as time passed and consumers demanded greater variety, models emerged with oval forms or Grecian-style ends; before long, there were kidney-shaped packages and even some

The HazMat Pond

This is a case where the client said it best: In describing his backyard pond as "a HazMat spill," he put it more bluntly and succinctly than I ever would or could have. And he was right: The little pond was a complete, total, unholy mess. For starters, the waterfall and skimmer had been placed within inches of each other in a hard-to-access corner, thereby obliterating

A Wild Retreat

The untamed profusion of the South Florida landscape informed the design of this expressive garden. Filled with native plants and deep, inviting waters, it's a haven for abundant local wildlife as well as a luxurious retreat for the homeowners and a haven for their pet pig. Set on a historic road in a protected-wildlife area of Coral Gables, Fla., the property had been a mango and avocado grove until Hurricane Andrew changed everything in 1992. The home, fortunately,

Ripples #99

Two Dudes Turn '69 Coupe de VilleInto Rolling Hot Tub, Plan to Race It

The Aquatic Quiz #9

Aussie Long-Distance SwimmerDetained by Brits in Mid-Race

Broadcast Merit

Up until recently, I'd watched in frustration as watershaping failed to gain any significant traction on television. Sure, pools and hot tubs and fountains and ponds have been featured components in more broadcast series than I can count, but what I've really wanted is a good show about watershapes, how they're

#14: Cannon Jets

These days, it seems like just about every homeowner wants to get something special with their pools and spas. More often than not, that means some form of water in transit, whether it's a cool spillway, a vanishing edge, a bubbler on a thermal shelf - or, as in the case highlighted here, some sort of jet that will