ARTICLES Archives - Page 118 of 316

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

The Other Orlando Attraction

The first time I saw it, the water of the Linton E. Allen Memorial Fountain had been turned off for servicing. In that inert condition and with tiny figures creeping over its greenish surface, it looked to me as though a squat flying saucer had dropped in to slurp up water from Lake

It didn't take Paolo Benedetti long to notice that his prospective client's house was giving way on a slowly collapsing hilltop. Armed with a fresh soils report, he designed a spa and stone deck that alleviated the slope's creeping -- and the homeowner's worries as well.

Add a Spa, Save a Home

Not long ago, I received a call from a young electronics entrepreneur who asked me to come and meet with him about the possibility of adding a swimming pool or spa to his multi-million-dollar hilltop property. The home had been built in the early 1960s, he told me, and he'd just completed a major remodeling project. He also indicated that he knew I was expensive, but that he'd already met with a number of other contractors and wanted to