ARTICLES Archives - Page 122 of 315

All Lined Up

It is with no small pleasure (and even more relief) that I can announce completion of the digitizing of WaterShapes magazine: Every one of the articles and columns printed in the 131 issues we published between February 1999 and July 2011 are now all available online in .html format. It has indeed been a monumental task - one that started early last

Working with Challenges

Some building sites are just tougher than others - and there are few of them that will complicate the construction process as much as the steep slopes discussed in the video linked below. To be sure, top contractors love these difficult sites: Not only do they give us the opportunity to incorporate nearby and distant views into our design vision, but they also

Ripples #91

Compiled and Written by Lenny Giteck Ex-POW and Former U.S. Ambassador To Vietnam Teaches Its Kids to Swim

Test Your Knowledge #79

He's Baaaaaack! Michael Phelps Returns to Competitive Swimming

Ripples #90

Compiled and Written by Lenny Giteck Cadillac 'Poolside' Commercial Sparks Controversy, Derision

A Triple Play

This edition of WaterShapes EXTRA brings back some particularly warm memories for me - and a great sense of pride. [ ] For starters, there's the Essential item about John Lautner by his close associate, Helena Arahuete. "Organic Artistry" (click here) was thekind of feature we only dreamed about running when

The Driving Force

Installing a pond pump is a fairly simple process - and, as you'll see in the video linked below, represents one of my last big chances to sound off on the importance of basic pipe-connection skills. Yes, I'll admit that I'm a perfectionist and maybe a bit compulsive about making my pipe connections look right in addition to fitting right. In the operation covered here, however, there's good reason for care: If you're sloppy with glue application while installing a check valve, there's always the possibility that

Safe Lighting Around Pools

There's a common misperception among designers and builders whose projects carry them beyond a pool and spa and out into the landscape: In large numbers, these professionals believe that low-voltage landscape lighting systems are perfectly safe for use in close proximity to the water. The truth of the matter is that the National Electric Code (NEC) has defined an exclusionary zone of ten feet around pools and spas for these fixtures! That's right: Even with low-voltage

A Graveling Experience

As was mentioned a few episodes back, in designing this particular pond we settled on a filtration system that made the most sense for the setting and the situation - and now it's time to show you how we install its permanent gravel bed. As the video shows, it's a straightforward process of rinsing the material to get rid of as much dust as possible and doing what I can to cull any smaller-than-desired chunks of gravel that might