ARTICLES Archives - Page 177 of 315

Art Appreciation, Day by Day

As I’ve mentioned before in this space, my education in landscape architecture pulled up lame when it came to instruction in art and art history. That shortfall has bothered me greatly as my career has progressed, but the silver lining is that I’ve been motivated to seek out sources I can use to

Remembering Mark Urban

By now you may have heard the news that Mark Urban, valve designer/manufacturer and gifted innovator in pool/spa technology, died in December of bone cancer. He was 70. The facts of his life have been covered in detail elsewhere, so instead of restating that information, I’d like to

Ripples #11

Compiled and written by Lenny Giteck Swimming Pools a FocusAt Coppola Winery Renowned movie director, producer and screenwriter Francis Ford Coppola is blazing new trails in the winery business by including two swimming pools and other family entertainment features in his

Meeting and Fooling the Eye

Although we might not commonly think of watershaping and exterior design in this way, a great many of the details we shape are designed to fool the eye or somehow create illusions. Consider the pools that are made to appear so natural that they don’t seem to have been man-made — or vanishing edges that conjure the impression that

The Importance of Watershaping’s Color Palette

Interview by Lenny Giteck Judith Corona has a keen eye for color -- plus a rare ability to teach people how it works and how to use it to greatest effect. Corona is an Adjunct Associate Professor of Art at Otis College of Art and Design, in Los Angeles, and is on the faculty of UCLA Extension in the Architecture, Interior Design & Landscape Architecture Department. In addition, she teaches

The Case of the Vanishing Stone

Natural stone is a wonderful companion for just about every type of watershape: It lends a timeless, classy look to just about any setting, generating a sense of sturdy permanence as well as close associations with Mother Nature. As watershapers, we also know that natural stone can be extremely expensive and often represents a significant investment on the part of the client. This puts a premium on

Ozone: Understanding Its Green Side

If you use the words “ozone” and “environment” in the same sentence, most people are going to think of the ozone layer and emissions that may be harming it. Most do not think of manmade ozone and how this remarkable compound yields

Test Your Knowledge #1

Where was the recent discovery of an ancient swimming pool made and when was the pool built?

Water’s Flip Side

For a dozen years, this magazine has celebrated the beauty, majesty and positive potential of water in the landscape. We’ve seen it flowing down waterfalls, over vanishing edges, across slopes and through the air. We’ve seen what happens to colors immersed in it, how it creates shimmering light patterns, how it works its way over stone and, perhaps most important, the joy it can bring. Its potential to entertain and sustain us is indeed vast, but for all of its glories, water can also be inglorious as well – as when rivers overflow their banks, rainfall collapses roofs or tsunamis inundate coastlines. So while we in the watershaping world are justified in revering water, we also

A Time for Leadership

In the 40-plus years I’ve been involved in the pool and spa industry, I’ve had the opportunity to work with a variety of organizations on the local, state and national levels. Every step along the way, I worked closely with people who displayed a variety of leadership styles and have done my best to perform well when I’ve been called on to take those leading roles myself. These experiences leave me convinced that