ARTICLES Archives - Page 182 of 315

Green Horizons

Although they’re occasionally the focus of media attention in North America, green roofs and their potential benefits are still relatively unknown quantities unless you happen to be a landscape architect or architect. In this commentary, Steven Peck and Damon van der Linde of Green Roofs for Healthy Cities aim to expand that base to include all watershapers – professionals, they say, who can play key roles in spreading the influence of these systems. Just think of it: There’s a design approach that improves energy efficiency, reduces the urban “heat island” effect and provides much-needed green space in places where opportunities for natural stress relief are

Speaking to Authority

The following is the text, somewhat altered for this audience, of a letter I’ve sent a number of health departments in the course of working on projects for our clients. There is no doubt that the recent wave of legislation, codes and standards regarding suction entrapment has caused confusion – not just in the pool and spa industry, but also among lawmakers, inspectors and contractors as well as pool and spa owners. These mandates, however well intended, have all too often been confusing or contradictory and frequently reflect neither

Up Right

Have you ever noticed how often the costliest part of a project turns out to be something that will ultimately be hidden from view? This happens quite frequently in projects involving any sort of slope, where the piers and grade beams beneath swimming pools, for example, can cost far more than the rest of the overall project. In my own work, I’ve noticed this budgetary quirk most frequently when it comes to retaining walls, where providing the foundation they need to withstand the forces applied by a slope can be startlingly extensive and expensive. It’s not what you’d call glamorous work, but it certainly is important – and will vanish completely from view. Most often, we’re called on to build these walls when

Broad Boundaries

Not long ago, I was reminded in a big way of the importance of understanding the international nature of our industry. It was July, and my Genesis 3 partners Skip Phillips and David Tisherman and I were on the Gold Coast near Brisbane, Australia, presenting a program at the Splash! Conference – an experience that, once again, underscored the fact that ours is not just a North American business, but is instead a global industry in which people worldwide share

Transferable Skills

To excel as professionals, watershapers need to develop a good working knowledge of a range of technical disciplines – hydraulics, materials science and geology, for example – and know the ins and outs of structural, electrical and mechanical engineering. No single person needs to have certified expertise in all of those fields, but it’s becoming increasingly clear that anyone who enters the watershaping realm needs to be conversant in the mix of disciplines he or she must coordinate if the goal of

When New Work Fails

When a problem occurs with a recently installed decorative concrete job, who is responsible? I understand that this is a loaded question and that there are lots of factors to consider, but the question still stands. This spring, while dealing with a rash of

Timeless Landscape Design

When I was a landscape architecture student, my coursework on residential landscape design wasn’t much to speak of — just one project in a single course. In those days, in fact, expressing any interest in residential spaces made you

A Doorway to Emotional Value

The true test of whether a watershape is well-conceived and well-built is what happens in the minds of the clients when they view the finished product. Not only should they appreciate the beauty of the work, they should also

Singing the Relief-Valve Blues

Let’s start this time with a key definition.In the deepest part of a typical pool, you ordinarily carve out a two-by-two-foot box and backfill it with gravel. On top of that gravel sits a valve designed to open when the water pressure outside the shell is

Ripples #6

Compiled and written by Lenny Giteck Neiman Marcus Offers$1.5 Million Dale ChihulySwimming-Pool Art If you have ever visited Las Vegas and found yourself at the registration desk of the opulent Bellagio Hotel and Casino, you are familiar with the artistry of Seattle-based glass sculptor Dale Chihuly, who was responsible for