ARTICLES Archives - Page 191 of 312

When it comes to common watershaping challenges with direct, practical design/construction solutions, says Paolo Benedetti, few are as significant as keeping surface waves from inundating the vaults set up for automatic pool covers. Here, he defines a simple approach in which redesigning the skimmer niche and lowering the waterline level not only saves water, but also prevents damage to the cover and its driving mechanisms.

Covering Levels

Automatic swimming pool covers are wonderful in a number of ways: They increase safety, save energy, limit evaporative water losses, keep debris out of a pool and can even reduce chemical consumption. As a watershaper, I want these devices to be trouble-free so they will perform with nothing more than routine maintenance and my clients can

The renowned landscape architecture firm of Oehme, van Sweden & Associates has long advocated the concept of The New American Garden, an approach based on respect for native plants, local materials and a project’s particular context. Water is frequently a key feature in these spaces, explains Eric D. Groft, not only for its aesthetic potential but also because it puts the people who enter these spaces in desirable frames of mind.

A Sense of Place

In his book Gardening with Water, James van Sweden called water “the heart of the garden.” I’ve had the privilege of working with him and his partner, Wolfgang Oehme, since 1986, and all of us at Oehme, van Sweden & Associates (Washington, D.C.) share an appreciation for the simple profundity of our founding partner’s words that is clearly reflected in the way we use water. To be sure, we occasionally design gardens without water, but more often it’s a key part of what we do and serves as a powerful foil to plants, hardscape, art and architecture. We enthusiastically take advantage of the way it brings contrasts, reflections and sounds to spaces and exploit its ability to define destinations, invite recreation or provide gathering spaces. We also work closely with all of the psychological associations it conjures within human beings – feelings of tranquility or excitement as well as sensations of the raw, regenerative power of nature. In our work, which spans the full spectrum of residential, commercial, public and institutional settings, fully 80 percent include watershapes in some form, from lily ponds, rills or cascades to formal fountains or swimming pools. Occasionally these are stand-alone features, but when the situation permits, we’ll use them in

Touches of Humility

One of the things I love about my chosen profession is that no two days are exactly alike: Instead of installing the same design in the same way day after day, I’m constantly forging ahead, taking new paths, moving in new directions. With these explorations come many opportunities to learn new techniques and work through new ideas. And I like the fact that I’ve built a reputation as someone who enjoys pushing the envelope and trying out approaches I haven’t

The Road Traveled

Just recently, I spent some time looking through an issue of WaterShapes published in 2003. I won’t name names, but one of the articles was about a custom installation that was labeled as “luxurious” – and I was struck by the fact that, by today’s standards, it wasn’t really anything very special. Make no mistake: This magazine has had a great deal to do with advancing our industry, and I have no doubt that, six years ago, the project that caught my eye was at or near

Time to Rebound

Economists, commentators, politicians and just about anyone who’s been paying attention have described the recession that started in 2008 as the worst economic calamity to befall us since the Great Depression. None of us needs their expert testimony to know that the past 18 months have been the toughest most of us have seen in our lifetimes. Just as we knew when times were great that the housing market was ripe for

Defining Resources

Those of you who've followed this column for any length of time know that it's all about my hunt for resources that will help me become better at what I do. As I see it, my job here is to share what I discover in the hope that my own information-seeking journey

When fountain designer/engineer Aviram Müller considers a future he believes will be dominated by environmental consciousness, he’s elated to contemplate the role watershapers will play in efficiently using water and energy in architectural and landscape settings. It’s a delight he shares here by outlining a new reality in which watershapes are seamlessly integrated into built environments where conservation is a driving, necessary priority.

Healthful Waters

In recent centuries, watershapers have done a tremendous job of figuring out how water behaves in visual and aural terms and learned how to use those characteristics to make strong aesthetic impressions. Now that we’re entering an era in which environmental concerns are of increasing importance, however, we’re being challenged to think differently about water, how it affects us physically and the essential role it plays in maintaining a healthy world. That challenge is not insubstantial: As a species, we’ve done a great deal to squander water as an asset, whether by contaminating and otherwise polluting natural bodies of water or by treating pools and other watershapes with harsh chemicals. Isn’t it ironic that spas, which exist primarily so we can

If the sheer volume of scientific research into the use of water and plants to remediate pollution, conserve water and preserve wildlife habitats is any indication, it’s clear that floating islands may have a substantial role to play in the greening of the planet. Here, inventor Bruce Kania surveys some of these studies and discusses all-new ways of looking at plants, wetlands, floating islands and the ability to restore even the most distressed bodies of water.

Buoyant Explorations

There may still be some who resist the idea, but by now it is verifiable fact that plant material can be used to treat and purify water in artificial watershapes as well as in natural bodies of water. For decades, in fact, scientists have borne witness to these processes in natural wetlands – so much so that today, these concepts are being studied around the world using artificial wetlands and floating islands that mimic natural structures and processes. Our firm, Floating Island International of Shepherd, Mont., is predictably focused on the floating island concept. In our efforts to understand all of the nuances and specifics of how plants on floating islands can be used to best advantage, we have made contact and worked worldwide with scores of independent researchers and institutions across a range of settings, applications and agendas. Yes, we’ve been gratified by the resulting findings and the benefits that reportedly flow from use of our systems. In a more important and greater context, however, we see this collection of empirical data and anecdotal evidence as conclusive proof that biological water treatment is not only viable, but is also surprisingly

Building pools and other watershapes to reduce their energy or chemical usage while also taking advantage of rainwater or recycled construction materials isn’t rocket science, notes watershaper Jamie Ori. But it does require thinking differently about the fundamental nature of watershapes as they relate to environment – and even more so, about how you approach clients when it comes to addressing their increasingly ‘green’ inclinations.

Improving Your Moves

It comes up almost every time: Our clients tell us they want to increase the energy efficiency and overall environmental friendliness of almost everything they plan to do with their homes, landscapes and watershapes. It truly is a “green revolution,” and, as is true of most clients, they’re looking to us for guidance in what can be accomplished. From out perspective at Rosebrook Pools in Libertyville Ill., this trend kicked into high gear about three years ago – not surprising at a point when gas and other fuel prices started to soar. We’re proud of the fact that we saw this coming and had, for about five years already, been considering and implementing eco-considerate features into our watershaping and landscape work. In doing so, we took many of our cues from the

Famous for its beautiful bays and fabulous oceanfront vistas, New York’s Long Island is also prized for its pristine inland waterways and wetlands of both the fresh- and saltwater varieties. Working around these bodies of water, says landscape architect and longtime Long Island resident Timothy Rumph, requires familiarity with a number of different agencies as well as a clear understanding of myriad rules governing what is (and isn’t) possible.

Green Verges

Of all the roles we watershapers and landscape professionals play in enhancing the basic value and character of the areas in which we work, I would argue these days that preserving the health and beauty of natural forms of water and their associated landscapes might well be the most significantly “green.” I live and work on New York’s Long Island, which is one of those fortunate places defined by natural beauty and abundant waterforms. With our pristine wetlands, bays, freshwater ponds and sand-dune-draped ocean vistas, it’s a place that’s long been treasured by residents and visitors alike. It’s also a place where I, as a local landscape architect, see my mission as one of creating spaces that please my clients by enhancing their properties while also fulfilling a responsibility to be a good steward of the environment on their behalf. Projects here typically involve working around environmental setbacks designed to protect natural bodies of water. While such rules are common to many areas across the country, here the enforcement is so stringent that it almost invariably shapes our designs and often calls for unusual serenity in dealing with regulatory agencies and inspectors – and for clear, effective communication with clients. In effect, we must reconcile