ARTICLES Archives - Page 207 of 312

Behind the Prize

My father was a teacher by trade. When I was a kid, there were bookcases on the landing between the two floors of our home filled with the volumes he had used in teaching the history of science and technology in the 1940s and ’50s. There was one book on those many shelves that always fascinated me. He’d purchased it in France just after World War II ended, and it had neverbeen bound or trimmed, meaning the pages didn’t open unless you cut the edges with a knife. The book was entitled L’Architecture: Le Passé, Le Présent, and it gradually revealed its treasures to me as I grew bold enough to

#100 — and Counting

It seems like only yesterday that our premiere edition rolled off the presses, and it’s utterly amazing to me to think that was more than nine years ago. It’s an occasion for celebration, which is why this is a very special

Reharvesting Joy

It’s amazing for me to learn that this 100th issue of WaterShapes is carrying my 80th “Book Notes” column. It’s been a wonderful and fascinating experience – and as my wife puts it, has provided a great way to rationalize my literary addiction. I remember when Eric Herman and I first discussed the idea for this column: At the time, we both wondered how long it could be sustained. After the best part of seven years, I think we’re both comfortable with the thought that it’s basically a journey without end. To mark this special occasion, I want to look back at one of the most significant of all the books I’ve ever reviewed – one that isn’t about watershaping, construction, landscape architecture or anything in any way related to our industry. That book, which I wrote about way back in February 2003, is Harvests of Joy: How the Good Life Became Great Business by Robert Mondavi (with Paul Chutkow; Harcourt Brace, 1998). I’d read it based on

Taking Flight

Last month, we began describing our work on an indoor butterfly garden for the Strong Museum in Rochester, N.Y. – an extremely challenging design/build project that required us to work as part of a large team in developing a complex garden, pond and waterfall composition. While the resulting butterfly-oriented design was definitely unusual in form and execution, it was also highly unusual in the convoluted way our firm became involved and in the complexities of

Celebrating the Moment

I’m the sort of person who prefers to think about what’s next rather than spend much time dwelling on the past. That’s not to say, however, that I don’t value past experiences, especially when I know they’ve had a role in creating the foundations for where we are now and for things yet to come. The occasion of WaterShapes’ 100th issue certainly qualifies as an event that inclines me to look back: For me and many others, the past nine-plus years of the magazine’s existence have been