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Our discussions in the last two issues have been about excavation, which leaves us this time with a big, literal void that serves as a relatively exact dimensional representation of the vessel we're building. After we've installed the forms - a subject I've covered in great detail in a number of past columns - it's time for the installation of the plumbing and steel. Before we jump into that process, however, let me make a key point: Although I am a knowledgeable builder who has paid attention through the years and can work his way through lots of watershaping projects without assistance, I am not
Our discussions in the last two issues have been about excavation, which leaves us this time with a big, literal void that serves as a relatively exact dimensional representation of the vessel we're building. After we've installed the forms - a subject I've covered in great detail in a number of past columns - it's time for the installation of the plumbing and steel. Before we jump into that process, however, let me make a key point: Although I am a knowledgeable builder who has paid attention through the years and can work his way through lots of watershaping projects without assistance, I am not
In my first WaterShapes column last month, I made the point that small jobs can and should be pursued with every bit as much creativity and energy as large ones. No matter the size of the job, my task as designer and installer is to make all of my clients happy by sharing with them the value, joy and comfort of which watershapes and landscapes are capable. Indeed, making that happen is my charge from initiation of the design process right through any changes and adjustments and all the way up to the final washing of the driveway and topdressing of any damaged sections of lawn. On any scale or level, what I've noticed is that the smallest projects are quite often
In my first WaterShapes column last month, I made the point that small jobs can and should be pursued with every bit as much creativity and energy as large ones. No matter the size of the job, my task as designer and installer is to make all of my clients happy by sharing with them the value, joy and comfort of which watershapes and landscapes are capable. Indeed, making that happen is my charge from initiation of the design process right through any changes and adjustments and all the way up to the final washing of the driveway and topdressing of any damaged sections of lawn. On any scale or level, what I've noticed is that the smallest projects are quite often
For all the talk about the spectrum of watershaping - the existence of those who, on one extreme, pursue high-quality, truly custom projects and those on the other who live in a low-end, cookie-cutter realm - I must say that I've yet to run into anyone from the fringes of latter camp who's stepped forward to say, "Yes, our company crawls in the dirt to win jobs based purely on price, and it's only possible because we deliberately do substandard work." Quite to the contrary, people in the watershaping business at all levels will tell you that they're in business to provide a quality end product that delivers real value to clients whether the average cost of their output is
For all the talk about the spectrum of watershaping - the existence of those who, on one extreme, pursue high-quality, truly custom projects and those on the other who live in a low-end, cookie-cutter realm - I must say that I've yet to run into anyone from the fringes of latter camp who's stepped forward to say, "Yes, our company crawls in the dirt to win jobs based purely on price, and it's only possible because we deliberately do substandard work." Quite to the contrary, people in the watershaping business at all levels will tell you that they're in business to provide a quality end product that delivers real value to clients whether the average cost of their output is
We may be well into our ninth year of publication, but I'm still amazed and often amused by the ways that some people choose to describe WaterShapes. I've heard some armchair critics, for instance, dismiss us "a pool magazine that covers ponds," "a pond magazine that covers pools" or "a fountain magazine with
We may be well into our ninth year of publication, but I'm still amazed and often amused by the ways that some people choose to describe WaterShapes. I've heard some armchair critics, for instance, dismiss us "a pool magazine that covers ponds," "a pond magazine that covers pools" or "a fountain magazine with
It comes as no shock that we remember things that surprise and fascinate us. Back in my days as a graduate student in fine arts, I was determined to exploit that very human tendency in creating nature-inspired artworks meant to evoke deep-seated memories and a personalized sense of déjà vu. My first work along those lines involved creating a rail of ice with a central channel that carried heated air: The idea was to create a situation that reminded people of hot/cold experiences, such as the heat of a campfire on a cold night or the warmth of the sun atop a snow-capped mountain. That project started me down a long path that eventually led me to create waterfall systems that use large quantities of precisely controlled droplets of water to "paint" kinetic graphics, logos and text - a concept I've continued to perfect through the past 30 years. So far, these systems have mostly been used to display commercial messages at trade shows. It all makes sense: As deployed by exhibitors looking to amaze attendees (and by a handful of other high-profile commercial and public clients as well), the effect is meant to dominate a setting and attract maximum attention. To date, I've designed, programmed and installed more than 100 of these exhibits worldwide. We've done some special events as well, including an installation seen by 24 million people who visited Atlanta's Centennial Park during the 1996 Olympics and, ten years later, another display celebrating the 60th anniversary of the coronation of
It comes as no shock that we remember things that surprise and fascinate us. Back in my days as a graduate student in fine arts, I was determined to exploit that very human tendency in creating nature-inspired artworks meant to evoke deep-seated memories and a personalized sense of déjà vu. My first work along those lines involved creating a rail of ice with a central channel that carried heated air: The idea was to create a situation that reminded people of hot/cold experiences, such as the heat of a campfire on a cold night or the warmth of the sun atop a snow-capped mountain. That project started me down a long path that eventually led me to create waterfall systems that use large quantities of precisely controlled droplets of water to "paint" kinetic graphics, logos and text - a concept I've continued to perfect through the past 30 years. So far, these systems have mostly been used to display commercial messages at trade shows. It all makes sense: As deployed by exhibitors looking to amaze attendees (and by a handful of other high-profile commercial and public clients as well), the effect is meant to dominate a setting and attract maximum attention. To date, I've designed, programmed and installed more than 100 of these exhibits worldwide. We've done some special events as well, including an installation seen by 24 million people who visited Atlanta's Centennial Park during the 1996 Olympics and, ten years later, another display celebrating the 60th anniversary of the coronation of
