ARTICLES
Advance Search
Aquatic Health
Aquatic Health, Fitness & Safety
Around the Internet
Aquatic Culture
Aquatic Technology
Artful Endeavors
Celebrity Corner
Life Aquatic
Must-See Watershapes
People with Cameras
Watershapes in the Headlines
Book & Media Reviews
Commentaries, Interviews & Profiles
Fountains
Join the Dialogue
Landscape, Plants, Hardscape & Decks
Lighter Side
Ripples
Test Your Knowledge
The Aquatic Quiz
Other Waterfeatures (from birdbaths to lakes)
Outdoor Living, Fire Features, Amenities & Lighting
Ponds, Streams & Waterfalls
Pools & Spas
Professional Watershaping
Structures (Editor's Notes)
Travelogues & History
WaterShapes TV
WaterShapes World Blog
Web Links
Around the Internet
Aquatic Culture
Aquatic Technology
Artful Endeavors
Celebrity Corner
Life Aquatic
Must-See Watershapes
People with Cameras
Watershapes in the Headlines
From my first visit, I knew I'd be spending a lot of time here developing the watershapes and landscapes on this amazing site. Set on a bluff in Del Mar, Calif., the whole property slopes down from the street level to the back edge of the property. Beyond was an open space offering uninterrupted views of a river estuary, native coastal scrub studded with rare, indigenous, protected Torrey Pines and the Del Mar shoreline's pounding surf. There were also the spectacularly patterned cliffs at Torrey Pines State Park - a vista and set of colors that ultimately determined material choices for this project. It helped that I was completely at ease with
As I've reported previously, the past few years have seen a proliferation of consumer-oriented books on custom swimming pools. Most put the emphasis on images rather than written information, but I don't object: They're generally loaded with beautiful, inspirational projects and terrific photography. In fact, I use many such publications as sources of ideas and frequently share them with clients as we move into the design phase. But I've found that I need to pick and choose within some of them: While the projects are often executed at a very high level, some aren't all that great. With that one occasional caveat, I've recently been through four of these books - and this time around, they all focus mainly on pools in
As I've reported previously, the past few years have seen a proliferation of consumer-oriented books on custom swimming pools. Most put the emphasis on images rather than written information, but I don't object: They're generally loaded with beautiful, inspirational projects and terrific photography. In fact, I use many such publications as sources of ideas and frequently share them with clients as we move into the design phase. But I've found that I need to pick and choose within some of them: While the projects are often executed at a very high level, some aren't all that great. With that one occasional caveat, I've recently been through four of these books - and this time around, they all focus mainly on pools in
In last month's introduction to what it takes to prepare for, organize and complete the excavation stage of the watershape-construction process, basic common sense was the governing factor in how the process should proceed. What I was discussing last time, however, was simple, flat-site excavations - cases in which access is commonly not an issue, soils are often consistent across a site and the potential surprises are relatively few. This time, my focus is an altogether different breed of excavations - that is, the task of preparing a sloping, hillside site for installation of a watershape. This process offers
In last month's introduction to what it takes to prepare for, organize and complete the excavation stage of the watershape-construction process, basic common sense was the governing factor in how the process should proceed. What I was discussing last time, however, was simple, flat-site excavations - cases in which access is commonly not an issue, soils are often consistent across a site and the potential surprises are relatively few. This time, my focus is an altogether different breed of excavations - that is, the task of preparing a sloping, hillside site for installation of a watershape. This process offers
Does the size of a project or its budget correlate with its creativity or quality? I know many of us have clients who think that way, believing the more money they spend, the better product they're going to get - and my best guess is that there are lots of watershapers and landscape professionals who buy into that model as well. We all come to this view honestly; because all through our lives we're bombarded by cultural messages suggesting that bigger/grander/more is always better: From reality shows on television that embrace all things affluent to images in books and magazines where the most celebrated properties are always owned by the very rich, we have been told incessantly that
Does the size of a project or its budget correlate with its creativity or quality? I know many of us have clients who think that way, believing the more money they spend, the better product they're going to get - and my best guess is that there are lots of watershapers and landscape professionals who buy into that model as well. We all come to this view honestly; because all through our lives we're bombarded by cultural messages suggesting that bigger/grander/more is always better: From reality shows on television that embrace all things affluent to images in books and magazines where the most celebrated properties are always owned by the very rich, we have been told incessantly that
If you've ever designed or installed commercial swimming pools in the United States, it's likely you're well acquainted with just how strange certain health department standards (and the officials who enforce them) can be. I've discussed this topic before, of course, but it's come back to mind in powerful ways in light of a couple recent experiences I've had - incidents that illustrate the issue to near-comedic perfection. Before I climb into these oddball scenarios, let me observe first of all that, in most cases, commercial codes are based on methods rather than results - and never the twain shall meet. Second, it's my observation that the restrictions we face in our country are, as a rule, far more
Thomas Alva Edison once said, "Genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration." That may be his most famous utterance - and for good reason: A good idea is important in just about any creative endeavor, but without dogged pursuit of appropriate
Life’s Absurdities