ARTICLES Archives - Page 287 of 314

Of all the projects he’s pursued in the past few years, says David Tisherman, he can’t easily think of another that rivals the achievement of this one with respect to balance, color, harmony or sheer energy. The key words here, he adds, are color and energy, with one flowing irresistibly from the other in a reinvigorated backyard that was once drab, uninteresting and crowded with an old pool that just didn’t fit with its surroundings.

Splashes of Color

If you can't see potential in every backyard you walk into, then you're in the wrong business. Yes, some projects are more inspiring than others, and some spaces seem to offer you more to work with than others. Without exception, however, our clients' yards present us with opportunities to develop programs that take advantage of what's there in ways that bring balance and harmony and interest to any setting. Speaking for myself, I'm no more energized in a project than when I get the opportunity to right a wrong and replace a past mistake with a fresh, interesting design - and that was certainly the case in the project discussed in this article and in my past several "Details" columns in this magazine. The setting was special, the clients were great and I was given free rein to work with color, shape and line in vivid, interesting and even startling ways - all in keeping with their wants and desires. SETTING THE SCENE To recap information from recent "Details," this pool/spa combination with its associated decking, walls, planters, outdoor cooking facilities and private garden area are located in a narrow yard at the base of a slope in Pacific Palisades, Calif. It's a spectacular

In some places, observes landscape architect Lauchlin Bethune, Mother Nature sets higher standards for naturalistic watershapes. Where he lives near Seattle, for example, he and his clients are surrounded by the beauty that comes with ample rain, rugged terrain and plentiful greenery – an environment that makes it tough for watershapers to balance the practicalities of construction with the passionate desire to mimic local grandeur.

Echoes of Grandeur

The Pacific Northwest is full of spectacular scenery. From where I live near the Puget Sound, for example, you can see the Olympic range running along a peninsula to the west and the Cascade range off to the east. Looking southeast, Mt. Rainier is a silent, majestic sentinel silhouetted against an ever-changing sky. It's a beautiful place to live and perfect when it comes to design inspiration - especially when your work is creating naturalistic gardens and watershapes. One of the most spectacular waterfalls in the entire northwest is just a short drive up Interstate 90 from me, a place called Snoqualmie Falls. Local hiking trails are dotted by scores of perennial waterfalls that cascade down mountainsides. For me, there is nothing more refreshing than clambering up a steep grade and rounding the corner to find a misty, shady waterfall. It invigorates the soul and encourages one and all to keep climbing in the hope of seeing even more spectacular scenery. The attractions of nature and its inherent beauty are much enjoyed by people who live around here. In recent years, I've seen a trend toward bringing slices of that grandeur down to a residential scale in gardens that use water in motion as a key feature. It's the water that

The lighting of water in motion is equal parts engineering and art. To be successful at it, observes Paul L’Heureux of Crystal Fountains, you need to combine an understanding of the available technology with an eye for what’s involved in accenting movement with light. Here, in the second part of his discussion of fountain lighting, he gets specific about techniques that bring moving water to life when the sun goes down.

Light Sensations

Just as a painting comes alive with a tiny lamp perched over its frame or a simple landscape becomes a nighttime spectacle with strategically placed spot and flood lights, illuminated water creates an intense experience for the eyes. Lighting adds depth and dimension while revealing subtle details and producing emotional responses among those who view and enjoy these scenes. The simple truth is, if we didn't light water in fountains and other watershapes, much of its visual beauty would be lost. As we discussed in "Guiding the Lights" (WaterShapes, March 2001, page 48), understanding and applying the various approaches and techniques of lighting water enables professional watershapers to operate on whole new levels. In the following pages, we'll continue that discussion with a look at what it takes to maximize the aesthetic effects of water in motion and discuss some practical issues having to do with lighting installation and safety. SOLUTIONS IN MOTION Last time, we identified the various categories of water effects, design considerations for each and the most effective of the available lighting solutions. This time we'll

Boston’s First Church of Christ, Scientist, has become nationally known both for its original design and also for the spontaneous child’s play that has developed through the years in the facility’s deck-level fountain. Here, landscape architects John Copley and Lynn Wolff discuss their firm’s role in modifying the original design to match its actual usage, all while preserving the character of a site that has become one of the city’s modern landmarks.

Cooling the Flock

Sometimes, it's the unexpected that gives a place its true spirit. That's been very much the case for The First Church of Christ, Scientist, a 1975 addition to Boston's historic Back Bay district. The site features a campus plan devised by legendary architects I.M. Pei and Peter Walker, with grounds organized around a central reflecting pool flanked by a circular, ceremonial display fountain. The famed fountain is enclosed by an equally famous bosque of linden trees pleached into lollipop forms. For Bostonians and visitors alike, this classic design has become part of the urban fabric - and the church's plaza a popular gathering place. Not long after the original work was completed, children from surrounding neighborhoods (the South End, Fenway and the Back Bay) discovered the wonderful play opportunities associated with the 180-nozzle deck-level fountain, especially during the hot summer months. Since 1975, literally thousands of kids with their families in tow have made this space their summer hangout, and now second-generation children are being brought to the fountain by parents who grew up playing in its irresistible jets of water. From the start, however, there was a problem with

Artful Foundations

I have a confession to make: I've never really been much interested in art. That may seem surprising coming from someone who has a degree in landscape architecture and has dedicated a career to design. Fact is, I was never exposed to different types of art or to art history in any serious way: My high school didn't offer it, my family wasn't big on it and my landscape-architecture curriculum didn't require it. This never really bothered me, and the fact that nobody seemed to care

From the Top

Let me introduce you to an exciting project I've been working on most of this year. Right from the top, I'll say that even in the realm of the unique and rarified, this one is truly amazing. The clients are quite well-to-do, and the moment you walk into their home, you can't help recognizing that they are accomplished art collectors with an eye for modern masters as well as folk art. Their beachfront Malibu, Calif., home - one of

Professional Relations

Most people who know me will tell you just how independent I am. Some, in fact, will say that I'm too independent for my own good. When it comes to business, however, I know that being a soloist carries me only so far: Rather, it's the relationships I've established and maintained within the business community that have taken me beyond the independent realm and helped me achieve the success I was looking for when I started my business. As a designer, I work

Time’s Not on Your Side

I don't know if it's because I work in the pool and spa industry or if this is common to other fields, but I know a great many people who run businesses who are ill-prepared to do so. Architects and landscape architects might have taken some classes that introduced them to basic business principles, but their counterparts in the pool and spa trades are far less likely to have taken such classes and tend to run things by the seat of their pants. In my case, I've learned what I know about business through seminars and business-oriented reading. I've made

The Ultimate Canvas

I envy landscape architects and designers and your involvement in the design of everything from small, intimate residential spaces to sweeping acreage intended for public use. This creation of "exterior spaces for human occupation," as some have called it, is a

With its elegant structures, extensive sculpture gardens, beautiful watershapes and exquisitely maintained grounds, this 12-1/2-acre estate in Highland Park, Ill., is the product of two decades of ongoing design work by architects and environmental designers Suzanne and Ron Dirsmith. Among the many works of art and perfectly scaled amenities placed on the property, the project’s pool and spa create spectacular spaces for relaxation or exercise.

A Place for All Seasons

Water can be a central feature of any design, but in many cases it is just one element among many of equal (if not greater) importance. In the case of the project pictured here, the owners, a gentle and loving family, established and have maintained a vision of just the sort of warm and nurturing home and landscape they wanted, one in which the lives of family members and friends would be sustained, enriched and enlivened. Their vision (and their involvement with us) might have begun with the water, but it has since expanded to include