ARTICLES Archives - Page 291 of 326

A California Classic

Take it from someone who has ripped out and replaced more than his share of old and failed swimming pools through the years: Some things are worth keeping! That's why it's so wonderful to find an old pool - a product of the industry's infancy - that has stood the test of time and has won the right to be left in place. This is the first in a series of columns on one such pool. It's also the start of a story about clients who appreciate art and style and have surrounded themselves with objects and spaces of true value and beauty. I knew right away that

Variegated Selections

Out of all the varieties I mentioned in last month's discussion of maples, my favorite was (and still is) the variegated maple. Beyond the simply spectacular nature of that particular tree, what I love most about them is their variegated leaves. This is clearly a personal preference. In fact, I've come across many clients and friends who have a specific disdain for variegated

Neat and Clean

Perception is reality: Regardless of whether that's right or wrong, you are judged by appearances. And there's no escaping those judgments because it's basic human nature. If your own appearances mean ugly-looking vehicles, sloppy-looking employees, shabby offices and job sites that look like disaster areas, you will inevitably be judged with that image by the clients who have hired you and by anyone else exposed to those appearances. Personally, I'd rather have them focus on the quality of my work rather than on superficialities such as these, but

Historic Resonance

Occasionally, we run pairs or sets of articles that seem to have nothing in common at first glance, but that actually, on closer examination, harmonize in unexpected and important ways. To be sure, we quite deliberately revisit key themes throughout the pages of all of our issues, but sometimes, it seems, the most powerful music

Ground Work

There's no room for guesswork when it comes to structural engineering, says Ron Lacher of Pool Engineering, Inc., and that's especially true when it comes to concrete structures designed to contain water. Here, he opens a series on structural fundamentals related to watershapes by defining the need for precise structural planning and careful attention to workmanship - the keys, he says, to achieving a project's aesthetic and functional goals. Despite the apparent intricacy of any good set of engineering drawings and contrary to what many people think, structural plans for concrete watershapes are pretty cut and dried. At the most basic level, the art and science of structural engineering deals with predictable forces placed upon structures and with the construction techniques and materials required to counteract those forces. The basic mathematic calculations are straightforward stuff, and everything runs in accordance with building codes that

As architects and environmental artists, Suzanne and Ron Dirsmith have always taken pride in creating spaces that nurture the spirit, mind and body. In one recent project, however, they went several steps beyond that in setting up a watershape for a special child who uses water exercise to gain strength, flexibility and freedom. Here’s a look at how they accommodated his needs – and learned a great deal about the healing power of water in the process.

Helping Hands

The notion that water can be used to treat physical problems and conditions is not new. In fact, when you study the history of watershaping and aquatic design, one of the first things you learn is that the ancient Romans might actually have had a better grip on the healing and nurturing powers of water than we ever will. In our own work in designing and installing environments that nurture the spirit and invigorate the body, we pursue that Roman heritage as best we can - and always keep water in mind as a key component. The project described in this article stands as one our most dramatic explorations of the curative power of water to date. The pool, spa and

There’s much more to a birdbath than one might think, says Bill Fintel, an expert in the art of setting up small bodies of water to attract our feathered friends. For many years, in fact, Fintel has studied the way birds act around water and has made a career of applying what he knows to creating avian watershapes that have what it takes to satisfy a winged clientele – and delight homeowners who are passionate about their backyard ornithology.

Wings on the Water

Just as few sounds blend so beautifully or evoke such sensations of peace and calm as the sweet tones of birds singing along with the relaxing music of moving water, I'd also have to say that few sights in nature delight the eye more than watching migrating robins queuing up for a bath, hummingbirds darting through a mist or a bold vireo "plunge bathing" in a rippling pool. For most of my life, I've been inspired to observe the beauty and freedom of birds and am among those who have spent hours in the wild hoping to catch a glimpse of a

Those Who Serve

Back in February's WaterShapes, I stepped a bit beyond the usual in discussing Harvests of Joy by Robert Mondavi, noting that I'd read the book based on a recommendation from fellow WaterShapes columnist Brian Van Bower. I also mentioned that the book was one of the most important I've come across in recent years. This time around, I'd like to review another of Brian's recommended books - one he suggested during a seminar I recently attended and which has also proved to be wonderfully useful and extremely influential: Samurai Selling: The Ancient Art of Service in Sales by Chuck Laughlin and Karen Sage with Marc Bockmon (St. Martin Press, 1993). Until I read this book, my sense of what Samurai were all about was based on no more than warrior movies and video games. What I learned instead is that Samurai based their lives entirely on a concept of service (of which warfare was only a small part). The authors use the philosophy of the Samurai to define

Widely regarded as one of the country’s most prestigious golf courses, The Quarry Golf Club at La Quinta, Calif., is also a significant point of pride for Ken Alperstein, managing partner at Pinnacle Design Co., a firm that specializes in creating expressive landscapes and watershapes for golf links nationwide. Here, he describes what went into the waterfalls, streams, ponds, rockwork and landscaping that lend the setting such powerful charm.

Digging the Quarry

Tucked into a small cove in the mountains behind La Quinta in California's lower Coachella Valley, The Quarry Golf Club is hidden, ultra-private and basically unknown to all but members of the golfing elite and the wealthy few who play the course. First conceived by entrepreneur Bill Morrow and designed by renowned golf course architect Tom Fazio, the course is a prime example of just how beautiful golf courses can be - and of how critical a role landscaping and watershapes can play in defining their character and aesthetics. Our challenge was to embroider the course's 18 PGA-sanctioned, championship-caliber holes with

Good to Glow

For the most part, the designers and builders of pools, spas and other watershapes visualize their projects in full sun, install them during daylight hours and seldom (if ever) see them after the sun goes down. That's both a problem and a shame, and it's reflected in the fact that the run of projects you encounter by mainline pool-industry folks - and, to a lesser extent, by people from the landscape trades - tend to treat the lighting of exterior spaces as an afterthought if it's really thought about at all. In fact, I'll go so far as to say that