ARTICLES Archives - Page 301 of 310

Bringing Visions to Life

I remember several years ago, back before it was really fashionable to build completely naturalistic pools, that I decided this was exactly what I wanted to do. This was in the very early 80s, when you'd see maybe some rocks on the bond beam or a waterfall on the end of the pool - but that was about as natural as it got back then. My new idea was to create environments that were completely natural, stem to stern. I tried presenting the concept to a number of potential clients, explaining how we could do things like angle the top of the pool and install rocks all around the edge and create natural

Blissful Visions

For as long as I can remember, I've fantasized about owning my own swimming pool. I suppose such daydreams are the natural

The pool and spa are simple in shape, says builder David Tisherman, but the project was anything but: Built on a wildly unstable Southern California hillside and intertwined with extensive remodeling of the clients’ home, the serene finished product contrasts starkly with tales of change orders and complicated decision-making processes – not to mention a desire on the part of client and designer to strive for nothing but the best.

The Art of the Rectangle

This really wasn't a job for the timid. The ground was unstable, access was limited, and the customer could afford to make massive changes along the way. Other than that, of course, the project was a piece of cake. The truth is, I enjoy a good challenge. People who know me well are aware that I revel in tackling jobs that test my mettle - and this was definitely one of those cases. Ultimately, it turned out to be one of the most satisfying and beautiful projects I've been involved with in a long while. The site is located on

The watershaping trades haven’t quite caught up with the rest of the architectural/design world in terms of plan-generation and project-management technology, says Chris Walton. But that situation is changing, adds this Florida designer, who has tracked the spread in usage of computers as a means of ensuring quality, consistency and accuracy in watershape design.

21st-Century Drafting

As watershapers, we can look at the rest of the architectural world and see that every other genre is benefiting more than we are from computers. Bridge builders and skyscraper architects use computers to do everything from the simulated testing of three-dimensional structural models to the generation of detailed blueprints to be used on site. Even the designers of modest housing developments are now using computers to conduct 3-D virtual tours for prospective homebuyers and in specifying floor plans and

From building a 21-foot, cantilevered waterfall to mimicking the muddy banks of a jungle stream, this sprawling installation at the Palm Beach Zoo presented a series of unusual challenges for watershaper Steve Lucas – not the least of which was thinking like a tiger. By the time Lucas was finished, however, two of the zoo’s most popular residents enjoyed a lush jungle paradise tailored to meet all their environmental and aquatic needs.

Wild for Tigers

Believe it or not, I became involved with this project because my nine-year-old daughter, Savannah, plays tackle football. I was watching one of her games when I overheard a teammate's father talking about a renovation at the Palm Beach Zoo. Joining the conversation, I learned that he owned a general contracting company that builds large commercial projects and that he'd been hired to renovate the zoo's parking lot and utility infrastructure and build an exhibit facility for two Bengal tigers. It was, he told me, the first phase of a long-term plan to upgrade the zoo at Dreher Park, a complex that also includes a planetarium and a museum. The work at the zoo, he said, was one phase of an effort by the city to create a quality facility that ultimately could serve as a low-cost alternative to Orlando's theme parks. As part of the project, my new friend's firm also was acting as general contractor in the construction of a new tiger pen, the first of a series of new display areas planned for the modest zoo. When he talked about the watershapes involved, I jumped: The design

Alternating and Direct

We're all advised to change the batteries in our smoke detectors once each year. This is truly good and affordable advice, and most of us are happy to comply. If you were to decide on a whim to replace all of the batteries in all of your battery-powered appliances or other devices that incorporate battery backup in their design on that mandated day, however, you might find the number of replacements surprising, the day a long one and the

From Eyesore to Asset

Is one person's trash really another person's treasure? That's a concept we tested on a recent Surprise Gardener episode, where we ran into a strange backyard "centerpiece" and, as the designer with final say, I had to decide whether to cover the thing up or make it stand out. The challenging objet d'art was an old truck chassis, abandoned and sunk into the yard many years before. Because of its location, it was something of a focal point. The homeowner had tried sticking an old whiskey barrel in the middle of the truck as a planter in hopes of

Wanted: Water Artists

The way I see it, we watershapers can look at ourselves in one of two ways: as diggers of holes in the ground that hold water, or as artists working with one of the most exciting mediums on the planet. For a lot of reasons, I like the second of those options, because the first is passive - the sole goal being to contain the water - while the second gets me more deeply involved with a truly amazing and malleable material. Once we look at water the way a painter sees pigment or a sculptor views stone, we see a potential for dramatic contrasts: Water has a soothing effect, for example, yet it can be tremendously

Influential Spaces

Frank Lloyd Wright once said that architecture is the art form to which all others subordinate. That's a bold comment from a man whose amazing achievements were matched only by

For all of the aesthetic considerations that come with crafting a stream, the fact is that man-made waterways must function properly. Here, in the second installment of a series on the art of stream construction, landscape designer Rick Anderson addresses this practical/technical part of the picture, guiding us through liner placement, plumbing and equipment installation – all with an eye toward ensuring an end product that meanders steadily, cleanly and beautifully.

Stream-Lined Effects

As is the case with a stream's aesthetics, the functionality of any multi-level, gravity-driven waterway must be considered from the outset of any project. After all, no matter how natural and beguiling a stream may be in appearance, if it doesn't hold water, work properly in terms of hydraulics and filtration or provide ecological balance, the whole thing can and will become a nightmare. Fortunately, making streams work isn't all that difficult - as long as you keep your eye on a critical set of fundamentals. Last time, we laid out the stream course, created