ARTICLES Archives - Page 45 of 312

Finding Your Water

One of water's super powers is the ability to alter our state of mind. Even before the COVID-19 pandemic began, our world -- with its over-stimulation and over-connectedness - was causing stress and anxiety for countless people, all of which results in what author Wallace "J" Nichols calls

Typical of Scottsdale, Ariz. this project featured a stunning contemporary design in an ultra high-end neighborhood. The watershapes included an eye-popping rooftop pool/spa combination, a massive entryway-reflecting pond and a host of precise construction details. Making it all work, explains Rich Chafey, required detailed computer modeling, and multiple layers of waterproofing.

Elevated Ambitions

Elevated watershapes present challenges you don't typically encounter on inground projects. That was certainly the case with this ambitious residential installation where the rooftop pool and entryway waterfeatures were all integral to the home's luxurious, ultra-contemporary design. We were part of a project team that included a custom homebuilder, a company we had known of for years but had never worked with before because of a long working relationship the company had with another local pool builder. This project was unlike any that the pool company had ever tackled before and was

WaterShapes’ editor, Eric Herman, is passionate about all aspects of water, and he’s made it his business to understand how it impacts the human condition. He recently spent four years living in Washington State where he and his wife found profound examples of water’s ability to shape lives. Here’s what he has to say about that experience.

The Waters of Washington

The word "awesome" is badly overused these days, but not so when it comes to describing the waters of Washington State, where living in a state of awe is a common state of mind. My wife, Diane, and I recently concluded four years living in the wilderness there and came away from that experience with deepened appreciations for the many ways the presence of water influences how people live. Not to mention how water shapes everything from politics to geography to the names of the professional sports teams. The presence of water in the landscape profoundly impacts the lives of the people who live around it, and that's been true throughout human history. Because we rely on the presence of water for our survival - as well as transportation, recreation, agriculture and manufacturing everything from medicine to steel - how we choose to

Working on the Waterfront

Locating pools and other types of watershapes adjacent to natural bodies of water presents a range of exciting design opportunities. Perhaps the most familiar is the iconic vanishing edge, a design feature that remains a popular choice for water-side sites where

Xeriscaping is all about creating landscapes that are sustainable in dry climates, but that doesn’t mean spaces devoid of life or only populated by cacti, says Michael Logsdon. In fact, he explains, water-wise landscapes can be surprisingly vibrant and colorful, as well as low maintenance, but you have to think beyond the rocks and prickly pear.

Discovering Xeriscapes

The word xeriscape is one of those terms that most everyone has heard but few truly understand. When we think of xeriscapes or xeriscaping, most people immediately visualize a dry almost lifeless desert landscape with rocks and cactus. Because the "x" is pronounced like a "z" the word is often mistaken for a fancy way of spelling zeroscapes, which implies that it has no plantings or uses zero water. Neither is true. Working in the arid climates of the Texas hill country, I've embraced the xeriscaping concept as a way to create sustainable and inviting landscapes with minimal irrigation, but again, that does not

Planting Presence

Back when we launched WaterShapes, just over 21 years ago, the magazine surprised lots of people for a variety of reasons: Its broad focus on all types of water systems; the fact that it's written in the first person by industry experts and not

Establishing primary and secondary sightlines within a space is one of the first design tasks on almost any project, observes Mike Farley. Doing so sets the stage for numerous decisions that follow and allows you to maximize visual impact from indoors -- and outdoors as well.

Guided by Sight

Designing with line of sight in mind is something I think about a lot. Knowing where to place things so they will be seen, or in some cases not seen, is arguably square one in the design process. That's why when I talk to my clients one of the first things I ask is, "What's the most important view in the house?" I start there because it's something they are going to be looking at 365 days a year, probably morning, noon and night. The answers are mostly the same, the living room, dining room or kitchen. Every once in a while, someone

Meetings of Blue Minds

Since joining Watershape University (WU) last fall, one of the most intriguing, and I believe inspiring, ideas we've pursued has been the plan to develop the Live Blue Foundation (LBF) as a companion organization. For those who might be wondering what the LBF is all about, and how it ties in with WU, here's a brief synopsis. The concept for LBF stems from the revolutionary work of

A Launch Interrupted

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought suffering and loss to many. It has certainly challenged everyone's patience and forced us to find creative ways to move forward on the work front from the confines of home. For some, that's proven impossible and they are truly stuck at home with little or nothing to do. Others are luckier and can earn the daily bread in isolation, or quarantine. Many bravely soldier on in medical facilities, grocery stores, delivery services and other essential businesses.

Selling dreams and making memories are at the heart of the watershaping process, says Scott Payne. Taking design from the outdoor-lifestyle perspective, he notes, is the best way to create spaces that connect with clients' lives while also generating new revenue streams.

Outdoor Connections

I love the outdoor living part of the conversation, and our clients do too. It's so important because two of the big keys to success in business are paying attention to the client, and you have to be able to adapt. The outdoor living piece lead to both. We always start by looking at what people are seeking. What do they really want? Almost always that boils down to some kind of at-home, outdoor experience or set of experiences. That can mean a lot of different things to different people, so you have to