ARTICLES Archives - Page 52 of 316

There was definitely something familiar about this project: All of the principals involved knew each other well, notes Ken Alperstein, and now they'd been asked to rework almost every detail of two golf courses on which they've all labored repeatedly for nearly a quarter century.

Split Personalities

It's like an old, familiar tune: When you've been working on major projects with the same group of people for more than a quarter century - always with common principles, shared experience and similar goals in mind - it's easy to pick up the instruments and start playing again without a moment's hesitation. That's exactly how it felt for us at Pinnacle Design Co. (La Quinta, Calif.) when we were called on to revamp key elements at The Vintage Club, a private, 36-hole golf facility in Indian Wells, Calif. We did our first work there in 1994 and have been involved in numerous landscape and waterfeature enhancements since then with renowned course designer

A Chance Encounter

This is a tale of frustration followed by great joy. On my way home from the Atlantic City Pool & Spa Show last month, I paused in Philadelphia to spend three days visiting with two of my daughters. Beyond catching up with them, I had a mission: I wanted to see the remodeled fountain in Franklin Square. It was under construction the last time I visited, and my understanding is that it is now

Voices of Authority

In listing ten more guideposts Paolo Benedetti wishes he'd known before he started his business, this entire second set is about knowing, following and being on the right side of the rules when it's time to work with inspectors and the codes and standards they're sworn to enforce.

Global Watershaping

'Have you had just about enough of the current chatter about the environment? Have the terms "global warming," "carbon footprint" and "sustainable landscape" become more irritating to you than they are inspiring? If so,' wrote Mark Holden in his Currents column for February 2010, 'all I can say is that I don't think you'll like the future.' 'In fact, the green movement . . . is rapidly on its way to becoming a mainstay of our shared cultural consciousness. While there are certain political and social aspects of the discussion that

Just Amazing

If you haven't already heard, there are two huge development in the world of WaterShapes, the first having to do with a transition, the second with an addition. Both are exciting and please me more than I can say. First, as was announced a just few days ago, Eric Herman will soon come aboard

Getting Up to Speed

I promise not to be insufferably happy in too many more of these blogs, but I have to say that the trade show I just attended as a new member of the Watershape University team was an over-the-moon experience for me. It has been decades since I can recall being even slightly

As soon as he arrived on site, Jason Brownlee knew the project would be all about the amazing views. But his clients had more on their minds, asking him focus just as much on entertainment and distinctive gathering spaces as on maximizing the home's obvious visual assets.

Working the Views

From the start, this project was all about the view: The property sits above Lake Moumelle about 30 minutes outside Little Rock, Ark., in a small town called Roland. The lake serves as the primary reservoir for the state capital, so the waters are as serene and pristine as can be - no fishing, no boats, just thousands of acres of uninterrupted serenity. We at J. Brownlee Design (Nashville, Tenn.) had been asked to design the exteriors for a new home that was then under construction on the site. The homeowners, a couple with two children, and wanted a space that would be

In his work as a watershape consultant, Andrew Kaner has forged bonds with numerous architects. Here, he explores the nature of a solidly productive relationship he's forged with one of them, conversing with Paul Fischman about how their collaboration has grown and evolved.

Shaping Relationships

An Interview with Paul Fischman by Andrew Kaner Through the years, we at Aquatic Consultants (Miami, Fla.) have formed bonds with several architects and landscape architects whose efforts we support with plans and details for the aquatic systems they're including in their projects. In that capacity, we have worked with Paul Fischman with some frequency. He's a partner at Choeff Levy Fischman, a Miami-based architecture firm, and in the past eight years we have seen our relationship grow to a point where we now consider

Life Lessons

With the many questions he's asked in classrooms and in conversations with fellow watershapers, Paolo Benedetti is constantly reminded of things he wishes he'd known when he started his business. In the first of two articles, he begins by discussing ten of these key observations.

Inquiring Minds

'Watershaping carries us onto the properties and into the private lives of our clients, and it does so to such a personal, even intimate level,' wrote Brian Van Bower to start his February 2010 Aqua Culture column, 'that I see the value and importance of getting to know them to the best of my ability. Invariably, that means asking the right questions and knowing how to