ARTICLES Archives - Page 67 of 325

The Designer’s Environment

'To my way of thinking,' wrote David Tisherman to open his Details column in August 2004, 'professional design work requires a professional workspace in which all of the necessary professional tools are available. 'In fact, for the designer creating custom watershapes, I see the space in which the work actually unfolds as being critical and cutting to the very heart of what it really means to be a "designer." I know that

Celebrating a Legend

Sad to say, I will not be able to see this exhibition for myself. But if you live within striking distance of the New York Botanical Garden or have any plans to be anywhere near New York City between now and September 29, please do not fail to visit NYBG while "Brazilian Modern: The Living Art of Roberto Burle Marx" is up and running. This amazing event has

It was a most unusual remodeling project, notes Carla Sovernigo. Partly it had to do with its scale and complexity, but mostly it was because it took three full years to finalize the design and then another whole year to align every last detail with the clients' highly refined ambitions.

The Gradual Renovation

Participating in a major project is sometimes like watching a child grow up through various developmental stages: Good things take time! Our own involvement in one of these endurance tests started when we were called out to a 25-year-old home in North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada: It was being updated from a dreary, dated style to something modern and contemporary for clients who were all about luxury, five-star amenities and state-of-the-art detailing. The architect and the home builder

Ushering a full-featured backyard design through to final form can be complicated, observes Kurt Kraisinger. That's why, as he writes in the third article in this four-part series, he guides his clients through an interactive process he credits with smoothing the pathway to success.

From Idea to Action

Most successful designers have a bit of show business in them. Whether you play the sophisticated artiste or radiate a quiet competence, it's all about making a connection with a client who is asking you to participate in a significant project, whatever your personality or approach. I've always wondered how those at the extremes of the personal-style spectrum find work, but the fact of the matter is that all of us, designers and clients alike, are individuals who respond in different ways to different triggers - and I know for a fact that the way I work isn't for everyone simply based on the fact that we don't win every contract we pursue. For all that, however, we at Lorax Design Group (Overland Park, Kans.) have developed our own pattern and have found that it works for us often enough to

#34: Synthetic Grass

If you'd asked me 20 years ago if I'd ever consider using artificial grass with one of my high-end pool projects, I would've looked at you like you had two heads and three hats: There was just no way on earth that would've been a possibility. A lot has changed in the past few years, however, and it's getting to the point where I'm working with fake turf on a surprisingly number of projects - including

Back in Action

I'm finally at work again, more or less on a full-time basis - and grateful to report that things are going well: My lower back has stabilized and strengthened, I am mostly pain-free and, although I've been slowed by the four-week hiatus, I am back to my work and workout routines and

A Bumpy Road

Well, I've gone and done it again. It was Saturday, June 29, and I'd decided to throw an extra bit of sweat equity into our home-remodeling project by digging up and removing what had become a non-essential gate on one side of our house. It was an old, metal-framed assembly that

A Day to Swim

Is it an idea whose time has come? On June 8, I received an email from my friend Dave Penton announcing that he was setting up Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram accounts for something called International Swim Day. "The first day of summer this year is

Solid Foundations

'When it comes to just about anything that matters in life,' wrote Brian Van Bower to open his June 1999 Aqua Culture column, 'the difference between success and failure is often your mindset and the attitude you bring to each situation, event or occasion. 'That's a huge generalization,' he added, 'but it's something I consider each and every time I prepare myself for

Stepping in Style

As you've probably noticed by now, I'm a big fan of Lawrence Halprin's work. I've probably covered a half-dozen of his projects in Travelogues through the past eight years, and I can easily see myself covering a half-dozen more in installments to come. Halprin is perhaps best known for the muscular, rough-hewn stonework that highlights not only the FDR Memorial in Washington, D.C., but also the Ira Keller Fountain in Portland, Ore. Yet his output also featured elegance and a sense of