ARTICLES Archives - Page 69 of 312

Adding three big waterfeatures to a prominent Philadelphia streetscape was a logistical challenge, reports Robert Nonemaker, as was being among the smallest players in a high-stakes project. Handling the pressure took patience -- and a self-reliant approach to project management.

Public Pursuits

Among the best things about Philadelphia is its stock of public art - and that's not accidental: For many years, all construction projects in specific neighborhoods reaching certain dollar thresholds have been required to include an accessible work of art within their footprints. Whether it's a sculpture, a mural, a statue celebrating a Founding Father or a waterfeature, the city now boasts more than 1,000 of these art pieces, each one part of an outstanding cultural and historical landscape. One of our recent projects fit within this program: Located just across the way from Independence Hall, it's part of a

Working atop a rocky prominence through a harsh winter on a short schedule? It was enough to make Kurt Kraisinger take a unique approach to the project, drawing support from near and far to get things done -- from extensive site preparation through to on-time completion.

Peninsular Charm

It's strange how things can work out with a project. In this instance, we were called in to design the outdoor environment to go with a couple's weekend/vacation home on the water of Grand Lake o' the Cherokees in northeastern Oklahoma. It was a beautiful, inspiring setting, with the home situated at the end of a peninsula that reached out into the lake, and it quickly became a favorite gathering spot for a couple generations of a fun-loving family. We developed the design based on a few parameters offered by the clients as well as the nature of the incredible site and the distinctive

Progress Report

In the last video I shared with you, I relayed information about upgrading a do-it-yourself pond into a watergarden that exemplifies the value of an informed, professional touch. This time, a pond we updated was large enough that I know it was installed by a professional - but one who at the time seems to have been a bit lacking in insight and imagination. There's only a brief glimpse of

The unique, Frank Lloyd Wright-inspired home had a lot going for it, but it needed a truly daring addition to reach its full potential. William Drakeley was more than ready to meet the need -- despite a steep slope, a tricky stone ledge and a bold, multi-phase approach to construction.

A Steep Achievement

The masters of 20th-century residential architecture have a profound influence on design to this day. From Charles and Henry Greene through to Frank Lloyd Wright and on to John Lautner and many others, these giants of design continue to push modern interpreters on to new levels of excellence in concept, form and execution. Among all of the spectacular houses these architects built, few speak to us with greater energy than Wright's Fallingwater, a spectacular home he designed in 1935 in Mill Run, Pa. Cantilevered over a stream flowing to a dramatic waterfall, the project has inspired envy among generations of architects and homeowners who'd love to capture even a portion of its special magic in another setting. This is a tale about one such attempt, a house built about 20 years ago with

A Long, Strange Trip

As this newsletter appears, I'll be heading north to Paso Robles, Calif., to participate in the 20th Anniversary Celebration for Genesis - very much aware of the fact that it's a two-decade landmark for WaterShapes, too: We started pre-launch activities related to the magazine at about the same time the founders of Genesis began organizing their

Just visiting Hearst Castle's Neptune Pool is awe-inspiring. But being asked to evaluate its condition and make recommendations toward its rehabilitation? That, says William Rowley, was like a waking dream -- and a major recent milestone in his long, distinguished career.

Assessing a Masterpiece

Through the years, I've had the privilege of working on a number of historic swimming pools. From grand old plunges at Yosemite National Park to the small patio pool at the Virginia Robinson Gardens in Beverly Hills, Calif., I have often approached these treasured artifacts with two sets of eyes - first as an expert in forensics who figures out how the original design and construction came together, then as an engineer tasked with returning these precious vessels to good working order. Among all of the historic pools I've worked on, two of them fill me not only with pride, but also with the awesome sense that I'm collaborating with Julia Morgan, a woman for

Devils in the Details

‘Why is it that, on the pool/spa side of the watershaping business, it’s so difficult to find much by way of truly workable plans and specifications?’ That’s how Brian Van Bower started his Aqua Culture column in the April 2003 edition of WaterShapes before adding: ‘In residential work, of course, the tone is set by local building inspectors and plan checkers, whose needs seem to vary tremendously from place to place. But that’s no excuse for the fact that the plans used in a great many residential projects are grossly

Making Meadows

Writing about droughts and water shortages in his March 2008 On the Level column, Bruce Zaretsky started by observing, ‘This turn of events has made me determined to design landscapes requiring as little water as possible – one consequence being that I now do all I can to avoid using large expanses of

Ozark Spectacle

The first time I visited my friends in Branson, Mo., it was a town in the midst of an identity crisis: It had built its brand as a place for mature folks to go hear popular music offered by performers cherished by their generation, from Andy Williams and Lawrence Welk to Roy Clark and Glen Campbell. The acts were still great, but they had largely become

It's a challenge designers and builders face every time they work with raised spas, waterfalls, grottoes or vanishing edges: Saving the best for last, Graham Orme completes his four-part series on underwater-lighting techniques by focusing here on various forms of water in transit.

Flowing in Light

Today's swimming pools, spas and waterfeatures have moved several steps beyond their traditional, classic forms in shape, complexity, visual interest and beauty - and so have the techniques and technologies involved in giving them a warm, inviting glow when evening comes. Happily, we're far past the bad old days when the common solution to most watershape lighting tasks was placement of a blinding, 500-watt incandescent bulb in a huge, visually intrusive niche: Through years of innovation, experimentation and refinement with light-emitting diodes (LEDs), lighting is now adding splendor and wonder to the pool/spa experience in compact, unobtrusive packages - a design asset that couldn't