ARTICLES Archives - Page 70 of 325

Beyond Irritating

I had started writing a completely different blog a few days back when a headline burst in to rattle my sense of calm: "6 Reasons to Demolish Your Swimming Pool Before Summer." Written by Wendy Helfenbaum and published

Advancing Technology

'One of the longest-standing knocks against the pool and spa industry is that too many designers and builders rely too heavily on convention and seem disinclined to pursue new paths and ideas no matter how compelling they might be.' That was the resounding note with which Mark Holden opened his Currents column in April 2009. He continued: 'All too often, pool and spa professionals tend to keep on specifying and installing equipment they've used for years - even if it's

If his work on botanical gardens has taught him anything, says Raymond Jungles, it's that it helps to be both flexible and persistent -- and, as he relates in his second article on the subject, mindful of the fact that these places are businesses and have needs that must be met.

Exploring Possibilities

Generally speaking, the folks who visit botanical gardens fall into two categories. The first includes local residents who can best be described as garden enthusiasts - the sort who visit monthly, weekly or even daily to follow the lifecycles of favorite trees, shrubs and plants and can spend countless hours observing the diurnal operations of flowers or of the birds who come and go as a year progresses. The second group, generally larger and often much larger, includes local residents who stop by the gardens only when

The project may have started with a miscommunication, notes Dave Garton, but that amusing incident never stood in the way of his creating a beautiful sunken pond -- or of campaigning to ease neighbors' fears about a significant (but temporary) disruption of their bucolic lives.

Creative Spirits

This project came my way as a lot of them have through the years: A landscape contractor had been tasked with organizing things on a large estate property and called me in to work with the homeowners on the pond they wanted. During our first meeting on site, I took an immediate liking to the couple, and she in particular had bountiful ideas about what she wanted. As we walked the estate together that day, she pointed toward the boggy depression at the edge of the property where we'd be placing the pond - quite close to a community bridle path - and said she wanted

Building a Base

Long known for his advocacy of the power of positive thinking, Brian Van Bower explains why he's also done all he can as a watershaper to get involved, stay involved and become part of social communities that have helped him advance his professional agenda for decades.

Infinite Potential

A few weeks back, I saw an item on the architecture website Arch Daily that immediately caught my eye. Entitled "Infinity Pools in 15 Architecture Projects" and compiled by Brazilian architect Eduardo Souza, the article delivers as promised - and I'm grateful that, for a change,

#33: Flagstone Decking

Of all the videos in this series, this is one in which I covered almost all of what I had to say about flagstone decking while on camera - a fact that doesn't leave me as much as usual to write about in this introduction. But as always, I've spotted a few areas worth additional comment. One small point needs more emphasis than I gave it, for example, and that has to do with

Swimming’s Place

My nightstand is so overstocked with books that I've given up on ever catching up. Each gift-receiving opportunity makes more of them appear, and for some reason my family and friends have decided that I like reading volumes so thick that I have to crane new arrivals into place after

Speaking the Language

'As is true of many business sectors, the architecture, engineering and construction industry . . . has its own language,' noted Dave Peterson to start his March 2009 Currents column, 'and the construction documents generated by those professionals (watershapers very definitely included) are the medium through which everyone communicates. 'The challenge for watershapers is that we've

The home sits on the edge of a lovely golf course, but it's backyard definitely needed help. Completely reimagining the space, Juliet Wood inserted a pool, a spa, a cabana, a sweeping staircase and an amazing water wall to create a fully integrated resource for outdoor family fun.

Artful Opportunities

As is true of many designers, I carry a large number of unusual ideas in the back of my mind, waiting for the right site, the right client and the right project to pull them out and put them to use. Some of these ideas are innovative or even wild and most of them are unconventional - otherwise, they would have found quicker paths to my drawing board. In the project covered in this article, I was lucky enough to break out two of these special ideas - one an unusual transition from the home's upper level down to the poolscape, the other in the form of