ARTICLES Archives - Page 95 of 315

#23: Perimeter-Overflow Spa

Once U.S. designers and builders "discovered" vanishing edges - probably at some point in the 1980s, although the look emerged long before then with some forward-thinking architects and watershapers - we've never let this highly visual design detail go. I use these edge effects in my designs all the time, and setting them up in the best way possible has

Gardens for People

'Gardens truly are for people. While that's manifestly an obvious statement,' wrote Bruce Zaretsky at the top of his On the Level column in May 2011, 'it seems to be a concept that insufficient numbers of today's watershape and landscape designers fully grasp.' 'That's nothing new. More than half a century ago, in fact, [Thomas] Church was motivated to

Several years back, Bruce Zaretsky came to a crossroads in his career and decided it was time to be more deliberate about how he gave back to his community. Here's a look at the result: Project Scion, which brings green spaces to rough urban neighborhoods.

A Finer Purpose

Back in June 2012, the publisher of WaterShapes was kind enough to write a blog about our work with Project Scion, a program Zaretsky and Associates (Rochester, N.Y.) was helping to develop as a means of bringing green spaces to rough urban neighborhoods. At that stage, it was still a dream: We had just launched into our first round of funding through kickstarter.com and had no clear sense of how

All Due Respect

The way I see it, the substantial amount of time and energy involved in a good, annual pond cleaning is definitely well spent. For one thing, it gives us at The Pond Digger Waterscape Design & Construction a chance to address any issues the homeowner may have noticed with the way the pond operates - everything from practical concerns about splashing in certain areas, for example, through to aesthetic

As Jimmy Reed knows well, glass tile can be an unforgiving material. But with meticulous planning and surface preparation, he insists, even surfaces as complex as those he encountered in this project can be tiled efficiently -- without annoying visual interruptions.

Double the Pleasure

Devising an approach to the application of fields of glass tile to complex surfaces is never simple, but when your goal is to do so while minimizing cuts and eliminating any visual "tics" that might stand out like sore thumbs when the work is done? That's taking the work to a whole different level. The project under discussion here, built in Gilbert, Ariz., offered this sort of challenge twice - once in a large entryway waterfeature, and again in the backyard with an outsized

The Educational Imperative

'It's great that more and more people in the watershaping business are interested in becoming custom designers. The way I see it,' wrote David Tisheman to start his May 2001 Details column, 'the future of the industry rests in the hands of those who strive for creativity and excellence in their work.' 'Unfortunately, however, there are those out there who are brash enough to declare themselves

Wow — Just Wow

I'm still stunned by news of the intended merger between the National Swimming Pool Foundation and the Association of Pool & Spa Professionals. I've been a professional observer of the pool/spa component of the watershaping universe for more than 30 years now, and I was caught completely off guard by

A San Francisco Treat

i don't get to san francisco as often once did and that's a shame because there so much see do. on the plus side, however, when do make one of my infrequent trips bay area, there's always lot brand new me, even if it has been around for while. monument i'll discuss here example since 1998 or but i'd never come across until had reason visit moscone center downtown in 2007 convention centers go, is both modern imposing, real highlight me was yerba buena gardens,two-city-block= park situated such way that part actually over center. it's wonderful space highlighted by martin luther king jr memorial, set glass panels celebrating his life legacy. those engraved are mounted granite behind waterfall measuring 20 feet tall 50 long devised artist sculptor houston conwill collaboration with poet estella majoza architect joseph de pace. And as you move away, you appreciate the fact that the sound of the waterfalls also masks a great deal of traffic noise. And the same can be said for the perimeter-overflow fountain on the terrace just above the waterfalls: It's hard to get a break from general urban clattering in a place like downtown San Francisco, and these watershapes succeed at it to a wonderfully welcome degree. We have a trip to San Francisco planned for this summer: This will definitely make it to my short list of stops while we're there - provided I don't get distracted by something new! For a video that puts the waterfall on full display, click here. For a look at the watershape on the upper terrace, click here. For a glimpse inside the memorial, click here.

It may have the look of a genuine French castle, writes Steve Sandalis, but the moat, pond and waterfall he installed here all belong to a California property -- and to owners who wanted to be involved in every aspect of the planting, from selection to fine details of placement.

A Watery Domain

With the huge pond and a moat that wraps itself around the house, it's a variety of watershaping you'd ordinarily associate with a medieval French castle. But actually, it's part of a contemporary estate in Brentwood, Calif., in the backyard of a couple with an amazing desire for an aquatic kingdom they could call their own. The couple had recently moved from the eastern United States and decided to take the fullest possible advantage of

Super Vision

'It's a fact of life,' declared David Tisherman in opening his Details column 15 years ago this month: 'The best design feature in the world isn't worth anything if it isn't executed properly. And no matter how good your in-house staff or subcontractors are, they need guidance when it comes to the nuts-and-bolts work of getting the job done the way its designer intends.' '[W]hen you have good, tight supervision provided by a knowledgeable overseer working with good crews and a good set of plans, anything