Pools & Spas
Through the years, we've worked on lots of projects in remote locations all around the world, from Sri Lanka to Bermuda. In a few instances, we've worked without any site visits - but our strong preference is to see where we're working: It helps move our process along if we get the lay of the land and have the opportunity to meet with clients or architects or property representatives on site. The reasons for this preference are obvious: We draw ideas from what we see, nail down a sense of scale and proportion and head to the drawing board armed with
For years, John Cohen has dedicated himself to meeting the needs of clients averse to using traditional sanitizers. As he reports in the first in a series of articles, his quest began with a narrow-minded 'expert' and has since pulled him toward a biologically inspired set of solutions.
For more than 50 years, our company has focused on designing and building swimming pools for municipalities, universities, health clubs, state parks, swim clubs, subdivisions, apartments and hospitals - with some residential projects added in for good measure. We're good at what we do, and if we've learned anything through the years, it's that we're successful because we approach each and every project as being
When it happens this way, it's truly special. The clients had seen my work and had been so impressed that they said they didn't want to "sway" me in one direction or another by offering their own design ideas and suggestions. Almost as important, they had the wherewithal to set me loose in pursuit of what I thought should be done throughout the entire space - everything from the watershapes and the outdoor kitchen to the plants and furnishings and small decorative details. As I discovered and they already
Very often these days, we're a pre-selected contractor and get involved in projects early enough that we participate in their development almost from inception. That's great, because it gives us the opportunity to define what needs to happen to make the most of the glass-tile finishes we're frequently asked to install. In this case, however, another contractor had the first shot at the job, which involved extensive work on an unusual vanishing-edge pool as well as an innovative spa and a nice little waterfeature. Long story short, that other company had apparently never
In advancing my career as a watershape designer, I've put major stock in education to give me an edge. I've taken multiple courses in computer-assisted design, for instance, along with all sorts of technical-skills classes to keep me up with what's current in the field. But I've noticed as well that the accumulation of experience is a huge additional asset, mainly because it reflects what I've already tried, survived and learned from - but also because having done some of the things I've tackled through the years gives me
For me and my business in around 2008, this project was a real rite of passage. At that point, pool-construction and shotcrete-application companies like ours were well established and had lineages stretching back to the 1950s. Just the same, we were having a hard time gaining recognition from architects, landscape architects and developers who were pursuing quality, prestige construction. The irony is, my own firm had
This project began with a client's dropped jaw. I'd been called to the site by one of my usual subcontractors to help resolve a minor problem he was having. While that was being resolved, I noticed that the new steps in the remodeled pool were far more troubling. With the client and a bunch of other people standing there, I asked for a demo hammer - and saw the looks of astonishment as I smacked the top step and
We don't get involved in renovations all that often, but in this case it would've been tough to say no. Not long before, we'd designed a new pool for right next door - a thoroughly modern watershape that looked great and was perfectly suited to the property and the architecture of the home. As work continued on site, it was apparent that one of the neighbors was more than a little
When you step up to tackle what might possibly be the most challenging job your company has ever pursued, there's definitely a gut check involved. Do you have the required staff? Can you call on top-flight subcontractors? Do you have the stamina to get involved and stay involved for the duration of a seriously long, seriously complex project? As we found in building the seven watershapes
