Professional Watershaping
"If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more, and become more, you are a leader." - John Quincy Adams At Watershape University (WU) our entire structure and guiding focus is based on the concept of
As members of the watershaping industry and the rest of the world ride it out during the COVID 19 pandemic, Watershape University has its sights set on the future with a variety of live schools and new content in the works. We are, however, also focused on the here and now, and we know that many of you are looking for ways to take advantage of online educational opportunities during this time of social distancing. That's why we decided to
Designing with line of sight in mind is something I think about a lot. Knowing where to place things so they will be seen, or in some cases not seen, is arguably square one in the design process. That's why when I talk to my clients one of the first things I ask is, "What's the most important view in the house?" I start there because it's something they are going to be looking at 365 days a year, probably morning, noon and night. The answers are mostly the same, the living room, dining room or kitchen. Every once in a while, someone
Since joining Watershape University (WU) last fall, one of the most intriguing, and I believe inspiring, ideas we've pursued has been the plan to develop the Live Blue Foundation (LBF) as a companion organization. For those who might be wondering what the LBF is all about, and how it ties in with WU, here's a brief synopsis. The concept for LBF stems from the revolutionary work of
The COVID-19 pandemic has brought suffering and loss to many. It has certainly challenged everyone's patience and forced us to find creative ways to move forward on the work front from the confines of home. For some, that's proven impossible and they are truly stuck at home with little or nothing to do. Others are luckier and can earn the daily bread in isolation, or quarantine. Many bravely soldier on in medical facilities, grocery stores, delivery services and other essential businesses.
I love the outdoor living part of the conversation, and our clients do too. It's so important because two of the big keys to success in business are paying attention to the client, and you have to be able to adapt. The outdoor living piece lead to both. We always start by looking at what people are seeking. What do they really want? Almost always that boils down to some kind of at-home, outdoor experience or set of experiences. That can mean a lot of different things to different people, so you have to
'Through the past few months,' wrote Brian Van Bower in April 2005 to open his Aqua Culture column, 'I've run across several representatives of the pool and spa industry who have expressed concern that some of us in the business of educating watershapers are encouraging landscape architects to move in the direction of the pool industry's traditional market. "I can understand the anxiety. After all, landscape architects are
Author's note: In January as part of a previous article in this series, I briefly discussed the process of selecting stone material with clients. Here we'll expand on that process with a look at why checking out rocks can be so much fun, and why it can be so important. Smiling changes things, but what on earth does that have to do with building ponds, or any other type of watershape for that matter? That answer is simply everything! In fact, this simple truth about the power of smiling might just be the most practical idea that exists in the world of watershaping. I believe it's right there with
'With a busy schedule,' wrote Stephanie Rose to open her March 2005 Natural Companions column, 'it's too easy to use the same tools repeatedly in project designs. 'Yes, you can mitigate the repetition to a certain extent by using those tools differently each time, but the fact remains that many of us tend to design over and over again with the same plants, hardscape materials and structural approaches because it's
