Last month, we discussed the importance of creating excitement and anticipation during the early stages of a pond project. One of my favorite techniques I described is taking clients to a rock yard where we celebrate the process selecting stone material. As I mentioned, getting them revved up in the early going is vastly important, and most of the time it's relatively easy because there's a natural excitement that occurs at the outset of most projects. Things can get much tougher on the mood-management front once the work gets started. We all know that installing a body of water almost always leads to
Station Park is a modern mix of upscale retail, dining and entertainment venues with more than 1.2 million square feet of commercial space. It includes an event venue, health center, luxury hotel, ice rink, 14-screen movie theater - and a dazzling outdoor show fountain. Our company, Fountain People (San Marcos, Texas), worked closely with developers and designers on the way to creating a world-class, choreographed water feature that provides a unique and exciting experience every hour on the hour. The fountain dances to the music of popular artists, old and new, with a
Having a beautiful pool with a colored surface, especially one with a quartz or pebble plaster finish, is a popular choice among pool owners, and understandably so. The color adds ambiance to the setting and can make the water wonderfully attractive and inviting. That's why pool owners are willing to pay extra to have that special color enhance their water and by extension the entire backyard. With that investment in aesthetics, consumers rightfully expect the attractive appearance they've paid for to last a long time. In turn, builders, remodelers, and plasterers are motivated to provide colorfast surfaces that endure the dynamic swimming pool environment. Unfortunately, as we all know, that's not always the case - colors do sometimes fade. Because the interior pool surface is such a dominating
"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
Given the way bodies of water interact with gravity, a great deal of the personality of any swimming pool is set by the flat surface of the water and its reflective qualities. In our work, we've found a variety of ways to capitalize on that flatness by creating focal points that are distinctly vertical in nature. In fact, we've found that working on the "y axis" and focusing on upright structures as diverse as arches, walls, columns and waterfalls can yield a variety of stunning visual effects: Exterior spaces and vistas can be connected or distinguished, architectural shapes can be contrasted or echoed, shadows or reflections can be cast, and privacy or openness can be enhanced. The fact that these effects cut both ways makes them appealing to a custom builder who strives to give clients something unique and lets the characteristics of the individual setting drive the design process. It makes the work more challenging, yes, but it also makes it more fun and rewarding. In many cases, the vertical elements we use can be subtle and retiring - a slightly raised bond beam, for example, or a small waterfall. More often than not, however, we gravitate toward the bold and declarative by integrating water into architectural forms and creating dramatic and
It's a fact: Creating large watershapes for international clients is enough to send a project team's stress levels off the charts. You start with all the usual pressures of time, money and prestige that go along with performing on the global level. Then there are cultural differences, not to mention local environmental concerns having to do with water usage. And these factors can give you trouble even when you think you know what you're getting yourself into. Through the years, our company has learned many lessons about the importance of accommodating the cultural and economic overtones of what we do. From our base in Toronto, Crystal Fountains pursues projects the world over and always strives to
Fountain People (San Marcos, TX) has introduced its Zen Series line of fountain nozzles for…
Thursday Pools (Fortville, IN) has created two new, small-sized fiberglass pool models designed specifically for…
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