Eclectic Edge: Ben Dozier’s Platinum Standard Project

In December 2004, WaterShapes introduced ‘The Platinum Standard,’ a registry of projects that embodies watershaping at its finest. Now, as part of our celebration of the magazine’s 100th Issue, Eric Herman offers ‘The Platinum Standard II,’ a fresh set of 20 projects that have graced the pages of the magazine in the past three-and-a-half years – projects that demonstrate clearly that watershaping has become an art form in its own right.

Ben Dozier
Root Design Company
Austin, Texas

Integrating water, sculptures, plants and hardscape details into a private arboretum, the artists at Root Design Company created separate narratives for multiple garden rooms – then pulled everything together in ways that let the clients’ broad interests and tastes exist in a harmony that bridges European and Asian design traditions. Water serves as an intriguing presence throughout the space, which rises to a teahouse that floats serenely over a vanishing-edge pool above Austin’s city limits mySpace