Nature’s Way
‘Back when WaterShapes was in its infancy, the idea that swimming pools and spas had much in common with other forms of contained water (including ponds, fountains and streams) was a true novelty: All of those worlds seemed light years apart.’
That’s how Brian Van Bower opened his Aqua Culture column in November 2008 before adding: ‘[T]hings have changed and there’s now widespread recognition that these seemingly
disparate aquatic categories do indeed share many important characteristics and challenges. All of these systems contain water, for example, and circulate it in such ways that it stays safely clear and clean. All can be beautiful as well.’ He continued:
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‘Coming at this from the pool/spa side of the equation, I’m fascinated by the opportunities I now have to translate my fundamental capabilities as a watershaper into other categories within the greater watershaping milieu.’
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‘It’s important, of course, for each of us to recognize that when we reach across lines, expand our repertoires and start using water in new ways, new doors open and we’re able to increase and enhance what we offer our clients.’
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‘[W]orking with ponds and streams gives me occasional relief from having to deal with the codes and regulations that limit what can be done with pools and spas. . . . But mostly, naturalistic watershapes are exciting because of the way they enable me to expand my creative horizons. In a growing number of our projects, for example, we’re using ponds and streams in addition to pools, spas and fountains to broaden the overall presence of water on given sites.’
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‘As is true with any new endeavor, digging into naturalistic watershapes involves learning what makes them tick. In the same way a watershaper from the pond and stream world has a steep learning curve in successfully embracing pools and spas, those of us from the pool/spa industry must explore these systems in a disciplined way and do what it takes to gain proficiency and achieve excellence.’
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‘Through [continuing my education], I gained an appreciation for what makes ponds and streams effective in the landscape and awareness of the pitfalls that mark the works of lesser watergardeners. Just as I’ve always seen pools and spas that make me cringe, from time to time I now discern attempts at naturalism that are complete failures – even in large and apparently expensive installations.’
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‘In other words, as a designer of pools and spas, I saw working with ponds and streams as completely creatively liberating – until I recognized that every watershape, no matter its form, is very much constrained by the realities of engineering, physics and technology: The seem to be quite different, but at root they’re very much the same.’
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‘Certainly, there will always be those who will be most comfortable staying in one corner or another of the watershaping world, and I must say that I do see the merit of mastering one system type and doing it well rather than spreading yourself thin and achieving little more than working poorly in more than one medium.’
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‘[I]f you apply yourself, learn the ropes, pay attention and familiarize yourself with the ins and outs of watershape types that were previously unfamiliar,’ Brain concluded, ‘my own endeavors testify to the fact that you can expand your working horizons and open the way to ever-greater levels of creativity.’
Have your own experiences with exploring other forms of watershaping followed along with Brian’s observations and reservations? Or has working in more than one watershaping medium come more naturally to you? Please share your thoughts on the subject by commenting below!
Brian Van Bower runs Aquatic Consultants, a design firm based in Miami, Fla., and is a co-founder of the Genesis 3 Design Group; dedicated to top-of-the-line performance in aquatic design and construction, this organization conducts schools for like-minded pool designers and builders. He can be reached at [email protected]