2013/9.1, September 11 — Amazing Dream Pools, Designing a Beach Entry, Dodging ‘Dead Spots’ and more

September 11, 2013 www.watershapes.com

ESSENTIAL

Carving in Jade

For more than 25 years, architect Nick Troubetzkoy has envisioned a uniquely natural resort on the island of St. Lucia: No telephones, no televisions, no clocks — just a complete separation from the workaday world in a setting of unmatched beauty. Now he’s realized his dreams in Jade Mountain, a marvel of organic architectural design and host to more than two dozen vanishing-edge pools and waterfeatures set amidst hanging gardens.

This article, originally published in April 2007, has been digitized for all readers. Click here to see the full text and enlarge the images to study the craftsmanship in detail.

WHAT IS IT?

#7: Beach Entry

Gracefully sloping beach entries are hot commodities these days — a fact that motivated Mike Farley to jump into a pool under construction to film a brief video showing what goes into making these features work and exploring why they’ve become so popular among his clients. [more]

FEATURE ARTICLE

Avoiding ‘Dead Spots’

The complexities of today’s swimming pools raise the need for designers and builders to set up circulation systems that keep all of the water moving. Here’s how to get it done, writes Mike Fowler, from selecting the correct pump to doing the right thing with the plumbing layout. [more]

PONDCRAFT 101

Setting the Wall

The installation of a pond can be a fairly straightforward process if you get a couple of the early steps right, says Eric Triplett. In this video, he walks viewers through one of the most important of those steps: setting up a retaining wall that will help lock key components in place. [more]

WATERSHAPES WORLD

A Good Win

One of San Francisco’s most significant watershapes recently squared off with the desires of Apple to remodel the retail space beside it, notes Jim McCloskey. Given Apple’s clout, the outcome was unexpected — and very good news for fans of the city’s ‘Fountain Lady.’ [more]

TECHNICAL BRIEFING

Over the Edge

Common to so many watershapes, weirs play key roles in the performance of everything from vanishing edges to waterfalls. But common does not mean simple, says Steve Gutai, launching into a discussion of how these edges fit in as components in hydraulic designs. [more]

TRAVELOGUE

Breathtaking Beauty

A visit to the Missouri Botanical Garden has long delighted those who appreciate its array of garden types and styles. During the past 30 years, notes Kerry Friedman, many of these areas have been augmented by waterfeatures and fountains that bring new interest to the grounds. [more]

WHAT’S NEW?

Now at WaterShapes.com . . .

While supplies last, you can purchase one of 8 available complete, mint-condition, 131-issue sets of WaterShapes, a print publication that set the tone for development of the art and craft of watershaping from February 1999 until July 2011. For ordering information, click here!

Fifth Time’s the Charm . . .

Diana Nyad Finally Achieves Her

Dream Swim from Cuba to Florida

[more]

WATERSHAPES CLASSIC

On a Wire

The Internet has been with us for some time, but that doesn’t mean that everyone was fully on board (and satisfied) when Brian Van Bower wrote this insightful evaluation of the state of the art in September 2008. [more]

TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE

Next: Diana Nyad to Swim
48 Hours for a Good Cause

Many water-related stories have been in the news of late — including reports connected to the three questions below.

1. Diana Nyad plans to follow up her successful swim from Cuba to Florida by swimming 48 hours straight in a specially designed New York City pool. The effort by the 64-year-old aquatic legend will raise money for what good cause?

a. Helping victims of Hurricane Sandy b. Funding breast cancer research
c. Funding diabetes research d. Helping children of people killed on 9/11.

2. Princess Charlene of Monaco — wife of Prince Albert II, Monaco’s reigning monarch — has gotten back in the water for a charity swimming event, which is aimed at raising money to increase children’s awareness of water safety. Although the former Charlene Wittstock retired from competitive swimming in 2007, she represented her native country in the 2000 Olympic Games. What is her native country?

a. Australia b. New Zealand c. Canada d. South Africa.

3. According to a recent survey in the U.K., the #1 feature that people aspire to include in their dream home has to do with a swimming pool. What did 36% of those surveyed dream of having?

a. A vanishing-edge pool b. An indoor pool
c. An outdoor pool heated year-round d. A solar-heated pool.

To find out how many you got right, click here.

2013/9.1, September 11 — Amazing Dream Pools, Designing a Beach Entry, Dodging ‘Dead Spots’ and more

September 11, 2013 www.watershapes.com

ESSENTIAL

Carving in Jade

For more than 25 years, architect Nick Troubetzkoy has envisioned a uniquely natural resort on the island of St. Lucia: No telephones, no televisions, no clocks — just a complete separation from the workaday world in a setting of unmatched beauty. Now he’s realized his dreams in Jade Mountain, a marvel of organic architectural design and host to more than two dozen vanishing-edge pools and waterfeatures set amidst hanging gardens.

This article, originally published in April 2007, has been digitized for all readers. Click here to see the full text and enlarge the images to study the craftsmanship in detail.

WHAT IS IT?

#7: Beach Entry

Gracefully sloping beach entries are hot commodities these days — a fact that motivated Mike Farley to jump into a pool under construction to film a brief video showing what goes into making these features work and exploring why they’ve become so popular among his clients. [more]

FEATURE ARTICLE

Avoiding ‘Dead Spots’

The complexities of today’s swimming pools raise the need for designers and builders to set up circulation systems that keep all of the water moving. Here’s how to get it done, writes Mike Fowler, from selecting the correct pump to doing the right thing with the plumbing layout. [more]

PONDCRAFT 101

Setting the Wall

The installation of a pond can be a fairly straightforward process if you get a couple of the early steps right, says Eric Triplett. In this video, he walks viewers through one of the most important of those steps: setting up a retaining wall that will help lock key components in place. [more]

WATERSHAPES WORLD

A Good Win

One of San Francisco’s most significant watershapes recently squared off with the desires of Apple to remodel the retail space beside it, notes Jim McCloskey. Given Apple’s clout, the outcome was unexpected — and very good news for fans of the city’s ‘Fountain Lady.’ [more]

TECHNICAL BRIEFING

Over the Edge

Common to so many watershapes, weirs play key roles in the performance of everything from vanishing edges to waterfalls. But common does not mean simple, says Steve Gutai, launching into a discussion of how these edges fit in as components in hydraulic designs. [more]

TRAVELOGUE

Breathtaking Beauty

A visit to the Missouri Botanical Garden has long delighted those who appreciate its array of garden types and styles. During the past 30 years, notes Kerry Friedman, many of these areas have been augmented by waterfeatures and fountains that bring new interest to the grounds. [more]

WHAT’S NEW?

Now at WaterShapes.com . . .

While supplies last, you can purchase one of 8 available complete, mint-condition, 131-issue sets of WaterShapes, a print publication that set the tone for development of the art and craft of watershaping from February 1999 until July 2011. For ordering information, click here!

Fifth Time’s the Charm . . .

Diana Nyad Finally Achieves Her

Dream Swim from Cuba to Florida

[more]

WATERSHAPES CLASSIC

On a Wire

The Internet has been with us for some time, but that doesn’t mean that everyone was fully on board (and satisfied) when Brian Van Bower wrote this insightful evaluation of the state of the art in September 2008. [more]

TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE

Next: Diana Nyad to Swim
48 Hours for a Good Cause

Many water-related stories have been in the news of late — including reports connected to the three questions below.

1. Diana Nyad plans to follow up her successful swim from Cuba to Florida by swimming 48 hours straight in a specially designed New York City pool. The effort by the 64-year-old aquatic legend will raise money for what good cause?

a. Helping victims of Hurricane Sandy b. Funding breast cancer research
c. Funding diabetes research d. Helping children of people killed on 9/11.

2. Princess Charlene of Monaco — wife of Prince Albert II, Monaco’s reigning monarch — has gotten back in the water for a charity swimming event, which is aimed at raising money to increase children’s awareness of water safety. Although the former Charlene Wittstock retired from competitive swimming in 2007, she represented her native country in the 2000 Olympic Games. What is her native country?

a. Australia b. New Zealand c. Canada d. South Africa.

3. According to a recent survey in the U.K., the #1 feature that people aspire to include in their dream home has to do with a swimming pool. What did 36% of those surveyed dream of having?

a. A vanishing-edge pool b. An indoor pool
c. An outdoor pool heated year-round d. A solar-heated pool.

To find out how many you got right, click here.

2013/8.2, August 21 — Backyard Fantasyland, Wild Horses, a Stylish Teahouse and more

August 21, 2013 www.watershapes.com

ESSENTIAL

Driving Home

More than two years in the making, this supersized backyard watershape composition pushed designer/builder Kathy Marosz to the limits of her design skills, construction expertise and mental and physical stamina. Here, in the last of three articles on this extraordinary project, she reflects on what it took to make it all happen and guides us through a pictorial celebration of the project’s numerous (and generally exquisite) finishing details.

This article, originally published in March 2009, has been digitized for all readers. Click here to see the full text and enlarge the images to study the craftsmanship in detail.

PONDCRAFT 101

Preparing the Filter

Setting up a waterfall/biofilter unit is generally a simple process, but it’s also an important one, says Eric Triplett, which is why this video goes into so much detail on how to get these units placed and squared away for years of reliable, leak-free performance. [more]

TRAVELOGUE

Running Wild

There’s nothing quite like rounding an urban corner and finding a whole herd of wild mustangs running across a stream, writes Jim McCloskey — a fact that makes a pilgrimage to this grand plaza essential for watershapers who want to see great work for themselves. [more]

VIDEO GALLERY

Sanitizing System ABCs

Helping homeowners sort and select among the long, complicated list of possible sanitizing systems for their swimming pools is a critical task, says Lew Akins in this video — especially if your goal is their long-term satisfaction with the overall project. [more]

PLATINUM REFLECTIONS

Garden Tea

With patience and understanding, says Rick Driemeyer, great watershapes and gardens will emerge from the close interaction of designers and their clients. A case in point is the project shared here, where he transformed a simple space into a highly personalized sanctuary. [more]

WATERSHAPES WORLD

Pivot Points

As a busy summer comes to a close, Jim McCloskey takes the occasion to look back on events (both personal and professional) that have kept him jumping since the end of April — and have made him distinctly hopeful about the future and what’s in store in days to come. [more]

WHAT’S NEW?

Now at WaterShapes.com . . .

While supplies last, you can purchase one of 9 remaining complete, mint-condition, 131-issue sets of WaterShapes, a print publication that set the tone for development of the art and craft of watershaping from February 1999 until July 2011. For ordering information, click here!

As Water Takes Center Stage . . .

Are We in a New Golden Age

Of Aquatic Entertainment?

[more]

WATERSHAPES CLASSIC

Neat and Clean

Always a stickler for details, Brian Van Bower used his Aqua Culture column ten years ago to define what he considered to be a crucial and very public measure of a watershaper’s professionalism. [more]

TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE

Woman Breastfeeding in U.K.

Public Pool Ordered to Stop

Many water-related stories have been in the news of late – including reports connected to the three questions below.

1. After a lifeguard spotted a woman breastfeeding her 4-month-old son in a shallow toddler pool in the U.K., she was ordered to stop or be evicted from the aquatics center — an incident that sparked a vigorous public discussion of the issue. In what British city did this take place?

a. London b. Manchester c. Liverpool d. Leeds.

2. Scientists have reported that a chimpanzee and an orangutan raised by separate humans have learned to swim and dive – behaviors previously thought to be beyond the capability of lower primates. Surprisingly, the animals don’t perform the dog-paddle when swimming. What movement do they use instead?

a. Crawl b. Backstroke c. Frog kick d. Scissor kick.

3. An Australian study has found that 17% of girls between the ages of 10 and 17 do not go swimming because of what reason?

          a. They’re afraid of drowning.
          b. They worry about the effect of chlorine on their hair.
          c. They don’t want to take time away from playing video games.
          d. They think their bodies aren’t good enough to be seen in a swimsuit.

To find out how many you got right, click here.

</ mySpace

2013/8.1, August 7 — Jade Mountain’s Amazing Pools, a Video Guide to Pondcraft, Chinese Gardens and more

       August 7, 2013                www.watershapes.com

ESSENTIAL

Cutting Edges

The pools at St. Lucia’s Jade Mountain are certainly among the most ambitious watershape compositions ever attempted. In all, the mountainside project encompasses 26 interwoven vanishing-edge vessels suspended on the side of an ultra-modern concrete structure, each one with its own shape and aesthetic scheme. As Skip Phillips explains here, it was a steep challenge — one exacerbated by a remote locale and a constantly evolving design program.

This article, originally published in April 2007, has been digitized for all readers. Click here to see the full text and enlarge the images to study the craftsmanship in detail.

PONDCRAFT 101

Pond Beginnings

Building a fish pond from a kit is a big job — one that requires you to know what you’re getting into. Offering some much-needed guidance along those lines, Eric Triplett jumps right in with an extensive video series that starts with the basics of pond design and layout. [more]

FEATURE ARTICLE

How Big Is That Pool?

Lots of people know how to calculate the volume of a rectangular swimming pool, but what do you do with an irregular shape? Here, Kim Skinner, Que Hales and Doug Latta describe a method for calculating those pools’ volumes that’s both precise — and a bit surprising. [more]

WATERSHAPES WORLD

Sound and Motion

Working with Internet technology has been eye-opening, writes Jim McCloskey. In fact, as much as he loves the printed word, he’s found that the web offers so many advantages that he wonders why he stayed with WaterShapes on ink and paper for so long. [more]

TECHNICAL BRIEFING

Balanced Force

The mathematics that define the interactions of plumbing size, water flow, pressure and head can be complex. But for watershapers, writes Steve Gutai, understanding those relationships and working with them in the field is truly essential in developing one key project phase. [more]

TRAVELOGUE

Finding China

The features, traditions and characteristics of Chinese garden design are generally unfamiliar to most Westerners — and that’s a shame, observes Rick Anderson, who discovered in extensive travels through that country that they comprise an amazing art form all their own. [more]

WHAT’S NEW?

Now at WaterShapes.com . . .

While supplies last, you can purchase one of 11 available complete, mint-condition, 131-issue sets of WaterShapes, a print publication that set the tone for development of the art and craft of watershaping from February 1999 until July 2011. For ordering information, click here!

Booze May Have Been Involved!

German Cops Stop Convertible

Converted into Swimming Pool

[more]

WATERSHAPES CLASSIC

Stone Stepping

In designing spaces for his clients, wrote Bruce Zaretsky in August 2008, he thinks about the way people will move around in them with particular care when it comes to what he sees as an often-overlooked feature. [more]

TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE

Barcelona: U.S. Men’s Relay Team
Disqualified After Winning Race

Many water-related stories have been in the news of late — including reports connected to the three questions below.

1. At the 15th FINA World Championships in Barcelona, the American men’s relay team won the 4×100 race, only to be disqualified when it was determined that one of the U.S. swimmers dove into the pool one-hundredth of a second too soon. Which team member jumped the gun?

a. Ryan Lochte b. Nathan Adrian c. Kevin Cordes d. Matt Grevers

2. FINA (the governing body of the sport of swimming) has approved two mixed-gender relay events for future world championships: the 4×100-meter freestyle and the 4×100 medley. The mixed teams will consist of two men and two women; the order of the swimmers will be up to the teams themselves. FINA’s decision applies to the Olympic Games — true or false?

a. True b. False

3. The location of the 2016 European Swimming Championships — which will be held before the start of the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro — has been announced. Where will the European Swimming Championships take place?

a. Amsterdam b. Paris c. London d. Madrid

To find out how many you got right, click here.

</ mySpace

2013/7.2, July 24 — Saving a Great Lake, Defining a Modern Classic, Understanding Pond Maintenance and more

July 24, 2013 www.watershapes.com

ESSENTIAL

Welcoming Waters

The restoration of the private lake pictured in this article offered watershaper George Forni a set of challenges that ranged from completely recasting the lake’s structure, filtration and circulation system to devising a variety of design features aimed at bringing both fine aesthetics and ample family fun to the setting. The result, he says, is a project that was unusually comprehensive in scope and unfailingly remarkable in execution.

This article, originally published in October 2006, has been digitized for all readers. Click here to see the full text and enlarge the images to study the craftsmanship in detail.

FEATURE ARTICLE

Working the Nitrogen Cycle

Managing a pond or watergarden involves a list of familiar chores. All it takes to help those who perform these tasks understand why their work is necessary and what it accomplishes, writes Ed Beaulieu, is a dash of information on the dynamics of the nitrogen cycle. [more]

WHAT IS IT?

#6: ‘Hidden’ Skimmer

Sometimes, preserving the aesthetics of a design calls for uncommon approaches to common features. That’s in evidence in this brief video, which shows how preserving the look of a pool’s sleek, stylish coping led Mike Farley to put a fresh twist on a standard detail. [more]

WATERSHAPES WORLD

Conflicted Interests

A program encouraging an Australian township’s homeowners to convert their swimming pools into ponds grabbed Jim McCloskey‘s attention recently — and inspired this brief discussion of the practicalities (and realities?) involved in these transformations. [more]

PLATINUM REFLECTIONS

Softly Modern

This project walked a narrow line between the modernist tastes of the homeowners and the property’s traditional surroundings. But walking that tightrope was easy, notes Kevin Fleming, compared to executing the installation’s fine details, highlighted here in words and images. [more]

TRAVELOGUE

Temperate Thoughts

Our nation’s capital boasts many beautiful fountains, writes Jim McCloskey — but there are some quirky exceptions, including an odd composition that embodies one of the great social controversies of the late 19th Century and has a strangely fascinating history as well. [more]

WHAT’S NEW?

Now at WaterShapes.com . . .

While supplies last, you can purchase one of 12 available complete, mint-condition, 131-issue sets of WaterShapes, a print publication that set the tone for development of the art and craft of watershaping from February 1999 until July 2011. For ordering information, click here!

Simian Exercise Regimen . . .

Indian Monkey Swims Daily
Laps in Mumbai Public Pool

[more]

WATERSHAPES CLASSIC

Keeping Control

Concerns about intellectual property were rare among watershapers until fairly recently, wrote Brian Van Bower five years ago. But in the Internet era, it’s truly a big deal — and a fitting subject of this classic column. [more]

TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE

Floating Pool for New York River

One Step Closer to Being Built

Many water-related stories have been in the news of late – including reports connected to the three questions below.

1. The plan to install a large, plus-shaped floating pool in New York City’s East River has come one step closer to fruition after more than $273,000 was raised by the crowd-funding Web site Kickstarter. The money will be used to install a 35-by-35-foot mini version of the proposed pool (no swimming allowed) as a scientific test bed to further study the concept. How much is the full-sized swimming pool — which will be called the + Pool and will be 164 feet by 164 feet — expected to cost?

a. $10 million b. $15 million c. $20 million d. $25 million

2. A major U.S. city opened its river — at least temporarily and in a small, roped-off area — to public swimming for the first time in 50 years. The event was made possible by the river’s improving water quality. What river and what city?

a. The Hudson River in New York City b. The Chicago River in Chicago
c. The Charles River in Boston d. The Mississippi River in New Orleans

3. Turkish authorities shut down the Bosphorus Strait — which divides the European side of Istanbul from the Asian side — for three hours for the annual Bosphorous Cross-Continental swim. (The strait is one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes.) Some 1,500 swimmers from nearly 50 countries took part in this year’s event. What is the length of the crossing?

a. 4 miles b. 6 miles c. 8 miles d. 10 miles

To find out how many you got right, click here.

</ mySpace

2013/7.1, July 10 — A Hilltop Masterpiece, Avoiding Design Mistakes, Going Pondless and more

July 10, 2013 www.watershapes.com

ESSENTIAL

Builder’s Pride

Conceived of as part of the home’s original design and construction, this stunning rectangular pool provided the watershaping team of William Bennett and Walter Williams with the opportunity to work closely with an architect at the top of his game. The resulting composition in concrete, glass, wood and water — set on a steep slope in a densely wooded area — made all participants rise to the occasion with practical, cost-sensitive solutions.

This article, originally published in June 2009, has been digitized for all readers. Click here to see the full text and enlarge the images to study the craftsmanship in detail.

VIDEO GALLERY

Nature Enhanced

Making pondless waterfall systems work aesthetically can be a challenge, writes Mike Gannon, but by focusing on the setting and finding ways to weave the new system into its surroundings, you can create aquatic environments that truly fit in, naturally and beautifully. [more]

FEATURE ARTICLE

Avoiding Common Design Mistakes

Through the years, Paolo Benedetti has encountered lots of designs marred by mistakes, some merely distracting, others downright deplorable. Here’s a quick look at his pet peeves, along with tips on how to avoid them while making homeowners happy at the same time. [more]

WATERSHAPES WORLD

The Weirdest Idea Ever?

A news item about a storied college-football program caught Jim McCloskey‘s eye a few days back — as did reports on several great watershapes he’s written about in recent months. Oh, and then there are a few choice holiday snapshots taken in Yosemite and beyond . . . [more]

TECHNICAL BRIEFING

Equating Continuity

As watershapes have become more complex, the need for reliable hydraulic designs that maximize efficiency is more pressing than it’s ever been, says Steve Gutai. To help meet this challenge, he offers this look at the principles behind a pool’s fluid mechanics and hydraulics. [more]

TRAVELOGUE

An Edge of Honor

It unfolds as a serene, inspiring space and a solemn, symbolic tribute to self-sacrifice and the anguish of war: The Massachusetts Vietnam Veterans Memorial was a decades-long labor of love, write Johannes Wagner and Eugene Bolinger — one well worth a visit. [more]

WHAT’S NEW?

Now at WaterShapes.com . . .

While supplies last, you can purchase one of 13 available complete, mint-condition, 131-issue sets of WaterShapes, a print publication that set the tone for development of the art and craft of watershaping from February 1999 until July 2011. For ordering information, click here!

She Wore a Full Hijab, But . . .

Female Iranian’s Record

Swim Goes Unrecognized

[more]

WATERSHAPES CLASSIC

The Illuminating Past

Knowing what’s been done before, asserted Mark Holden in 2008, is the core of design education. So why, he asked, are colleges and universities so blind when it comes to a huge part of our design heritage? [more]

TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE

The Rolling Stones’ Brian Jones:
Accidental Drowning or Murder?

Many water-related stories have been in the news of late — including reports connected to the three questions below.

1. Renewed allegations have surfaced that musician Brian Jones, who formed and named the legendary rock band The Rolling Stones, did not die in 1969 due to an accidental drowning in his backyard pool but was murdered instead. He supposedly was killed over what issue?

          a. Who would be the band’s lead singer?
          b. Who would choose the music the band performed?
          c. Who owned the name of the band?
          d. Who would be the band’s manager?

2. A YouTube video of a toddler swimming across a pool has gone viral, with more than one-million views. It has also raised some controversy regarding the advisability of such a young child learning how to swim. How old is little Elizabeth, the now-famous baby swimmer?

a. 14 months b. 16 months c. 18 months d. 20 months

3. Two different homeowners in New Castle, Ind., were startled to discover that someone had dumped live fish into their backyard pools, possibly as a prank.
What kind of fish did they find swimming around?

a. Catfish b. Grouper c. Carp d. Trout

To find out how many you got right, click here.