2017/6.2, June 21 — Sparkling Beauty, Glowing Artistry, A Righteous Rill and more

THE ESSENTIAL E-NEWSLETTER FOR WATERSHAPE DESIGNERS, ENGINEERS AND BUILDERS

June 21, 2017 www.watershapes.com

FEATURE ARTICLE

A Jewel in the Woods

Working with a property owner who insists on an unconventional approach to a project can be a challenge. But it definitely helps, reports William Drakeley, when that client is also open-minded, imaginative and absolutely set on achieving brilliant, gem-like results. [more]

FEATURE ARTICLE

Translucent Beauty

He was called in to help with a spa, but Brian Van Bower ended up pitching in with three watershapes in all — each of which offered unique hydraulic challenges and all of which contributed to creating an elegant, water-defined penthouse space overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. [more]

TRAVELOGUE

Straight and Narrow

His fondness for water of great subtlety makes Jim McCloskey a fan of well-executed rills — including one you definitely should see the next time you come to Los Angeles and take advantage of the opportunity to visit the Huntington Gardens in suburban San Marino. [more]

ESSENTIAL

High-Rise Performance

The process of installing swimming pools in high-rise buildings presents a number of challenges not found in standard inground projects, notes commercial pool specialist William N. Rowley. To illustrate that point, he discusses what went into crafting two spectacular pools for Los Angeles’ new L.A. Live complex, where special concerns about leaks, noise, weight, maintenance and basic project execution all came prominently into play.

This article, originally published in WaterShapes in November 2010, has been digitized for all readers. Click here to see the full text and enlarge the images to study them in detail.

TECHNICAL BRIEFING

Making Safe Steps and Landings

Steps and landings are among the most common of all elements in landscapes. Unfortunately, says Scott Cohen, they also can be serious safety hazards that could lead to lawsuits — a thought that leads him to offer a number of practical tips on how to minimize the risks. [more]

WATERSHAPES WORLD

Nothing But Net

A brief meditation on the way he relates to his personal ‘backyard resort’ leads Jim McCloskey to discuss the longstanding approach he uses when looking at watershapes in general — and in evaluating them for publication through WaterShapes.com. [more]

WE BROWSE SO YOU DON’T HAVE TO . . .

No More Mr. Nice Guy Dept.: Rome strikes back at those who just can’t resist a dip in Trevi Fountain. [more]
Your La Vita Dolce moment could cost you, big time!

No Good News Ever Dept.: A parasite in the Lincoln Memorial’s reflecting pool bumps off 80 ducks. [more]

It may no longer leak, but now it has killer snails!

WATERSHAPES CLASSIC

Slippery Slopes

As a designer, Stephanie Rose liked the challenges of working on slopes, especially near watershapes. Back in 2002, she led the way in calling for a distinct approach to these contoured settings. [more]

THE SHOPPING CART

Magic Plastics’ CR2 Check Valve

Magic Plastics (Valencia, CA) has released the CR2, a back-flow-preventing check valve that is completely resistant to corrosion. The units have clear lids for easy monitoring and are commonly used to protect heat exchangers from the potential damage to be done by in-line chlorinators while also maintaining an uninterrupted, full-flow circulation system. For details, click here.

Updated Pond Kits from Atlantic Water Gardens

Atlantic Water Gardens (Mantua, OH) has reconfigured its matched-component pond kits to include upgraded equipment and more efficient pumps along with improved, solid-brass LED lights. Available for small, medium, large and extra large ponds, the kits include skimmers, waterfall filters, tubing, fittings and liners to eliminate any guesswork. For details, click here.

WPN UPDATE

Getting in
the Game

These days, the Internet is the information resource of choice for those looking for a huge array of goods and services. But it’s tough for an individual business to capture eyes amid the bewildering quantity of options facing consumers as they try to find ways to make something like water, for example, part of their home or working lives.

That’s why we started the WaterShapes Professional Network — a place consumers are using to get basic information about pool. pond and fountain designers and builders before they start making direct phone calls to arrange for site visits and bids. It’s a new way of making initial contacts and getting in the game.

The Network is working just the way we’d hoped: Time to click aboard?

2017/6.1, June 7 — Longwood Updated, A Troubled Pond, Artificial Grass and more

THE ESSENTIAL E-NEWSLETTER FOR WATERSHAPE DESIGNERS, ENGINEERS AND BUILDERS

June 7, 2017 www.watershapes.com

FEATURE ARTICLE

Just Awesome

It’s a bit misleading to say that Longwood Gardens’ Main Fountain Garden is ‘back,’ observes Robert Nonemaker, declaring that the $90 million revitalization has produced something that recalls the original — but exceeds it on so many levels that it’s almost beyond comparison. [more]

VIDEO GALLERY

A Pond in Distress

When it comes to preparing his staff for real-world pondcraft, Eric Triplett believes in sharing cautionary tales — including the one found in this video series about a beloved pond that went disastrously wrong because of some fundamental design and installation errors. [more]

FEATURE ARTICLE

Green Evolution

His clients were craving low-maintenance poolscapes, so Tanr Ross bucked convention and started using synthetic grass with some of his projects. It’s a solution he would have shot down a few years back — but now, he says, it’s part of almost every design discussion. [more]

ESSENTIAL

Shining Through

The illumination of watershapes is a true specialty even among the experts, observes lighting designer Janet Lennox Moyer, because it requires not only mastery of available lighting technologies and techniques but also an understanding of the physical properties of light as it interacts with air and water. The key, she says, is supporting a clear set of objectives with careful planning and a persistent desire to make the most of watershapes after dark.

This article, originally published in WaterShapes in September 2004, has been digitized for all readers. Click here to see the full text and enlarge the images to study them in detail.

TRAVELOGUE

Winds of Life

Through aesthetics, materials, location and form, public art enriches the lives of those who pass by — something you can sample, says John Gilbert Luebtow, the next time you’re in Los Angeles’ Century City and come across one of his own compositions in glass, light and water. [more]

WATERSHAPES WORLD

A Path Not Taken

Reading about the fountain renovation at Longwood Gardens started Jim McCloskey thinking about inspiration, life’s experiences and career paths — and what might have happened had he grown up visiting amazing watershapes within reach of his childhood home. [more]

WE BROWSE SO YOU DON’T HAVE TO . . .

Clear Wisdom Dept.: Medical science is catching on to the fact that swimming is truly great exercise. [more]
When the Cleveland Clinic speaks, will people listen?

Chip Off the Old Block Dept.: An extra piece of Chicago’s Buckingham Fountain is going up for auction. [more]

A half-ton chunk of sculpted green marble can be yours!

WATERSHAPES CLASSIC

Visual Acceptance

In his 2002 ‘Details’ column, David Tisherman wrote eloquently about the way watershape-related products should look — and we’ve been evaluating them with much more critical eyes ever since. [more]

THE SHOPPING CART

Great American Waterfall Co. Unveils Aqua Shower

Great American Waterfall Co. (Spring Hill, FL) manufactures Aqua Shower and Aqua Shower SSR systems for use on raised walls above pool surfaces. Available in configurations with 48 streams per linear foot in a single row or with 48 or 64 streams per linear foot in double rows, the units come in white, tan, gray and black in a range of lengths. For details, click here.

Clear Comfort Offers Chlorine-Free Sanitizing System

Clear Comfort (Boulder, CO) has released an updated version of its CCW 100 Next, a hydroxyl-based oxidation technology redesigned for simpler installation and maintenance. Intended for use with pools and spas up to 40,000 gallons, the unit creates hydroxyls to destroy contaminants and generates hydrogen peroxide for residual sanitation. For details, click here.

WPN UPDATE

Making the Most
of Your Portfolio

Watershapers have a distinctive ability to produce spectacular work — but oftentimes real difficulty when it comes to calling their skills and talents to the attention of homeowners and others who are interested in making water part of their daily lives.

That’s where the WaterShapes Professional Network comes in: By building a collective web presence in which dozens and, ultimately, hundreds of sites participate as an interlinked colossus, it involves watershapers in a group entity large enough that the search engines can’t overlook it. So if it’s a strong (or stronger) web presence you’re after, check it out.

The Network is working just the way we’d hoped: Time to click aboard?

2017/5.2, May 17 — Ponds and Oxygen, Thinking Safety, Classic Yosemite and more

THE ESSENTIAL E-NEWSLETTER FOR WATERSHAPE DESIGNERS, ENGINEERS AND BUILDERS

May 17, 2017 www.watershapes.com

FEATURE ARTICLE

Living, Breathing Ponds

One of the least heralded factors in pond health is also among the most significant: It’s all about oxygen, writes Ed Beaulieu, who reviews the basics while offering some suggestions on how to keep it’s level up where it needs to be to make both fish and plants happy. [more]

FEATURE ARTICLE

Safety Always

Liability is a huge issue with commercial aquatic facilities and waterparks, notes Johnathan Roberts, a fact that has led many operators, managers, designers and builders to focus on safety in ways that go well beyond lifeguard stands, first-aid kits and omnipresent signage. [more]

TRAVELOGUE

Rustic Charms

Seeing potential in this winter’s storms, Jim McCloskey headed to Yosemite National Park to view its waterfalls in full-flowing glory. But what really caught his eye was a small fountain he’d never seen in operation before — a nifty highlight of a truly awesome park experience. [more]

ESSENTIAL

Welcoming Waters

For years, watergarden specialist Bob Dews has built his reputation by designing and installing streams, cascades and ponds of remarkable beauty and extraordinary realism. Lately, as he explains here, he’s embraced a new trend by executing projects in the front yards of clients who want a bit of tranquility to ease and invigorate their daily comings and goings and greet visitors with the sort of experience previously only found behind these homes.

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

TECHNICAL BRIEFING

Pond Liners and the Sun

When rubber liners are used in pond construction, competent installers will place an underlayment fabric to protect the material from wear and tear related to roots and other intrusions from below. But as Scott Cohen asks here, what do you do about the sunlight above? [more]

WATERSHAPES WORLD

Watching the Water

Happily, approaches to water safety have advanced through the years, reaching a point where commonsense approaches are gaining ground. It hasn’t always been that way, recalls Jim McCloskey, who’s hiked a long trail filled with spokesfish and mangled messages. [more]

WE BROWSE SO YOU DON’T HAVE TO . . .

Summer Fun Dept.: Kids, water and mishaps go together, as you’ll see in this montage of aquatic follies. [more]
I’m just glad my parents didn’t have video equipment.

Aquatic Nosebleed Dept.: A vertiginous survey of ten of the world’s most astounding rooftop pools. [more]

Some are familiar, but what a great, elevating collection!

WATERSHAPES CLASSIC

The Work of Others

Back in 2007, Stephanie Rose devoted her column to garden-tour season and the value she always found in examining the work of other designers — and in listening to people taking the tours with her. [more]

THE SHOPPING CART

Pentair Commercial Releases High Efficiency Heater

Pentair Commercial (Sanford, NC) has introduced the ETi 400, a high-efficiency heater that uses a pure titanium, direct-fire heat exchanger for corrosion resistance. The easy-to-install 400,000-Btu unit has a 96-percent thermal efficiency rating; fast heat-up times; ultra-quiet operation; and a rotating control panel for left or right plumbing connections. For details, click here.

Atlantic Water Gardens Produces 2017 Catalog

Atlantic Water Gardens (Mantua, OH) has released its 2017 product catalog. The 100-page, full-color digital production highlights new products and covers fountains, formal spillways, pond-free waterfalls, watergarden systems, pumps, rain-harvesting systems, pond and lake systems and lighting along with information on installation and maintenance. For details, click here.

WPN UPDATE

Reaching a
Better Tomorrow

Many watershapers have, through the years, invested heavily in building their own beautiful web sites, then wondered why prospective clients haven’t been beating paths to their doors. The hold-up? It’s a simple fact that building a strong web presence as a stand-alone site is a tough row to hoe — and that’s precisely why we started the WaterShapes Professional Network.

By building a collective presence in which dozens and, eventually, hundreds of sites participate as an interlinked colossus, WPN becomes a group entity the search engines can’t overlook. So if it’s a strong (or stronger) web presence you’re after, check it out.

The Network is working just the way we’d hoped: Time to click aboard?

2017/5.1, May 3 — Artful Restoration, Stylish Tiling, Helping Autistic Kids and more

THE ESSENTIAL E-NEWSLETTER FOR WATERSHAPE DESIGNERS, ENGINEERS AND BUILDERS

May 3, 2017 www.watershapes.com

FEATURE ARTICLE

Urban Renewal

Long neglected, the man-made pond and stream located just a few miles from downtown Philadelphia needed help, big time. As Scott Christie reports, doing so meant carefully digging into the site’s history — and aligning every detail with the client’s childhood memories. [more]

FEATURE ARTICLE

Applied Arts

Pool and spa designs are getting better and better by the day — deftly contoured, crisply detailed and increasingly elaborate. It’s an approach to watershaping that requires Jimmy Reed and his crews to reach beyond excellence, he says, to all-new levels of craft and skill. [more]

FEATURE ARTICLE

Meeting Special Needs

Ponds are often valued for being uniquely calming and comforting. But for a child with autism, these watershapes can also be therapeutic in a number of ways. That’s wonderful news for these kids, Mike Gannon observes — and great for their families as well. [more]

ESSENTIAL

A Taproot Manuscript

Landscape designer Cynthia Hayes combines an empathy for nature with smart problem-solving and a passion for finding the spiritual dimension in a space as the starting point for her designs. For the project pictured here, she was challenged by clients who shared her values and wanted her to weave multiple styles, ethnic icons and disparate ecosystems together in a small yard filled with art, vibrant colors and various other features, including a lap pool.

This article, originally published in WaterShapes in April 2004, has been digitized for all readers. Click here to see the full text and enlarge the images to study them in detail.

TRAVELOGUE

An Elegant Slice

Vera Katz Park was once just an empty sidewalk in Portland’s Pearl District, reports Scott Murase, who transformed it into a vibrant urban ‘sliver park’ complete with a long watershape and other attractive amenities you should see the next time you visit the Northwest. [more]

WATERSHAPES WORLD

Boundless Potential

In his neighborhood, writes Jim McCloskey, most of the homes and their watershapes are of an older vintage — which is why he’s so happy that designers and builders are willing to help him see and appreciate what’s happening in today’s coolest backyards. [more]

WE BROWSE SO YOU DON’T HAVE TO . . .

Goldmine Dept.: Charities score big when those who maintain Trevi Fountain dredge out the coins. [more]
See astonishing amount collected from the water in 2016.

Slick Trick Dept.: Pair of golfers perform a synchronized feat at the fabled Augusta National course. [more]

Most avoid the water like the plague, but not these guys.

WATERSHAPES CLASSIC

Paper Trails

Back in May 2007, David Tisherman wrote a column praising building inspectors — then as now, a counter-intuitive position that defined the crucial role these officials play in making projects work. [more]

THE SHOPPING CART

S.R. Smith Supplies poolLUX Lighting Controls

S.R. Smith (Canby, OR) offers the poolLux line of control systems for use with the company’s Treo LED lights. Options include Premier, a customizable system with 49 color options, four dimming levels and two light shows; Power, which has six color options; and Plus, which has six color options and includes a wireless remote control unit. For details, click here.

Valcon Offers Flexcrete Waterproofing System

Valcon Industries (Sarasota, FL) manufactures components of the Flexcrete Waterproofing System, which is designed for use in pools and other concrete watershapes. It consists of a highly specialized blend of aggregates, cements, graded sands and proprietary additives that is mixed with a polymer to form a flexible, breathable waterproofing membrane. For details, click here.

WPN UPDATE

The Time
Is Right!

The 2017 season is now getting into full swing — still an opportune time to make certain that strong messages about what you do are found where homeowners and commercial clients will see them.

One great way to spread the word is through the WaterShapes Professional Network, where increasing numbers of web searchers find information and support that helps them make decisions about who to work with in adding water (and everything that comes with it) to their home and/or business environments.

The Network is working just the way we’d hoped: Time to click aboard?

2017/4.2, April 19 — Sustainable Persuasion, Formal Pondscape, Island Memories and more

THE ESSENTIAL E-NEWSLETTER FOR WATERSHAPE DESIGNERS, ENGINEERS AND BUILDERS

April 19, 2017 www.watershapes.com

SUSTAINABLE TRENDS

Value Propositions

Along with concerns about water consumption, questions on space allocation and energy use constitute the ‘Big Three’ among issues raised in sizing up fountain projects. Here, Robert Mikula wraps up this three-part series by offering answers that turn doubters into advocates. [more]

FEATURE ARTICLE

Koi Courtyard

Lined with shimmering Travertine, the formal courtyard needed some softening. What could be better, thought Colleen Holmes, than adding a sonorous waterfall along with a crisp, rectilinear pond — and then livening it all up with the flashing colors of mood-altering fish? [more]

TRAVELOGUE

Island Adventures

A long-ago stay on a faraway island is among Jim McCloskey‘s most treasured memories. Part of the experience was a Renaissance-era fountain standing at the heart of an Aegean city that’s been at the crossroads of history for more than 5,000 tumultuous years. [more]

ESSENTIAL

Forms of Fun

As the popularity of interactive watershapes continues to grow, more and more architects, aquatic designers, home and resort developers, city officials and others are recognizing their value to communities. Indeed, says Stephen Hamelin, founder of Vortex Aquatic Structures, working with these exciting manifestations of aquatic fun is a positive experience at every level, especially given the opportunities they offer to help children learn through play.

This article, originally published in WaterShapes in October 2005, has been digitized for all readers. Click here to see the full text and enlarge the images to study them in detail.

TECHNICAL BRIEFING

Water-in-Transit Pond Problem

Understanding how to move water from one level to another is among the most complex challenges in all of watershaping, notes Scott Cohen, because there are so many ways to get into trouble — including the mistakes made in the pond project described in this article. [more]

WATERSHAPES WORLD

Spring Is Here!

As he rolls into another hopeful season of renewal in the various nooks, crannies and open spaces around his home, Jim McCloskey writes that he’s come to appreciate the annual rhythms and routines — even if it makes March and April by far the most hectic months of his year. [more]

WE BROWSE SO YOU DON’T HAVE TO . . .

Odd Perspective Dept.: An unusual look at what goes on below the waterline with synchronized swimmers. [more]
All it takes to create a cool illusion is an inverted camera.

Out of Service Dept.: A brief survey of London public swimming pools that are no longer in use. [more]

Striking architecture evokes the sad passing of an era.

WATERSHAPES CLASSIC

Just the Opposite

Back in 2002, Brian Van Bower went on a tear, venting his frustration with the way his industry did things. Have designers and builders changed since then in the ways he so fervently wanted them to? [more]

THE SHOPPING CART

Antique Fountains from Millstones.com

Millstones.com (Atlanta, GA) combines cast iron, stone and water to create millstone fountains. The self-contained, low-maintenance units — made using old, recycled millstones and cast-iron sugar cane syrup kettles with unique historical character — create great, soothing sounds, from murmuring undertones to a rush of flowing water. For details, click here.

Bobé Unveils the Pure Flow Scupper

Bobé Water & Fire Features (Phoenix, AZ) offers Pure Flow, a scupper engineered for a pressure-based flow. The result is a thick sheet of water that can travel a distance of up to three feet in entering a pool. Made with marine-grade stainless steel, the units cannot warp and feature a filter system that prevents rocks and debris from clogging the scupper. For details, click here.

WPN UPDATE

Building Your
Web Presence

If you design and/or build pools, spas, fountains, ponds, streams, waterfalls or other forms of contained, controlled water, you have a proven ability to create projects of great beauty. But how do you spread the word about your skills and talents to those who might want you to help them make water part of their daily lives?

The WaterShapes Professional Network can help you there. We’ve built a web site where dozens of designers and builders of watershapes of all types participate as an Internet collective — a grouped entity large enough and interrelated in ways that make search engines treat all participants with respect. So if it’s a strong (or even just a stronger) web presence you’re after, please do take a look and get involved.

The Network is working just the way we’d hoped: Time to click aboard?

2017/4.1, April 5 — Longwood Renewal, Water Bowls, Mid-Century Revelations and more

THE ESSENTIAL E-NEWSLETTER FOR WATERSHAPE DESIGNERS, ENGINEERS AND BUILDERS

April 5, 2017 www.watershapes.com

FEATURE ARTICLE

Digging Deep

The revitalization of Longwood Gardens’ Main Fountain Garden is nearly complete — an ideal time, notes Robert Nonemaker, to step up with a progress report as well as a preview of some of the awesome, breathtaking upgrades being applied to this 80-year-old treasure. [more]

WHAT IS IT?

#25: Water Bowls

When he’s thinking about including water bowls in one of his designs, says Mike Farley, he always steps back and takes a serious look: These details seem simple enough, but as he discusses in introducing this video, that doesn’t mean they should ever be taken lightly. [more]

FEATURE ARTICLE

Managed Elevations

It was a Mid-Century Modern home that needed the right poolscape: That task was well within Kurt Kraisinger‘s design sweet spot, and he responded with a dramatic, low-slung vision complete with a fire feature, broad decks and a pizza oven — not to mention a big, blue duck. [more]

ESSENTIAL

Acting on Vision

Watershaper and landscape designer John Cohen is an artist of unique passion. Fiercely dedicated to his craft, an uncompromising idealist and a self-described rebel, he has the uncanny ability to use his energy to unlock the creative spirit in his clients and sees water as a medium that can be used to transform both environments and lives for the better. Along the way, he satisfies a deep-seated urge to express himself in fresh and compelling ways.

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

TRAVELOGUE

Public Statements

As commercial aquatic facilities become more multi-dimensional, says Treadwell Jones, they also need to move beyond being simply functional to make strong aesthetic statements as well. Here are some places to visit to explore these vast creative possibilities. [more]

WATERSHAPES WORLD

Adding Up

Ever since the WaterShapes newsletter and WaterShapes.com took over for the magazine six years back, writes Jim McCloskey, he’s noticed that a few articles have proved incredibly popular — including a pair pulled back into prominence just two weeks ago. [more]

WE BROWSE SO YOU DON’T HAVE TO . . .

WaterSecurity Dept.: Swimming skills are described as essential — especially among autistic children. [more]

They seek comfort in water’s serenity, so safety is a must.

Musical Stamina Dept.: Conductors-in-training use underwater resistance to polish stick technique. [more]

‘Tougher than it looks,’ professor tells his sore students.

WATERSHAPES CLASSIC

Micro-Management

Back in 2007, Stephanie Rose turned her observations during the throes of an unusually cold winter into an insightful meditation on the intricacies of dealing with underappreciated climatic twists and turns. [more]

THE SHOPPING CART

Techniseal Lunches HP NextGel Jointing Sand

Techniseal (Candiac, Quebec, Canada) has introduced HP NextGel Jointing Sand. Made for use in commercial and residential projects on steep slopes or in high traffic or humid areas such as pool decks, the material is a mix of a binder and graded sand that flows down smoothly for fast, effective installation of a variety of pavers, tiles and slabs. For details, click here.

Blue Thumb Publishes 2017 Master Catalog

Blue Thumb Distributing (Saginaw, MI) has released its 2017 wholesale catalog. The 132-page document includes information on fountains, pondless waterfalls and ponds offered by the company’s manufacturing units, including PondBuilder’s pond equipment and Aqua Bella’s ceramic vases, copper trees, bubbling boulders, basalt columns and more. For details, click here.

WPN UPDATE

Addressing
the Process

For years now, conventional wisdom has told us that the decision to purchase a watershape of any kind is a process that can take upward of five years from initial thought to actual commitment. That’s where the WaterShapes Professional Network is so helpful: It gives homeowners and decision-makers an easy, private way to begin their research and an anonymous, private means of gathering information before they reach out and make contact with professionals whose work they admire. Check it out — and get ready for your future!

The Network is working just the way we’d hoped: Time to click aboard?

2017/3.2, March 22 — Water-Use Wisdom, Prefab Spas, Fountain Folly and more

THE ESSENTIAL E-NEWSLETTER FOR WATERSHAPE DESIGNERS, ENGINEERS AND BUILDERS

March 22, 2017 www.watershapes.com

SUSTAINABLE TRENDS

Beyond the Tap

Needing to testify to the sustainability of a fountain project is now common. The good news, writes Robert Mikula, is that it’s becoming easier to defend the inclusion of any type of watershape if you make resource conservation a clear, distinct, reachable goal from the get-go. [more]

FEATURE ARTICLE

A Fuller Experience

Some clients want all the benefits of a manufactured spa to go along with their inground pools. As Dave Hoffman explains here, there’s a ready-made option for these folks, one that’s easy to design into a poolscape so long as you keep a few basic practicalities in mind. [more]

TRAVELOGUE

Worst Expressions

In his hunt for watershapes worth visiting, Jim McCloskey

has never had occasion to discuss one that is so unremarkable that he advises you to stay away. He breaks with that practice this time, however, highlighting a fountain so bland that it gives ‘lackluster’ a bad name. [more]

ESSENTIAL

Casting Nature

Decorative-concrete artist Tommy T. Cook has built a reputation for being able to create almost anything from concrete using an array of highly refined and boldly artful processes. In this feature, he demonstrates a portion of that skill by describing how he uses the gargantuan Gunnera plant to craft watershapes in which replicas of the plant’s outsized leaves serve as uniquely natural fountain basins and spillways.

This article, originally published in WaterShapes in November 2010, has been digitized for all readers. Click here to see the full text and enlarge the images to study them in detail.

TECHNICAL BRIEFING

Beware of Exploding Lava Rocks

These days, an increasing number of projects include fire effects as part of the package. This can lead to troubling results, notes Scott Cohen, if you’re careless in selecting the material used to cover the burners. Here’s a look at what can happen — and how to avoid big trouble. [more]

WATERSHAPES WORLD

Pee’s in the Air

The Internet’s been buzzing with a ‘revelation’ that there’s urine in the average swimming pool. Jim McCloskey wasn’t surprised by that fact, of course, but he’s been shocked by the way news outlets have covered the story without giving certain realities due consideration. [more]

WE BROWSE SO YOU DON’T HAVE TO . . .

Generosity Hurts Dept.: Thai turtle gobbles up change tossed in fountain, gets a bad stomach ache. [more]

Vet finds 915 coins in a critter nicknamed ‘Piggy Bank’

Art Oddities Dept.: Australian photographer installs giant photo of one resort within the pool of another. [more]

It was there for a day, then vanished like a dream vacation

WATERSHAPES CLASSIC

The Currency of Beauty

Back in 2002, David Tisherman wrote passionately about setting aside the ‘sales mentality’ used by many watershapers, urging them to dig deeper and conjure up something superior for their clients. [more]

THE SHOPPING CART

Pentair Introduces High-Performance Heat Pump

Pentair Aquatic Systems (Sanford, NC) now offers the UltraTemp heat pump. Charged with non-ozone-depleting refrigerant, the unit has a titanium heat exchanger for long, corrosion-free performance; LCD controls with intuitive, easy-to-follow readouts; and a system that monitors water temperature to maintain desired heating levels. For details, click here.

Natural-Boulder Fire Features from Stone Forest

Stone Forest (Santa Fe, NM) offers fire features made using split natural boulders. Designed for outdoor use only with a custom gas kit and tempered-glass fire rocks in light blue or black, the units are approximately 18 inches high and come with varying diameters of up to 50 inches wide and 40 inches deep (size, shape and color will vary). For details, click here.

WPN UPDATE

Building
Your Brand

If you design and/or build pools, spas, fountains, ponds, streams, waterfalls and other forms of contained, controlled water, you have the ability to create projects of great beauty. But how do you spread the word about your skills and talents to those who might want you to help them make water part of their daily lives?

The WaterShapes Professional Network can help yiou there. We’ve built a web site where dozens of designers and builders of watershapes of all types participate as an Internet collective — a grouped entity large enough and interrelated in ways that make search engines treat you with respect. So if it’s a strong (or even just a stronger) web presence you’re after, please do take a look and get involved.

The Network is working just the way we’d hoped: Time to click aboard?

2017/3.1, March 8 — Asymmetrical Beauty, Aquatic Insects, Polymer Finishes and more

THE ESSENTIAL E-NEWSLETTER FOR WATERSHAPE DESIGNERS, ENGINEERS AND BUILDERS

March 8, 2017 www.watershapes.com

FEATURE ARTICLE

Riverside Recreation

To win this backyard project in competition with three big Atlanta architecture firms, Shane LeBlanc had to call on his eye for grand-scale details in creating a delightfully asymmetrical poolscape — one that looks polished, inviting and fun from every conceivable angle. [more]

FEATURE ARTICLE

Winged Wildlife

Pond owners tend to focus on the larger forms of wildlife that enjoy being in or near their watergardens. But as Ed Beaulieu points out here, there are dozens of diminutive creatures that merit attention — and also do a remarkable job of bolstering and sustaining the ecosystem. [more]

FEATURE ARTICLE

Weighing Possibilities

Through the years, Brian Davis has been asked to try all sorts of ‘wonder products’ — a process that has made him so skeptical that he tests almost everything he sees. As he discusses here, that included a thermo-polymer option to Portland cement-based pool finishes. [more]

ESSENTIAL

Swimming to Longevity

Delivering the keynote address to the World Aquatic Health Conference in September 2008, Dr. Steven N. Blair asked a simple question: Does swimming reduce your risk of dying? As he stressed then and repeats in detail here, the answer is a resounding yes. Indeed, the findings he offers stand among the most compelling reasons ever offered to promote swimming and other forms of aquatic exercise to the general public.

This article, originally published in WaterShapes in May 2009, has been digitized for all readers. Click here to see the full text.

TRAVELOGUE

Covering the Traces

In 2008, Bostonians were compensated for 50 years of tolerating urban blight when the raised highway that split their city was demolished. Now, a string of parks Lynn Wolff and John Copley describe here link the waterfront with the downtown area — definitely worth a visit! [more]

WATERSHAPES WORLD

A Better Plan?

The swimming and diving was magnificent at the Rio Olympics last summer, and the pools were beautiful, too — but performed poorly and now seem doomed. This leads Jim McCloskey to make a modest suggestion toward helping to ensure better results next time. [more]

WE BROWSE SO YOU DON’T HAVE TO . . .

Magic Fountain Dept.: A slithering dragon projected across a sheet of water vapor wows the crowd. [more]

The video is all too brief, but the 3-D effect is amazing.

Killer Curl Dept.: Kelly Slater releases a mind-bending new video of his wave machine in action. [more]

In a lifetime at the beach, I’ve never seen such perfection.

WATERSHAPES CLASSIC

Making the List

Back in 2007, Brian Van Bower wrote persuasively about the importance of gathering information from his design clients — and of using a key shortcut to make that process streamlined and manageable. [more]

THE SHOPPING CART

Stegmeier’s Textured Pool Forming System

Stegmeier (Arlington, TX) manufactures Texturit, an economical, reuseable pool-coping form that provides a stone-edge look and feel. The cantilever forms attach to the tile on a gunite, fiberglass or vinyl-liner pool using three strips of double-faced tape that hold the form in place without tie wires. The flexible units conform to any contour. For details, click here.

PAL Lighting Offers Water Blade LED Lights

PAL Lighting (Tucson, AZ) supplies Water Blade, a full-color LED light system designed to illuminate spillways and scuppers. Designed for wet locations and available in lengths up to eight feet, the units have WiFi-control compatibility and come with remotes that manage color, speed and brightness while recalling the last setting for easy mood adjustment. For details, click here.

WPN UPDATE

We’re Here
to Help You Grow

The numbers are wild: The listings of most companies participating in the WaterShapes Professional Network have been visited by consumers hundreds of times, which isn’t surprising. What really grabs the eye is that fact that, on average, those who view these listings are clicking through to the companies’ own web sites more than 35 percent of the time the listing is viewed. And in a couple of remarkable cases, way over 50 percent of those viewing a WPN listing are clicking through to participants’ web sites to get more information.

The Network is working just the way we’d hoped: Time to click aboard?

2017/2.2, February 22 — Sustaining Water, Frosty Ponds, Nautical Meditations and more

THE ESSENTIAL E-NEWSLETTER FOR WATERSHAPE DESIGNERS, ENGINEERS AND BUILDERS

February 22, 2017 www.watershapes.com

SUSTAINABLE TRENDS

Water’s Place

We’re all naturally attracted to water, writes Robert Mikula, but with perceptions of its preciousness and scarcity on the rise, it has become increasingly difficult to ensure its inclusion in built environments. Here’s the first of three articles about pathways through the obstacles. [more]

FEATURE ARTICLE

Ponds and Ice

Ponds can be gorgeous year ’round, even in winter. But keeping them attractive in truly cold weather involves some preparation, writes Mike Gannon, and a willingness to get active outdoors to keep things on track at a time when being indoors might seem a far better idea! [more]

TRAVELOGUE

A Tale of Two Admirals

Unexpected encounters with two naval eminences highlighted a trip Jim McCloskey made to Washington, D.C., many years ago — a visit during which he accidentally discovered the calming, mind-clearing potential of the memorial fountain at the heart of Dupont Circle. [more]

ESSENTIAL

Pond Perfection

There’s no doubt that the ‘pond craze’ spells opportunity for watershapers. But a hot market can be a two-edged sword, observes pond/stream/cascade specialist Rick Anderson, because it draws in many who lack the technical, artistic and philosophical foundations needed to deliver high-quality work. What he suggests here is that it’s time to step back, consider what’s at stake — and take a long look at fundamentals that will help the market flourish.

This article, originally published in WaterShapes in May 2002, has been digitized for all readers. Click here to see the full text and enlarge the images to study them in detail.

TECHNICAL BRIEFING

Tuning the Sound of Falling Water

Scott Cohen recalls a project in which he created two stone waterfalls flanking a fireplace — visually gorgeous but sounding more or less like a two giants relieving themselves into oversized toilets. He learned a lesson — and found a way to devise a tuneful solution. [more]

WATERSHAPES WORLD

Trend Tracking

To introduce a series of three significant articles on sustainable water and energy use that begins with this newsletter, Jim McCloskey places all of them in the context of a handful of trends that started emerging more than 40 years ago — and won’t fade anytime soon. [more]

WE BROWSE SO YOU DON’T HAVE TO . . .

Oddly Damp Dept.: A hot tub-themed amusement park is set to open, complete with water-filled rides. [more]

There’s just one reasonable comment: Only in Japan!

All Wet Dept.: Creative Belgian opens an underwater restaurant you need scuba gear to reach. [more]

Maybe he should open a franchise beneath Hot Tub Land.

WATERSHAPES CLASSIC

Too Little, Too Late?

Back in 2007, Stephanie Rose wrote passionately about the problem of too many watershape and hardscape designs leaving way too little room for planting areas. Why is it so difficult to plan for plants? [more]

THE SHOPPING CART

Hayward Introduces TriStar VS 950 Pump

Hayward Pool Products (Elizabeth, NJ) has unveiled the TriStar VS 950 variable-speed pump as part of its Expert Line. Designed for residential applications in which they replace high-performance pumps rated up to three horsepower, the energy-efficient units feature chemical-resistant Viton seals, extra-large leaf/debris baskets and programmable controls. For details, click here.

Thermo-Polymer Pool Surfaces from EcoFinishes

EcoFinish (Warminster, PA) produces AquaBright, a thermo-polymer interior finish for swimming pools. Designed for quick curing, easy fill-water balancing, long-term chemical resistance (even to acid washing) and complete color uniformity as the pool ages, the material is available in 18 colors and comes pre-mixed, ready for application. For details, click here.

WPN UPDATE

May We Be
of Assistance?

Those of you who design and build pools, spas, fountains, ponds, streams, waterfalls and other forms of contained, controlled water have an amazing ability to produce works of great beauty. But you also face real challenges when it comes to conveying messages about your skills and talents to consumers and prospective clients who might be interested in having you help them make water part of their daily lives.

That’s where the WaterShapes Professional Network can help: We’ve built a web presence in which dozens of designers and builders of watershapes of all types participate as an Internet colossus — a grouped entity large and interconnected enough that the search engines have to treat it with respect. So if it’s a strong (or even just a stronger) web presence you’re after, please do take a look and get involved.

The Network is working just the way we’d hoped: Time to click aboard?

2017/2.1, February 8 — Mosaic Artistry, Pond-Size Wisdom, Plaster Pigments and more

THE ESSENTIAL E-NEWSLETTER FOR WATERSHAPE DESIGNERS, ENGINEERS AND BUILDERS

February 8, 2017 www.watershapes.com

FEATURE ARTICLE

Following Lines

When it comes to refining the way mosaic tile projects come together, says Jimmy Reed, there’s no substitute for persistence in working on intersections where surface planes flow into one another. It takes patience, he adds, and a crew trained to pursue visual perfection. [more]

POND Q & A

Pond Calculations

Lots of people know how to figure out how many gallons there are in a given pond. But as Eric Triplett explains in introducing this video, fewer know how helpful that bit of information can be in designing and, for the long haul, in maintaining a thriving watershape. [more]

FEATURE ARTICLE

Pigments and Pools

Colored plaster and aggregate finishes are found in more and more watershapes these days. But as Que Hales, Doug Latta and Kim Skinner discuss, not all pigments are created equal — and knowing how to choose among the options can be the key to a project’s success. [more]

ESSENTIAL

Considering an Option

Most suction-entrapment accidents occur when someone gets caught on a watershape drain that has somehow been compromised. This fact prompted Ray Cronise, a former NASA scientist and current pool company executive, to take a scientific approach and use sophisticated computer software to see what was really going on. His surprising conclusion: For proper circulation, watershapes don’t need the drains that seem to be the focus of the problem.

This article, originally published in WaterShapes in November 2008, has been digitized for all readers. Click here to see the full text and enlarge the images to study them in detail.

TRAVELOGUE

Historic Treatments

Philadelphia’s Fairmount Water Works is a monument to the history of water treatment. Established in 1815 and now restored and open to the public, the facility is all about education, writes Ed Grusheski — and is well worth a visit the next time you travel to the City of Brotherly Love. [more]

WATERSHAPES WORLD

Silver Linings

California’s persistent drought is in retreat — at least for now. That’s sweet relief, notes Jim McCloskey, but it’s absolutely no reason to set aside all the valuable lessons watershapers have had to learn while surviving challenge after challenge through the past half-dozen years. [more]

WE BROWSE SO YOU DON’T HAVE TO . . .

A Dog’s Life Dept.: Rescue dogs honor fallen comrade by swimming in a pool filled with tennis balls. [more]

It’s cute, but I can’t help thinking it’s a canine’s nightmare!

A Dog’s Life Dept., Part 2: This buoyant pooch has truly found a pathway to jet-induced puppy nirvana. [more]

Begs the question: Is this how besotted I look in my spa?

WATERSHAPES CLASSIC

The Best Medicine

Five months after September 11, 2001, Brian Van Bower meditated on the societal value of watershapes. Rereading his words today shows how much more we must do to make their virtues better understood. [more]

THE SHOPPING CART

Custom Molded Products Offers Unblockable Drain

Custom Molded Products (Newnan, GA) has improved its heavy-duty channel drain for increased strength and durability. The units feature a new, integrated water stop to prevent leaks, maintain drain shape and lock into the surrounding concrete. There are also added reinforcing ribs to prevent deformation when the drains are placed in pools. For details, click here.

Modular Shade System from BioClimatic Structures

BioClimatic Structures (Pompton Plains, NJ) is the U.S. distributor for Arlequin Pergolas. Made by Solisysteme in France, the systems feature sliding panels — available in 22 colors — that can easily be arranged to let sun and weather in or block it out. The supporting structures can be custom configured, or the panels can be added to existing structures. For details, click here.

WPN UPDATE

Want to Build
Your Web Traffic?

Through the years, watershapers have invested extensively in building beautiful web sites — but for the most part have been unable to figure out how to help prospective clients find them amid the chaos of the Internet. Why so? It’s because building a strong web presence as a stand-alone site is a tough way to go — and that’s precisely why we started the WaterShapes Professional Network.

By building a collective presence in which dozens and, eventually, hundreds of sites participate as an interlinked colossus, we become a group entity the search engines can’t overlook. So if it’s a strong (or stronger) web presence you’re after, check it out.

The Network is working just the way we’d hoped: Time to click aboard?