2018/9.1, September 5 — Additive Exercise, Shaping Nature, Relining the Neptune Pool and more

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

September 5, 2018 www.watershapes.com

FEATURE ARTICLE

Room Additions

The clients wanted to add a pool to the existing features of their large backyard.Kurt Kraisingerwas happy to oblige, but he had a grander vision for reorganizing their entire space around a core fire feature and had to figure out a way to persuade them to come along for the ride. [more]

FEATURE ARTICLE

Augmenting Reality

Asked to beautify an unlovely, long-duration mess caused by a natural, spring-fed stream,Steve Sandalisknew from experience that working directly with Mother Nature is serious business. That’s why he took a big step back and let the setting guide his efforts — and his schedule.[more]

NEPTUNE POOL RENEWAL

Interior Splendor

Wrapping up his discussion of the restoration of the Neptune Pool at Hearst Castle,Matthew Reynoldscovers the painstaking process of resurfacing the shell with new marble as an exact replica of the original and making ready for the reintroduction of 350,000 gallons of water.[more]

ESSENTIAL

Straight and Narrow

The Pacific coast of northern Costa Rica is lined with white sand beaches and dense vegetation — beautiful surroundings that watershaperJoan Rocahas long used to inspire his work. Here, he takes us to visit one of his most recent projects, this one for a commercial property with requirements that called on him to find different ways of expressing himself and draw on the character of the surroundings while using only the simplest possible forms.

This article, originally published inWaterShapesin March 2010, has been digitized for all readers. Clickhereto see the full text and enlarge the images to study them in detail.

TRAVELOGUE

A Recipe for Jambalaya

Once the site of an abandoned sewage plant, Jambalaya Park in Gonzalez, La., merits a visit if you’re in the area. It stands as testimony to just how ambitious a renovation project can be — and, writesLes Ewen, how tangled the path to success can sometimes become. [more]

WATERSHAPES WORLD

Valued and Valuable

Pools are fixed objects in changing environments, notesJim McCloskey, which is why, after some time spent pondering his own backyard, he comes away with praise for watershapers who take the time to inform their clients about what might be coming in their futures. [more]

WE BROWSE SO YOU DON’T HAVE TO . . .

Why in the World Dept.:Tourist arrested for trying to do something stupid while visiting Trevi Fountain. [more]

What is is about cultural treasures that inspires such idiocy?

Tale as Old as Time Dept.:Ancient swimming pool unearthed in the heart of Petra’s marketplace. [more]

Seems like people have been having good ideasforever.

WATERSHAPES CLASSIC

Proportional Response

Watershape designs can easily get out of hand, wroteBrian Van Bowerback in September 2003, but he hoped through this column to persuade watershapers to step back and avoid getting carried away. [more]

THE SHOPPING CART

FX Luminaire’s Compact Underwater Lights

FX Luminaire(San Diego, CA) produces Model LP, the company’s smallest submersible LED lighting fixture. Designed for compact spaces, the low-voltage fixtures are made of die-cast natural brass for durability, include support bases and come with three color filters as well as a range of available lead lengths. They also have tamper-resisting features. For details, clickhere.

CAT 6000 Controller from Hayward

Hayward Pool Products(Elizabeth, NJ)now offers the CAT 6000 water-chemistry controller. Featuring a full-color touch screen, the unit guides the operator through programming, generates multiple reports and has a sensing technology that allows for truly precise measurement and control of free chlorine, pH, temperature and conductivity. For details, clickhere.

WPN UPDATE

Want Traffic

on Your Site?

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 theWaterShapes Professional Network.

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

TheNetworkis working just the way we’d hoped: Time toclickaboard?

2018/8.2, August 22 — Playing the Angles, Grand Landshaping, Halprin in L.A. and more

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

August 22, 2018 www.watershapes.com

FEATURE ARTICLE

On the Waterfront

When the homeowner suddenly (and completely) changed his mind about this project’s direction,it was easy to slide into a new groove, says Andrew Kaner, simply because the fresh start offered so many opportunities to transform the pool, deck and views from so-so to spectacular. [more]

FEATURE ARTICLE

Moving a Mountain

Building this golf course wasn’t a subtle process, notesKen Alperstein. As he discusses in the first of a pair of articles on the project, they started by knocking over a South Korean mountain, then, after extensive contouring, began working on two heavily regulated water systems.[more]

TRAVELOGUE

By the Books

Los Angeles boasts a multitude of distinctive waterfeatures you should see when you visit.But only a handful of them, writesJim McCloskey, can be traced to the legendary landscape architect Lawrence Halprin– including the Maguire Gardens adjacent to the Central Library.[more]

ESSENTIAL

Improving Your Moves

Building pools and other watershapes to reduce their energy or chemical usage while also taking advantage of rainwater or recycled construction materials isn’t rocket science, notes watershaperJamie Ori. But it does require thinking differently about the fundamental nature of watershapes as they relate to environment — and even more so, about how you approach clients when it comes to addressing their increasingly ‘green’ inclinations.

This article, originally published inWaterShapesin October 2009, has been digitized for all readers. Clickhereto see the full text and enlarge the images to study them in detail.

TECHNICAL BRIEFING

Subtracting a Deck

If a client asks you to get rid of an old deck all the way up to the coping without adding a new deck, you should think things through before taking the job. If you don’t, advisesScott Cohen, things can go very wrong — and you might be on the hook for a substantial shell-repair bill.[more]

WATERSHAPES WORLD

Hurtful Impulses

It’s both depressing and discouraging, writesJim McCloskey, to see news stories about intolerance. It’s even worse, he adds, when it’s related to the use of swimming pools that serve so wonderfully in bringing people together in the common cause of having fun. [more]

WE BROWSE SO YOU DON’T HAVE TO . . .

Fun Is Where You Find It Dept.: Torrential rainfall turns a Swedish subway station into a huge pop-up pool.

[more]

The water quality was probably scary, but what the heck?

Going Too Far Dept.:Soap turns San Francisco’s strangest fountain into a sudsy (and costly) mess. [more]

Nobody shouldeverdo this, but it’s pretty spectacular.

WATERSHAPES CLASSIC

Stone Stepping

In designing spaces, wroteBruce Zaretskyin 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]

THE SHOPPING CART

The Muse Collection from Oceanside Glasstile

Oceanside Glasstile(Carlsbad, CA) has introduced the Muse line of mosaic glass tile. Available in three sizes — 7/8-inch square, 1-3/8 inch square and 7/8 by 1-3/8 inches — the material is available in 19 unique patterns as well as in custom blends and gradients. The line also includes a variety of trim pieces for clean, consistent, finished looks. For details, clickhere.

Speck Debuts the Badu Block Multi Pump

Speck Pumps(Jacksonville, FL) has introduced Badu Block Multi, a pump for commercial pools, fountains and waterfeatures. Designed for easy installation, operation and service, the unit stacks the pump, motor, and strainer housing vertically — a compact footprint ideal for crowded equipment rooms. It’s available in 7.5-, 10-, 15- and 20-horsepower models. For details, clickhereand scroll down.

WPN UPDATE

Are You

in the Game?

These days, the Internet is the information resource of choice for consumers chasing 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 these prospects as they try to find ways to make something like water part of their home or working lives.

That’s why we started theWaterShapes 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 contact and getting in the game.

TheNetworkis working just the way we’d hoped: Time toclickaboard?

2018/8.1, August 8 — The Right Revision, Comforting Spaces, Neptune Pool Repiping and more

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

August 8, 2018 www.watershapes.com

FEATURE ARTICLE

Changing Spaces

Taking a chance with someone who wasn’t yet his client,Skip Phillipssketched up an alternative to a proposed pool renovation and ended up completely transforming a large backyard space. It was suddenly a major project — and then came a long list of efficiency-oriented details! [more]

FEATURE ARTICLE

Healing Ways

Through the years,Bruce Zaretskyhas designed enough healing gardens that he knows just how comforting they can be for patients, caregivers and loved ones. But they only work, he notes,when designers keep some basic principles and several user-specific design factors in mind.[more]

NEPTUNE POOL RENEWAL

Beneath the Shell

It’s been an honor to restore the Neptune Pool at Hearst Castle, writesMatthew Reynolds. Butworking under its shell posed multiple challenges, from cramped spaces and hard-to-track piping runs to the constant awareness they were tinkering with a precious cultural treasure.[more]

ESSENTIAL

The Art of the Rectangle

The pool and spa are simple in shape, says builderDavid Tisherman, but the project was anything but: Built on a wildly unstable Southern California hillside and intertwined with extensive remodeling of the clients’ home, the serene finished product contrasts starkly with tales of change orders and complicated decision-making processes — not to mention a desire on the part of client and designer to strive for nothing but the best.

This article, originally published inWaterShapesin August 2000, has been digitized for all readers. Clickhereto see the full text and enlarge the images to study them in detail.

TRAVELOGUE

Thoughts for the Eyes

Balances of plant and stone, layered views, controlled perspectives, carefully plotted footpaths and artful water: All these, writesDouglas Roth, come together in Japanese gardens — and particularly at Kyoto’sKatsura Rikyu, which you should definitely see on any trip to Japan.[more]

WATERSHAPES WORLD

Merited Attention

An unexpectedly large flurry of recent media features on the beauty, splendor and significance of swimming pools setJim McCloskeyto conjecturing about factors behind the uptick. It’s all good news, he thinks, but he suspects it’s a story that will keep unfolding for years to come. [more]

WE BROWSE SO YOU DON’T HAVE TO . . .

Just Amazing Dept.: Have you seen the 350-foot-tall waterfall on the side of this building in China?

[more]

It runs infrequently, but when flowing it puts on quite a show.

To Be Young Dept.:Boys imitate their mother’s dive into a pool, and the resulting video just had to go viral. [more]

The first kid does OK, but baby brother? He’s another story.

WATERSHAPES CLASSIC

Neat and Clean

Always a stickler for details,Brian Van Bowerused his Aqua Culture column in August 2003 to define what he considered to be a crucial and very public measure of a watershaper’s professionalism.[more]

THE SHOPPING CART

Pentair Adds Variable-Speed Pump with Flow Control

Pentair Aquatic Systems(Sanford, NC) has introduced an IntelliFlo variable-speed pump that also provides precise flow control for increased efficiency, savings and performance. The dual-technology design ensures that the desired flow rate is maintained, no matter the conditions. It also has a rotatable keypad, eight speed settings and a built-in timer. For details, clickhere.

Copper Spas and Hot Tubs from Diamond Spas

Diamond Spas(Broomfield, CO) offers custom spas and hot tubs made from copper, a material known for durability in both indoor and outdoor applications. Available with earthy dark and medium-brown colors, the vessels can come in any size or shape with unique seating arrangements, step entries and jet and LED lighting placements. For details, clickhere.

WPN UPDATE

Ready to Make

First Contact?

These days, the Internet is the information resource of choice for those looking for goods and services. But it’s tough for individual businesses to capture attention and interest amid the bewildering array of options facing consumers as they try to find ways to make water part of their home or working lives.

That’s why we started theWaterShapes 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.

TheNetworkis working just the way we’d hoped: Time toclickaboard?

2018/7.2, July 25 — A Special Edition — WaterShapes’ Overlooked Gems!

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

July 25, 2018 www.watershapes.com

FEATURE ARTICLE/May 2008

Eastern Eclectic

More than five years in the making, the project profiled here askedBen Dozierto explore the limits of his creativity. The result is a set of garden rooms that draw on French and Asian styles, extensive plantings and numerous decorative elements. And then, of course, there’s the water.[more]

FEATURE ARTICLE/August 2006

Graceful Cascades

Steve Sandalisis systematic in his approach to developing naturalistic watershapes — a good thing in this project, where a thousand tons of stone, hundreds of feet of liner and countless plants came together as a setting so romantic that its owner changed how he planned to use it.[more]

FEATURE ARTICLE/October 2004

Living Art

The process of creating watershapes and landscapes is more than an exercise in aesthetics, sayPhilip di GiacomoandMark Holden. The mission, they assert, is to conjure overt and subliminal perceptions in the hearts and minds of those who move through the spaces they establish.[more]

ESSENTIAL/October 2009

Healthful Waters

When fountain designer/engineerAviram Müllerconsiders a future he believes will be dominated by environmental consciousness, he’s elated to contemplate the role watershapers will play in efficiently using water and energy in architectural and landscape settings. It’s a delight he shares here by outlining a new reality in which watershapes are seamlessly integrated into built environments where conservation is a driving, necessary priority.

This article, originally published inWaterShapesin October 2009, has been digitized for all readers. Clickhereto see the full text and enlarge the images to study them in detail.

TRAVELOGUE/February 8, 2012

Simply Fascinating

Every time he visits Las Vegas,Jim McCloskeymakes a point of visiting the Strip. It’s not to gamble, he says: Instead, he’s indulging his profound willingness to be momentarily transported and happily entertained by the spectacular fountain out front of the Bellagio.[more]

WATERSHAPES WORLD

Hidden Treasures

Still laid low by an aching back,Jim McCloskeyreturns to the WaterShapes archives once again, this time calling your attention to a set of articles thatdidn’tdraw as many clicks and views as they should have — a situation he seeks to remedy here with a bit of well-deserved exposure. [more]

WE BROWSE SO YOU DON’T HAVE TO . . .

Swimming with Pablo Dept.: Spanish pool comes complete with a floor painted by Picasso.

[more]

Willowy shape of a dancer up for auction with a big home.

Bobbing on Wheels Dept.:French artist converts an old RV into a cheeky ‘road-ready’ swimming pool. [more]

Watch the video — andpleasedon’t try this at home!

WATERSHAPES CLASSIC/January 25, 2017

Delicate Dynamics

In 2002,David Tishermanshared his approach to turning monotonous spillways into unique visual and aural design elements. In doing so, he started something of a revolution that’s still flowing strong today. [more]

THE SHOPPING CART

Unblockable Drain from A&A Manufacturing

A&A Manufacturing(Phoenix, AZ) offers the AVSC drain for pools, spas and waterfeatures. Designed for high efficiency and rapid clearance of even heavy debris, the easily installed units are classified as unblockable. Their lids fit flush to the floor and can be topped with various interior-finish materials to blend them into their surroundings. For details, clickhere.

Adjustable LED Fixtures from AquaStar

AquaStar Pool Products(Ventura, CA) offers LED pool fixtures in which the angle of the light beam can be adjusted by up to 20 degrees with a simple key. Designed to reduce surface glare and for enhanced illumination of deeper pools, the fixtures are made with UV-resistant plastic and have long-lasting, easily replaced LEDs that save on energy costs. For details, clickhere.

WPN UPDATE

Do You Want to

BuildWeb 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 theWaterShapes 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.

TheNetworkis working just the way we’d hoped: Time toclickaboard?

2018/7.1, July 11 — A Special Edition — WaterShapes’ Greatest Clicks!

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

July 11, 2018 www.watershapes.com

FEATURE ARTICLE/November 2002

Water in Transit

Teaching others about vanishing edges is somethingSkip Phillipshas been doing for years. He knows from experience that each setting is different, but he also knows that great results flow when you approach these projects with a standard set of questions in mind.[more]

FEATURE ARTICLE/November 2004

Natural Patterns

Eamonn Hughes‘ watershapes in the Pacific Northwest are among the most beautiful found anywhere in the world. Here, he shares several past projects, using them to define what it takes to achieve believable, naturalistic results with waterfalls, cascades, streams and ponds.[more]

FEATURE ARTICLE/September 2006

Riding a Golden Wave

Completing this project for Disney’s California Adventure presentedDave Wootenwith huge technical challenges in crafting the artificial ocean wave that serves as the park’s symbolic core. Here, he describes what it takes to push beyond the perceived limits of watersahpe design.[more]

ESSENTIAL/April 2008

The Sublest Flows

In his work as a landscape artist and custom watershaper,Robert Nonemakeroften uses rills — small channels that simply and gracefully move water from one place to another — to bring interesting rhythms and harmonies to his garden spaces. Although these features tend to be less than assertive, he notes, the way water moves through their narrow slots can do wonders when it comes to adding depth and detail to watershape designs.

This article, originally published inWaterShapesin April 2008, has been digitized for all readers. Clickhereto see the full text and enlarge the images to study them in detail.

TECHNICAL BRIEFING/April 2004

Jet Setting

Whether a spa is concrete or portable, sound hydraulics are required if the jets are to give clients the massaging action they crave. But watershapers who work in concrete are at a disadvantage, observesSteve Gutai, and must step up if their spas are to compare favorably.[more]

WATERSHAPES WORLD

A Special Look Back

Hobbled by a radical bout of back pain,Jim McCloskeyvisited the archives to call your attention to a fascinating collection of past articles that share the distinction of having generated some of the highest-ever click counts on the WaterShapes web site. [more]

WE BROWSE SO YOU DON’T HAVE TO . . .

The Rill is Gone Dept.: Clods withcellphones force officials to obliterate a $1.5 million waterfeature.

[more]

Distracted by their screens, they kept tripping on this slot.

Powers of Observation Dept.:Popular Scienceoffers a guide to help us identify people at risk of drowning. [more]

It’s harder to spot those in trouble than you might think!

WATERSHAPES CLASSIC/September 21, 2016

Creative Genus

Back in 2006,Stephanie Rosewrote in Natural Companions about a plant near and dear to her heart — and made a suggestion that offered designers an easy opportunity to broaden their horizons.[more]

THE SHOPPING CART

Hayward Introduces ColorLogic Laminars

Hayward Pool Products(Elizabeth, NJ) now offers ColorLogic Laminars, jets that send clear, glass-like rods of arcing water from deck to pool. When matched with the company’s lighting system, the units feature 10 solid colors or seven color-changing light shows. They also have a height-adjustment mechanism for perfect deck-level alignment. For details, clickhere.

Trench Grates from Iron Age Designs

Iron Age Designs(Burien, WA) offers ornamental cast-metal trench grates made with recycled iron or in aluminum or yellow brass. Provided in standard lengths of 24 inches, they are also available in 12- and 16-inch formats and can be designed to fit any manufacturer’s trench system — with right-angle corners available for all grate styles. For details, clickhere.

WPN UPDATE

Are You Ready to

Make Connections?

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

That’s why we started theWaterShapes 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.

TheNetworkis working just the way we’d hoped: Time toclickaboard?

2018/6.2, June 20 — Steep Solution, Dancing Water, Artful Illusion and more

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

June 20, 2018 www.watershapes.com

FEATURE ARTICLE

Dual Jewels

Working on a steeply sloping site above a Texas lake,Mike Farleyran into a bizarre local rule that knocked him back a couple steps –literally. But that episode didn’t keep him from providing his clients and their kids with more fun and features than they had ever imagined possible.[more]

FEATURE ARTICLE

Shall We Dance?

Faced with what he saw as a clear need to simplify the task of choreographing dancing fountains,Scott Palamarapplied what he knew about control technology to the problem — and the result is an approach that makes both new and old waterfeatures dance to a fresh beat.[more]

TRAVELOGUE

Flowing Illusion

A chance encounter with a San Diego fountain startedJim McCloskeythinking about an interesting genre of effects used by watershapers. Here’s a look at a cool San Diego project where it all works — with a cautionary reminder of what can happen when the look falls apart. [more]

ESSENTIAL

Sculpting Edges

The art of crafting visually pleasing bodies of water is very much a matter of understanding and applying appropriate edge treatments, says master watergardener, author and teacherAnthony Archer-Wills. In this article, he shares the principles and techniques he uses to create watershapes that invite observers right to the water’s edge, where they are rewarded with dynamic and carefully balanced vistas.

This article, originally published inWaterShapesin August 2005, has been digitized for all readers. Clickhereto see the full text and enlarge the images to study them in detail.

TECHNICAL BRIEFING

All Cracked Up

Faux stones made with concrete can be a great alternative to real stone, notesScott Cohen. But you need to be aware of a key detail in their manufacturing process — a piece of information that will enable you to avoid costly consequences on the job site. [more]

WATERSHAPES WORLD

Modern Times

Two recent news items caughtJim McCloskey‘s eye — one a comical story about a Dutch artist’s inspired response to a perceived civic insult, the other a developing tragedy about San Francisco’s apparent willingness to erase a splendid part of its rich cultural bounty. [more]

WE BROWSE SO YOU DON’T HAVE TO . . .

Special Treat Dept.: National Geographicoffers 31 photos that show the global value of swimming pools.

[more]

These are unusual images, some extraordinarily beautiful.

Special Treat Dept., 2:Esquireoffers a glamour-filled tour through its photo archives of celebrities and pools.[more]

From Marilyn Monroe to the Beatles, it’s a cool collection.

WATERSHAPES CLASSIC

Communicate and Coordinate

Brian Van Boweroften wrote in WaterShapes about topics near and dear to his heart — one of which was the subject of his June 2003 column. To see what got him going (then and probably now), click here.[more]

THE SHOPPING CART

Bradford Products Offers Custom Spa Designs

Bradford Products(Leland, NC) fabricates custom spas in stainless steel. Available in any shape or size with any number of hydrotherapy jets and custom finishes, these systems are built to suit a client’s unique needs. A full run of special features are possible, including waterfeatures, lighting, waterfalls, vanishing edges, acrylic or glass sides and more. For details, clickhere.

Water Wall Spillway from Atlantic Water Gardens

Atlantic Water Gardens(Mantua, OH) offers a vertically oriented spillway to ease the installation of water walls and weeping walls by eliminating the need for valances. Made with heavy-gauge 316 stainless steel for durability under harsh conditions, the system works in wood or masonry walls and can accommodate hidden, in-wall plumbing. For details, clickhere.

WPN UPDATE

Are You Ready

For Your Future?

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

That’s why we started theWaterShapes 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.

TheNetworkis working just the way we’d hoped: Time toclickaboard?

2018/6.1, June 6 — All-Tile Exactitude, Overseas Logistics, Concrete Fact-Check and more

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

June 6, 2018 www.watershapes.com

FEATURE ARTICLE

A Simple Marvel

The pool and its spa may have simple shapes, saysJimmy Reed, but when they’re finished as boldly as these are with glass and stone tile and custom-cut granite edging,you learn fast that basic contours pose unique challenges when it comes to producing visually flawless surfaces. [more]

FEATURE ARTICLE

Foreign Correspondence

Working in remote locations is not uncommon, but asEd Beaulieurelates here, moving a whole crew of U.S. pond-installation experts to a South American city to build three huge watershapes was a test of everything he knows about people, logistics and project management. [more]

FEATURE ARTICLE

Concrete’s Nature

Words matter, saysPaolo Benedetti, so he asks everyone to stop referring to ‘waterproof concrete.’ Yes,you can coat it or add things to the mix to make it impermeable, but no, without help, not even the best-formulated, densest batch will be able to keep water at bay — and here’s why. [more]

ESSENTIAL

Fluid Dynamics

For years, says watershaper and educatorMark Holden, landscape architects and watershape contractors have had profound difficulty in communicating about the way water should appear in given systems — whether it should flow over a weir, for example, or how much should spray from a nozzle and how far. The root of the problem, he observes, is what he describes as an addressable lack of water-defining detail in landscape architects’ drawings.

This article, originally published inWaterShapesin September 2007, has been digitized for all readers. Clickhereto see the full text and enlarge the images to study them in detail.

TRAVELOGUE

Down to the River

The citizens of an old Colorado steel town invested heavily a few years ago in what they call HARP — the Historic Arkansas Riverwalk of Pueblo. It’s well worth a visit, reportsDonald Brandes Jr., if only to see the extent to which the town has managed to upgrade its rusty image. [more]

WATERSHAPES WORLD

Water Warnings

With each return of summer comes another run of articles about how hazardous immersing yourself in water can sometimes be. But this year, notesJim McCloskey, there’s an odd ingredient in the media mix that has challenged his ability to let the stories roll harmlessly by. [more]

WE BROWSE SO YOU DON’T HAVE TO . . .

Dog’s Best Friend Dept.: Video shows one wise dog saving another as it struggles to get out of a pool.

[more]

The amazing thing is how coaxing turns to direct action.

Take a Deep Breath Dept.:Deep-sea diver/dancer Julie Gautier performs an amazing underwater ballet. [more]

Scroll all the way down to see her truly remarkable video.

WATERSHAPES CLASSIC

Maximizing Exposures

David Tishermanhas always taken photographs and recorded the processes with which his watershapes are built. Here’s a look at the thinking behind this passionate advocacy. [more]

THE SHOPPING CART

Dual-Voltage Variable-Speed Pump from Speck

Speck Pumps(Jacksonville, FL) produces ES90-II variable-speed pumps for swimming pools. Made with permanent-magnet, brushless DC motors, the medium-head units are controlled by advanced-logic electronics that reduce operating costs, energy usage and noise. Corrosion and chemical/UV resistant, they operate at voltages from 110 to 250 volts. For details, clickhereand scroll down.

Rain Curtain from Sheer Water Designs

Sheer Water Designs(Spring Hill, FL) manufactures Sheer Rain, a water curtain that features either one or two rows of streaming, falling water. One row includes 48 streams per linear foot and flows at a rate of a half-gallon per minute, per foot. The double row features 96 streams at one gallon per foot. White is the standard color, but others are available. For details, clickhere.

WPN UPDATE

Putting Your

Portfolio to Work

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 theWaterShapes Professional Networkcomes 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.

TheNetworkis working just the way we’d hoped: Time toclickaboard?

2018/5.2, May 16 — Double-Shell Pop, Pond Pandemonium, Flowing Symbolism and more

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

May 16, 2018 www.watershapes.com

FEATURE ARTICLE

Pop Goes the Pool

This wasn’t one of those cases where a popped pool could be coaxed back into place. Instead,Shane LeBlanchad to remove not just one, buttwoold shells — and set up a new system while easing any fears city officials might have had about their watershape ever moving again. [more]

FEATURE ARTICLE

Nature’s Ways

When a pond’s fish shift to spawning mode, all sorts of things start happening in a hurry — in turn whipping new pond owners into a frenzy right alongside their fish. At these times,Mike Gannoncounsels restraint and helps novices recognize and follow what’s happening. [more]

TRAVELOGUE

Mystical Moments

A recent trip to California’s Central Coast gaveJim McCloskeythe opportunity to spend time with a fountain that’s the key to appreciating an entire resort property. It’s well worth a visit the next time you’re in Paso Robles to savor the region’s blossoming wine culture. [more]

ESSENTIAL

Artful Ambition

In the course of expanding the boundaries of what he calls ‘themed construction,’David Longhas worked with lots of people who crave the truly special, from commercial clients to homeowners. While his main focus is on artificial rock structures and water, he and the talented artists who participate in his Idaho-based company are all about delivering the entire package — complete, expressive environments marked by a wonderful authenticity.

This article, originally published inWaterShapesin November 2007, has been digitized for all readers. Clickhereto see the full text and enlarge the images to study them in detail.

TECHNICAL BRIEFING

Water Gone Wild

Among all the problems he’s observed as an expert witness,Scott Cohenis particularly aware of what can go wrong when water starts moving where it’s not wanted. Often it’s a cosmetic issue; sometimes, however, serious damage can result — and can be costly to address. [more]

WATERSHAPES WORLD

Renovation Time

The start of a new swim season has confrontedJim McCloskeywith the full extent of the deterioration of his beloved backyard pool. It’s time, he writes, to dig in, explore the possibilities and get moving with a long-delayed campaign to get things back in shape. [more]

WE BROWSE SO YOU DON’T HAVE TO . . .

Gowiththe Flow Dept.: Closing a spa cover proves an impossible dream for a plucky but hapless woman.

[more]

There’s nothing like a breeze to complicate simple tasks.

Gowithoutthe Flow Dept.:Walden Pond researchers ask visitors to refrain from acting natural in the water. [more]

Pee is the culprit behind the damage to Thoreau’s retreat.

WATERSHAPES CLASSIC

Considering Small Spaces

While every landscape professional hopes for big projects, clients’ yards tend to be small — a fact,Stephanie Rosenoted back in May 2003, that calls for more advanced skills and even greater creativity. [more]

THE SHOPPING CART

Intermatic Introduces Electronic Valve Actuator

Intermatic(Spring Grove, IL) has launched the ReadySet Electronic Valve Actuator for use in pool and spa applications. Designed to speed installations, the device mounts to most common two- and three-way diverter valves and allows for establishing valve-position set points without unscrewing the actuator casing. For details, clickhere.

Anoma Stone Releases Stone Pool Grates

Anoma Stone(Noida, India) has introduced Ripple Pool Gratings. Designed with a two-inch thickness that ensures structural integrity but also lightweight enough for easy removal for routine servicing, the marble panels come in two sizes — 30 by 30 inches and 30 by 72 inches — and feature rippling forms that mirror the water’s undulations. For details, click here.

WPN UPDATE

Collective

Persuasion

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 theWaterShapes Professional Networkcan help: We’vebuilt 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.

TheNetworkis working just the way we’d hoped: Time toclickaboard?

2018/5.1, May 2 — Deep-Blue Views, Well-Dressed Ledges, Hearst Pool Revival and more

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

May 2, 2018 www.watershapes.com

FEATURE ARTICLE

Lake Effects

The position and basic shape of the pool may have been predetermined, writesScott Cummings, but the visual drama he added with his finishselections and aperimeter-overflow/vanishing-edge design made all the difference in optimizing the site’s cool water-on-water views. [more]

WHAT IS IT?

#30: Tiled Finger Ledge

Who says a pool’s safety features have to be visually intrusive? AsMike Farleydiscusses in introducing his brief video on an often-dull detail, even a finger ledge can, with the right client, the right pool and a bit of imagination, contribute significantly to a project’s easy beauty. [more]

NEPTUNE POOL RENEWAL

Defining Delicate Tasks

After sizing up the situation with the Neptune Pool at Hearst Castle,William Rowleytook the next step and developed an engineering plan to aid in restoring the plumbing system, structure and overall functionality of one of the world’s most recognized and celebrated watering holes. [more]

ESSENTIAL

The Power of Passion

Landscape designerMelanie Jaureguibelieves there’s much more to good exterior design than an understanding of project parameters, sound engineering and tight planning and execution. That’s why she takes time to uncover the aesthetic and thematic preferences as well as the emotional motivators of each client — a process that enables her to create landscapes and watershapes that not only function as desired, but speak to the heart as well.

This article, originally published inWaterShapesin April 2001, has been digitized for all readers. Clickhereto see the full text and enlarge the images to study them in detail.

TRAVELOGUE

Stone Impressions

Stone, writesBobbie Schwartz, is a highly expressive material that imparts a sense of antiquity while giving impressions of permanence, security and serenity. Here’s a brisk tour of some of her favorite places, every one of which you can visit to enjoy their rock-enhanced beauty. [more]

WATERSHAPES WORLD

Water Wonders

His eyes light up when he sees cool articles having to do with watershapes or water in general. In recent weeks,Jim McCloskeywas inspired enough by two such items — one on a commercial pool complex, the other on water itself — that he felt obliged to call them to your attention. [more]

WE BROWSE SO YOU DON’T HAVE TO . . .

Clumsy Me Dept.: Ace BBC sports reporter trips and falls into water while seeking to interview swim team.

[more]

No innocent microphone should suffer such indignity.

Creepy Them Dept.:Women barred from U.S. Senate’s pool because a few men act like spoiled children. [more]

The thought of seeing them swim in the nude ishorrifying.

WATERSHAPES CLASSIC

WeCanDo Better

Back in May 2003,Brian Van Bowerwent off on a behavior that particularly bothered him in some of his industry colleagues — and pointed out that there were (and still are!) simple ways to get things right. [more]

THE SHOPPING CART

Clearwater Tech Offers Compact Ozone System

Clearwater Tech(San Luis Obispo, CA) manufactures Microzone CD550, a corona-discharge ozone generator for small bodies of water, including spas, ornamental waterfeatures and aquariums. Easy to install and maintain, the wall-mounted unit requires no air preparation and reduces or eliminates chemical dosing while eliminating odors. For details, clickhere.

Aquascape Introduces Pond Filter Urns

Aquascape(St. Charles, IL) has unveiled Pond Filter Urns to provide efficient mechanical and biological filtration for smaller ponds — including preformed ponds or container-based watergardens. The decorative filter housing can easily be integrated into almost any setting, adding the sight and sound of trickling water to ponds without waterfalls or streams. For details, clickhere.

WPN UPDATE

Standing Out

from the Crowd

Watershapers have a distinct ability to produce spectacular work — and, to hear you tell it, frequent 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 theWaterShapes Professional Networkcomes in:By building a collective web presence in which dozens and, eventually, 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.

TheNetworkis working just the way we’d hoped: Time toclickaboard?

2018/4.2, April 18 — Rapid Results, Street-Level Beauty, Fountain Grandeur and more

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

April 18, 2018 www.watershapes.com

FEATURE ARTICLE

Peninsular Charm

Working atop a rocky prominence through a harsh winter on a short schedule? It was enough to makeKurt Kraisingertakea unique approach to the project, drawing support from near and far to get things done — from extensive site preparation through to on-time completion. [more]

FEATURE ARTICLE

Public Pursuits

Adding three big waterfeatures to a prominent Philadelphia streetscape was a logistical challenge, reportsRobert Nonemaker, as was being among the smallest players in a high-stakes project. Handling the pressure took patience — and a self-reliant approach to project management.[more]

TRAVELOGUE

Simple Mastery

Long an admirer of Lawrence Halprin’s work,Jim McCloskeyrecalls Portland’s Lovejoy Fountain as the high point of a recent visit to the Pacific Northwest: It’s a captivating composition that gets even livelier when artists take advantage of it as a performance space.[more]

ESSENTIAL

Harvesting Rain

At a time when droughts seem to be aligning with increasing populations to ratchet up the pressure on our supplies of fresh water, the concept of using ponds and streams to capture and store rainwater is one whose time may well have come. Here, Aquascape’sEd Beaulieudescribes the installation of a prototype rainwater-harvesting system in a backyard in drought-plagued Georgia, where fresh water has recently become a precious commodity.

This article, originally published inWaterShapesin January 2009, has been digitized for all readers. Clickhereto see the full text and enlarge the images to study them in detail.

TECHNICAL BRIEFING

Water on the Move

Water has a will of its own, observesScott Cohen, and takes advantage of whatever pathways it can find — quite often to go where you don’t want it to go. Unchecked, it can lead to staining that will seriously mar a watershape’s good looks, not to mention a homeowner’s good mood.[more]

WATERSHAPES WORLD

A Memorable Milestone

A road trip to California’s Central Coast brought a flood of memories back toJim McCloskeyas he recalled the early days of the Genesis movement — curriculum development, good times, and the laying of foundations on which so much has been built in the past twenty years. [more]

WE BROWSE SO YOU DON’T HAVE TO . . .

Cultural Vessels Dept.:Article tracks the appeal, history, influence and social role of vanishing-edge pools. [more]

The text is lengthy but sensible — and the photos are great!

Swimming Art Dept.:Web site highlights the best underwater swimming photographs taken in 2017.[more]

It’s the hidden beauty that appears when motion is frozen.

WATERSHAPES CLASSIC

Identifying the Issue

Back in April 2008, university-level instructorMark Holdennoted that watershapes are underrepresented on the curriculum for future landscape architects. Is this a gap that still needs addressing? [more]

THE SHOPPING CART

LED Pond Lights from Atlantic Water Gardens

Atlantic Water Gardens(Mantua, OH) has introduced the model SOLW6, a compact LED fixture for both submerged and open-air applications. Made with solid brass for durability and longevity, the quick-connect, warm-white units match halogen or incandescent beam intensity, have 45-degree beam angles and feature and easy-to-replace diodes. For details, clickhere.

Bellatrix Concrete Enhancer from Deck-O-Seal

Deck-O-Seal(Hampshire, IL) offers Bellatrix to enhance and protect concrete pool decks and patios. Formulated using dual-protection technology combined with unique hybrid polymers, the durable, breathable, VOC-compliant, satin-finish barrier is ideal for previously sealed swimming pool decks and patios where a clear protection system is desired. For details, clickhere.

WPN UPDATE

Getting in Shape

for a Strong 2018

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

That’s why we started theWaterShapes 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.

TheNetworkis working just the way we’d hoped: Time toclickaboard?