Page 199 – Water Shapes

Passion and Practicality

'If you ask my employees,' wrote Bruce Zaretsky in starting his July 2010 On the Level column, 'they'll tell you that I'm an unrelenting pain in the neck - a real tyrant. That's because I'm always asking nagging sorts of questions such as, "Why isn't this project finished yet?" or "How much longer is this going to take?" or "Can you speed things up?" 'My questions, of course, are somewhat unfair. . . . But I have no reluctance to come across as a tyrant

Righting a Hurtful Wrong

I came across this news item a couple weeks back and have wanted to share it with you ever since. Written by Suzanne Perez Tobias for the May 24 edition of the Wichita Eagle, it's about one person's response to the Kansas legislature's decision to prevent the state's needy citizens from using any public assistance money to go to public

The Aquatic Quiz #30

What Do a Japanese Zoo's Elephants Do After Swimming in Their New Pool?

His clients wanted a home that reflected their refined tastes, writes Randy Beard. The fact that, for a change, others were focused on the challenge of working on a difficult slope freed him to get everything just right with their large spa and understated entryway fountain.

Eastern Sensibilities

It's rare, but it happens: Every once in a while, a client's desires align perfectly with the capabilities of a watershape designer and builder - so much so that the collaboration becomes a study in how powerful creative harmony can be. This sort of synergy was a hallmark of the hillside project under discussion here. Early in the process, we were brought aboard to work on an unusually large spa as well as a small