Built to Lead
As consumers trend toward smaller pools, and contractors seek streamlined installation solutions, custom designer/builder Mario Abaldo decided to start a line of prefab concrete pools, based on leading-edge engineering and manufacturing standards. ...
Firescaping: Designing Landscapes and Hardscapes to Reduce Fire Risk
The recent fires in Los Angeles have left behind widespread devastation. Implementing measures that help prevent fires and reduce their severity going forward is now at the forefront of landscape and pool professionals working in fire-prone areas. Here, Scott Cohen outlines the key features in “Firescaping”—the practice of creating spaces that do not burn. ...
Stainless Watershapes (Part I)
Stainless-steel vessels have dramatically increased in popularity over the past 20 years, observes Mark Holden and Jeff Freemen. That increase necessitates a greater understanding of the material, its advantages and, as important, the potential problems associated with the manufacturing process that can lead to catastrophic failures, litigation and expensive remediations. ...
Pool Concerns: After the Fire
It’s an ironic and unsettling sight: a swimming pool full of water on a property where the house has burned down. What to do with the water in fire’s immediate aftermath is a question that confronts both homeowners and their pool professionals.   ...
Poolside by CGT and Trevi Partner to Create Blue Stone Pool Liner
Poolside by CGT and Trevi have collaborated to create the ‘Blizzard’ pool liner pattern that uses rich hues of deep blue color in a design that imitates the look of natural stone. The pattern gives the pool a textured look reminiscent of blue slate. The deep blue pool liner pattern that is printed on a dramatic marine blue film giving the pattern an intense, vivid color that amplifies the color intensity of the pool water. Learn more here.
Magic Plastics Introduces Rolly Greens Plant Caddy
Magic Plastics Inc., has introduced a plant caddy that is designed to bring style and mobility to indoor and outdoor living spaces. Created to meet the demand for a more robust potted plant caddy, the new patent-pending design offers a strong, durable, easy-to-use caddy that requires no-assembly. Made of reinforced, engineering-grade resins with proprietary over-mold-technology, this plant caddy has skate-board quality, bearing urethane wheels and the unit can hold up to 250 pounds. Learn more here.
Natare Makes Underwater Windows
Natare manufacturers swimming pool windows that provide a clear view into the swimming or diving pool below the water’s surface, an invaluable aid for underwater photography, education, or the ultimate view of competition swimming. These strong rectangular windows are suitable for installation in any concrete or stainless-steel pool. The window installs flush with the interior pool wall, eliminating projections and sharp edges that can interfere with equipment or competition. Learn more here.
AI Drives Show-Fountain Experiences
Artificial Intelligence (AI-driven displays are drawing thousands of visitors each week to venues with show fountains, reports J. Wickham “Wick” Zimmerman of Outside The Lines, Inc. OTL is a waterfeature design/build and maintenance firm that has installed its own patented AI technology into two high-profile fountains that are capable of responding to and learning from fountain spectators. ...
Discovery Beneath the Waves
The Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) satellite represents a groundbreaking leap in our ability to understand Earth’s water systems. Its data could potentially revolutionize climate modeling, enhance our understanding of ocean currents, and inform water resource management. Beyond surface water, SWOT enables indirect mapping of the ocean floor, uncovering insights into underwater landscapes, tectonic processes, and the history of Earth’s geology. ...
For the Love of Art and Swimming Pools
Swimming pools have become a compelling subject for painters and photographers, resulting in an artistic subgenre that has built a growing audience over the past several years. Here Laura Carew of AQUA Magazine, profiles the work of one artist who is taking pool-based art in a fresh direction. ...