The combination of concrete and steel is the currency of most modern construction, and there's a simple economic explanation for that fact: The affordability and availability of the basic ingredients of cement, aggregate, water and rebar have made their combination viable for use in countries the world over. Used together, especially when the cementitious product comes in the form of pneumatically applied concrete, reinforced concrete is incredibly flexible and can be used to create almost any shape we might imagine. And in the case of pneumatic application, those shapes can largely be created without the use of traditional concrete forms. Indeed, it's a construction matrix that can be used in such a way that the contours of the soil dictate the shape of the structure, giving the watershaper almost unlimited flexibility. It's even fair to say that
Clear, polished water in well-designed, well-built lakes, ponds and streams: What better way to communicate a powerful message about the value of the properties that surround them? In a commercial setting, for example, clear water in a meandering string of ponds will readily translate into office space filled with happy tenants, while the murky-water alternative could be just the eyesore that holds down the image and limits the facility's financial success. The same principle works for watershapes at apartment complexes, where unseemly streams will almost certainly draw complaints from unhappy residents while cool, translucent water will become a point of pride and source of relaxation for tenants who otherwise might reflexively hold their noses as they pass by. Or consider the private estate where ponds are meant for swimming: Without question, these waters must have a crystalline clarity that attests to the water's safety and potential for recreation. Delivering this level of water quality is more and more a part of
Founded in 1634, Boston Common is the oldest public park in America - a significant and historic public place. It is familiar to us as Bostonians, of course, but we've also been privileged as a firm to have worked there before, when we renovated the park's main watershape, the Frog Pond, to serve as a splash pool in summer and as an ice-skating rink in winter. During the pond renovation, we learned that tackling projects in such storied surroundings can be a tall order. For example, we had to place all of the pond's chillers and pumping equipment underground to mask any obvious intrusion on the 17th-century space. As we approached a second major project - this time the renovation of the park's playground - we knew going in that those who hired us were keenly sensitive to the nature of the place and came armed with preconceptions about colors, images and what would be "appropriate" for the setting. To keep things moving, we worked very closely with the city's Historic Commission in establishing the color palette, procuring artwork and developing an overall plan that would result in a space that was attractive and safe for children and suited to the surroundings. To be sure, the negotiations were intense as we
Designing structures to surround indoor pools offers the watershaper the fundamental challenge of creating an interior space that needs all the functional characteristics of an exterior one. That's so mainly because ordinary residential structures aren't made to enclose anything that even remotely approaches the moisture levels encountered when an indoor pool is surrounded and separated from the open air. This leads to consideration of the air-handing, temperature-control and humidity-related issues covered in another article on this subject (click here), but it almost always leads as well to a need to
When clients call me in to design their backyards, one of the main things many of them want is a safe environment for their children. I've always thought of myself as a big kid at heart and also look at things as a father, so I've always felt confident and fully prepared meet my clients' desires while creating spaces that really work for kids. How little we sometimes know! After reading A Child's Garden: Enchanting Outdoor Spaces for Children and Parents by Molly Dannenmnaier (Simon & Schuster, 1998), it's now clear to me just how much more can be done in watershape and garden spaces to engage children of all ages. Indeed, this book showed me that there's much, much more to designing for children than
Back in November, I described the background of a project on a sprawling estate in the hills near Hanover, Pa. - a spectacular setting for an enormous swimming pool, an island spa, a cascading waterfeature and big expanses of rockwork and stone decking. As was mentioned, our first task was to remove a brand-new system of retaining walls that had been built adjacent to the planned location for the swimming pool. We did so because the wall's large footings reached into a space needed to support a cascade that will appear to tumble into the pool. To ensure
If I were to ask the average watershaper to name the most versatile element in any landscape, he or she would probably reply by talking about water or plants or some other equally prominent component. If you asked me the same question, however, I'd almost always say rocks. Some of you might be thinking I have a few too many of them rolling around loose in my head, but there's a good explanation for my response. First, rocks come in an infinite number of forms, shapes, compositions, colors, textures and sizes. Second, they can be used to sit on, walk on, retain hillsides or create small mounds. Third, they add dimension to designs and contribute in countless other ways to the
Some might say we're enduring the curse of living in interesting times; others might opine that the planet's just plain gone crazy. However you look at it, when you stop to consider what's been going on in the world, in our country and in the economy and how all of that relates to our watershaping corner of the universe, it's easy to see that important trends and even greater forces are constantly sweeping around us. So much is happening that it's often difficult to figure things out, but the most important observation I can make is that not all the news is gloomy - far from it. For a great many watershapers, in fact, business has thrived in recent times and expanded in new and exciting directions. That's so true for some that it's fair to say that there's been little or no time left for reflection. But I would argue that finding time to
Imagine how you'd feel if you couldn't move your body well enough to operate a wheelchair, let alone walk under your own power. Then imagine the feeling of liberation you would have in rising out of those physical confines and
The issue you hold in your hands marks the completion of WaterShapes' fifth year in print - a milestone that I can't believe is happening so soon. It doesn't seem all that long ago that
