ambition

Why Watershape University?
Ever since the formation of Watershape University last fall, curious minds have rightfully asked what this organization is all about, what our goals are, and the means we'll be using achieve those ends? Here's a rundown of the key questions and answers: What's a "watershape"? The creators of WaterShapes coined the term before
Finding Ways
'Last month,' wrote Brian Van Bower to open his Aqua Culture column in the February 2004 issue of WaterShapes, 'I jumped into the New Year with a discussion of how the trends we face these days are influencing our recent experiences in business, society and life in general.   'All that was intended to set up this column's discussion of where we, as the watershaping industry, might be going in the months and years to come.  . . .  Rather than get into the aimless game of offering predictions, I'll delve instead into
Nature’s Way
'Back when WaterShapes was in its infancy, the idea that swimming pools and spas had much in common with other forms of contained water (including ponds, fountains and streams) was a true novelty:  All of those worlds seemed light years apart.' That's how Brian Van Bower opened his Aqua Culture column in November 2008 before adding:  '[T]hings have changed and there's now widespread recognition that these seemingly
Nature’s Way
'Back when WaterShapes was in its infancy, the idea that swimming pools and spas had much in common with other forms of contained water (including ponds, fountains and streams) was a true novelty:  All of those worlds seemed light years apart.' That's how Brian Van Bower opened his Aqua Culture column in November 2008 before adding:  '[T]hings have changed and there's now widespread recognition that these seemingly
Design or Art?
I spent a couple strange hours the other day, surfing through Internet references to what I have discovered is a fairly lively Art-versus-Design debate.  What I found was oddly interesting at first, but after a while, I began feeling underwhelmed by the whole discussion, which seemed mostly to be about trying to
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…
The Unfolding Process
This edition of the WaterShapes newsletter is appearing on the opening day of the International Pool|Spa|Patio Expo.  By that Wednesday, I will have been in New Orleans for two days - and will have landed late enough on Monday evening that I will have missed all of the Hallowe'en festivities. That's fine by me:  I've been in New Orleans for three
A Personal First
As I noted a couple weeks back, my to-do list of household projects has long included installation of a small fountain.   In the place I had always intended to put it, I figured that the watershape would be visible from the redwood deck where we do most of our warm-weather entertaining; from the stone deck where we
Quality Don’t Come Easy
'During the past few years,' wrote Brian Van Bower to open his Aqua Culture column in March 2001, 'I've come to the stark realization that there are too few quality craftspeople in most geographical areas of our country.  And it's not just the watershaping trades:  The same holds true for most areas of the greater construction industry as well.'   'The hard reality is that, for many people in the trades, it's easier to do three ordinary jobs in a week than it is to do one challenging project over a month.  I'm starting to think that
2016/3.2, March 16 — Three-Headed Ambition, Fountain Rehab, Pond Upgrade and more
THE ESSENTIAL E-NEWSLETTER FOR WATERSHAPE DESIGNERS, ENGINEERS AND BUILDERS March 16, 2016 www.watershapes.com FEATURE ARTICLE…