architect

Shaping Relationships
An Interview with  Paul Fischman by Andrew Kaner Through the years, we at Aquatic Consultants (Miami, Fla.) have formed bonds with several architects and landscape architects whose efforts we support with plans and details for the aquatic systems they're including in their projects. In that capacity, we have worked with Paul Fischman with some frequency. He's a partner at Choeff Levy Fischman, a Miami-based architecture firm, and in the past eight years we have seen our relationship grow to a point where we now consider
Embracing a Vision
Through the years, I've been involved in a number of amazing watershaping projects in the southern California region. I'm particularly comfortable with hillside work and have designed and built breathtaking pools and spas on my own, but I spend most of my time these days building to the specifications of ambitious architects and designers who know exactly what they want but
Refined Parameters
As an independent designer of custom watershapes, I've learned a lot about self-reliance and the degree of passion it takes to persuade clients to come along with me in exploring opportunities to turn backyard swimming pools into exceptional works of art. I've also learned how important it is to play well with others. Earlier in my career, when I
2019/6.1, June 5 — One Project, Three Perspectives and more
THE ESSENTIAL E-NEWSLETTER FOR WATERSHAPE DESIGNERS, ENGINEERS AND BUILDERS June 5, 2019 www.watershapes.com COLLABORATIVE ART,…
Adopted Vision
As a pool designer, my preference is to sit down with prospective clients, listen to what they have to say about a pending project and, working with their ideas, the site and the budget, come up with a program that makes all of us happy and proud. For the most part, that's the way things go for me these days. But I also know that, on certain occasions, it's necessary to go with the flow. In the project covered here, for example, a super-affluent property owner had called on a respected architect to
2019/2.1, February 6 — Redressed Ravine, Stepwell Wonders, Urban Retreat and more
THE ESSENTIAL E-NEWSLETTER FOR WATERSHAPE DESIGNERS, ENGINEERS AND BUILDERS February 6, 2019 www.watershapes.com FEATURE ARTICLE…
2018/3.1, March 7 — Working for Heroes, Poolside Spaces, Safe-Water Quest and more
THE ESSENTIAL E-NEWSLETTER FOR WATERSHAPE DESIGNERS, ENGINEERS AND BUILDERS March 7, 2018 www.watershapes.com FEATURE ARTICLE…
Brilliant Reflections
It's been many, many years since I visited Bordeaux - and when I did get there back in the 1970s, I had yet to develop my appreciation for the French region's wonderful wines. As a result, I was the swiftest of sightseers out on a day trip, and one of the few things I recall with any strength of memory was the Bourse, a set of grand riverfront structures that now serve as the region's central commercial exchange. Under construction from 1730 to 1775, the complex was designed by Ange-Jacques Gabriel, probably most renowned for his work on the Place de la Concorde in Paris. He was an ardent exponent of neoclassical symmetry and certainly didn't ease off his preferences in this case. When I saw it in 1978, I was impressed by its balanced grandeur and spectacular level of detail. here. To see his own gallery of images of the Miroir d'Eau, click here.
Palladio, Jefferson and You
Thomas Jefferson was a founding father of the United States in more ways than one. Indeed, the author of the Declaration of Independence was also an architectural scholar and dedicated adherent of the philosophy and style of Andrea Palladio (1508-1580), an architect of the Italian Renaissance who
The Architect Connection
Those of us in the design and construction industry are engaged in a singularly complicated human endeavor.  To make things work, it’s common for many technical disciplines to come together, including soils and structural engineers and contractors and subcontractors as well as architects, interior designers, landscape architects, lighting designers and watershapers – all working in concert to bring form to the goals and aspirations of the clients. These professionals unite in designing spaces that people use and occupy – a simple yet profound thread that ties all of us engaged in any given project together.  Through our combined efforts, we