balance

2020/8.1, August 5 — Getting into Fountains, Building for Service, Hydraulic Basics and more
THE ESSENTIAL E-NEWSLETTER FOR WATERSHAPE DESIGNERS, ENGINEERS AND BUILDERS August 5, 2020 www.watershapes.com FEATURE ARTICLE…
2017/12.2, December 20 — Healthful Analogies, Intricate Lighting, Regal Waterworks and more
THE ESSENTIAL E-NEWSLETTER FOR WATERSHAPE DESIGNERS, ENGINEERS AND BUILDERS December 20, 2017 www.watershapes.com THE NON-TOXIC…
Visual Acceptance
‘In one way or another,’ declared David Tisherman in his Details column of June 2002, ‘visual acceptance is what makes our world go around. ‘Think about the clothes we wear, the cars we admire, the foods we eat – not to mention interior design, home and office furnishings, landscapes and watershapes. So much of our response to these and other features of our environment,’ he added, ‘is based on
#26: Water Bowls
Water bowls emerged not long ago as a key element in the Watershaping Industry's ongoing campaign to bring dimension, sound and vitality to residential backyards and commercial settings.  They go a long way toward masking traffic noise, which is cool, but even in a space that's perfectly quiet, they offer up soothing sounds while bringing a sense of variety and visual stimulation to projects of just about any size or extent. As with the many
Think Food
When I look at the average pond, I tend to perceive a range of missed opportunities. I come from the world of aquaponics, where I've spent my career figuring out ways to integrate environments for fish and plants in ways that make both fins and leaves grow like crazy.  For the most part, I work on an industrial scale, designing facilities where huge populations of fish are grown as food and, nearby, huge
Taking Care
'As obvious as [it] may seem, it's phenomenally easy to lose sight of the immediate importance of healthful habits,' wrote Brian Van Bower in opening his Aqua Culture column in the July/August 2011 edition of WaterShapes.  'I know deep in my heart that being healthy is a long-term commitment, but I also know how easy it is to set that discipline aside.' 'As we make our way through [the busy] summer season, . . . it's easier than usual to set aside concerns about healthy living in favor of
Watching pH
What happens when the water added to a newly plastered pool has had a chance to interact fully with its new surroundings?  That's a big question, writes Kim Skinner -- one that has implications for the long-term appearance and maintenance of countless watershapes.
Active Water
When agitated or flowing water moves through the air, it loses carbon dioxide.  That's particularly significant in systems with fountain jets, waterfalls or vanishing edges, observes Kim Skinner, with the loss affecting pH in ways that must be dealt with to avoid big problems.
Gardens for People
'Gardens truly are for people.  While that's manifestly an obvious statement,' wrote Bruce Zaretsky at the top of his On the Level column in May 2011, 'it seems to be a concept that insufficient numbers of today's watershape and landscape designers fully grasp.' 'That's nothing new.  More than half a century ago, in fact, [Thomas] Church was motivated to
Chlorine Conversations
In recent years, it's been difficult to avoid two large and related discussions about water treatment as it relates to swimming pools and spas. One the one hand are discussions of the evils of chlorine, which, after more than a century of common and beneficial use, is still widely misunderstood by homeowners and many professionals in the watershaping trades.  On the other are conversations about chlorine-free pools and spas - another set of exchanges where there's proving to be