change

Times of Change
By any measure, the past year has been a time of tumultuous change - and I'm not referencing the current microbiological situation. (In fact, let's just declare this space a "virus-free" zone for now.) Rather I'm talking about the tumbling dominoes that have been falling throughout the pool and spa industry since last spring. Dating back to the
Staying Current
'With a busy schedule,' wrote Stephanie Rose to open her March 2005 Natural Companions column, 'it's too easy to use the same tools repeatedly in project designs.   'Yes, you can mitigate the repetition to a certain extent by using those tools differently each time, but the fact remains that many of us tend to design over and over again with the same plants, hardscape materials and structural approaches because it's
Global Watershaping
'Have you had just about enough of the current chatter about the environment?  Have the terms "global warming," "carbon footprint" and "sustainable landscape" become more irritating to you than they are inspiring?  If so,' wrote Mark Holden in his Currents column for February 2010, 'all I can say is that I don't think you'll like the future.' 'In fact, the green movement . . . is rapidly on its way to becoming a mainstay of our shared cultural consciousness.  While there are certain political and social aspects of the discussion that
2020/2.2, February 19 — Natural Persuasion, Working Wisdom, History’s Neighborhood and more
THE ESSENTIAL E-NEWSLETTER FOR WATERSHAPE DESIGNERS, ENGINEERS AND BUILDERS February 19, 2020 www.watershapes.com FEATURE ARTICLE…
Getting Up to Speed
I promise not to be insufferably happy in too many more of these blogs, but I have to say that the trade show I just attended as a new member of the Watershape University team was an over-the-moon experience for me. It has been decades since I can recall being even slightly
So What’s Up?
The Number One question I have been asked since the announcement of the acquisition of WaterShapes by Watershape University is fairly blunt: "What does this mean for WaterShapes?" My usual answer is, "Not much - and everything!" The "not much" part pertains to the fact that
2020/1.1, January 8 — WaterShapes Update, Beyond Renovation, Vanishing-Edge Angles and more
THE ESSENTIAL E-NEWSLETTER FOR WATERSHAPE DESIGNERS, ENGINEERS AND BUILDERS January 8, 2020 www.watershapes.com WATERSHAPES WORLD…
Fast and Glorious
These last few weeks have been a whirlwind: Unusually frequent texts, emails and phone conversations. Urgent messages to accountants, attorneys, board members and stakeholders. Logistics and practicalities to consider. Contracts to sign. I recall this sort of tumult from 1996, when I founded my company - although with some nostalgia I don't recall
Changing Times
Before I headed to New Orleans early in November, I contacted Bill Drakeley and Dave Peterson to see if they were available for dinner on Sunday night before the show opened. They were, and we met in a little bistro near the hotel where they were staying. I wanted more information about their new Watershape University, its relationships with other organizations and its ambitions moving forward. I had no inkling that, within days after the show concluded, they'd suggest
‘Big Easy’ Bound
I'm almost ready to board a plane for my trip to New Orleans and the 2019 International Pool|Spa|Patio Expo, and I have to say I haven't been this curious about what's going to happen at a trade show for many, many years. Change is definitely in the wind these days - with