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One would like to think that if there was anything all watershapers were good at doing, it would be digging holes. As with many other watershaping activities, however, it is apparent that some are better at it than others and that the excavation portion of a project either does a good job of setting the stage for great things to follow - or involves errors that can project themselves all the way through to the finished product. In my view, getting things right at this stage is as important as any other step in the design, engineering or construction process and is actually
One would like to think that if there was anything all watershapers were good at doing, it would be digging holes. As with many other watershaping activities, however, it is apparent that some are better at it than others and that the excavation portion of a project either does a good job of setting the stage for great things to follow - or involves errors that can project themselves all the way through to the finished product. In my view, getting things right at this stage is as important as any other step in the design, engineering or construction process and is actually
This has been a year of changes. Consider the weather, which, in my corner of the world, saw unusual, sustained periods of freezing temperatures never witnessed in my lifetime along with inconceivably low rainfall totals that make water rationing a very real possibility on southern California's horizon. Whether these climatic extremes are, as some scientists are saying, a consequence of global warming or not, the fact of the matter is that these phenomena are worrisome and their implications need to be
This has been a year of changes. Consider the weather, which, in my corner of the world, saw unusual, sustained periods of freezing temperatures never witnessed in my lifetime along with inconceivably low rainfall totals that make water rationing a very real possibility on southern California's horizon. Whether these climatic extremes are, as some scientists are saying, a consequence of global warming or not, the fact of the matter is that these phenomena are worrisome and their implications need to be
One of the fascinating things about working with the different types of clients we encounter as watershapers is that we can never really know what to expect. If my years of experience have taught me anything, it's that perception is often very different from reality. Instead, what I find is that the basic assumptions we might be inclined to make about different "categories" of clients are, often as not, completely confounded by the uniqueness of every situation. As a result, working effectively across a range of project types and client economic levels means being able to withhold judgment or at the very least avoid
One of the fascinating things about working with the different types of clients we encounter as watershapers is that we can never really know what to expect. If my years of experience have taught me anything, it's that perception is often very different from reality. Instead, what I find is that the basic assumptions we might be inclined to make about different "categories" of clients are, often as not, completely confounded by the uniqueness of every situation. As a result, working effectively across a range of project types and client economic levels means being able to withhold judgment or at the very least avoid
In the last several of these "Details," I've covered what happens in my projects before construction begins. Now we're ready to shift gears and look at what happens on site - the place where design and execution meet. Before we look at the way I build things, however, I want to take a hard look at common practices in the field. What I write here may seem harsh, but it's not intended that way: To establish a baseline for doing things in what I would term the right way, I need to point to practices in our industry - particularly the pool/spa sector - that
In the last several of these "Details," I've covered what happens in my projects before construction begins. Now we're ready to shift gears and look at what happens on site - the place where design and execution meet. Before we look at the way I build things, however, I want to take a hard look at common practices in the field. What I write here may seem harsh, but it's not intended that way: To establish a baseline for doing things in what I would term the right way, I need to point to practices in our industry - particularly the pool/spa sector - that
Recently, much has been written and discussed in our local Los Angeles media - newspapers, magazines, television - about an influx of architectural styles to our area that "just don't fit in" and are generally thought of as being a blight on our collective landscape. This isn't anything new, of course. I recall similar dustups in the 1970s and '80s when the stylistic serenity of old, established neighborhoods was being disrupted by the insertion
Life’s Absurdities