construction

Making a River Flow
  For more than 50 years, our company has focused on designing and building swimming pools for municipalities, universities, health clubs, state parks, swim clubs, subdivisions, apartments and hospitals - with some residential projects added in for good measure. We're good at what we do, and if we've learned anything through the years, it's that we're successful because we approach each and every project as being
Pushing Limits
  When it happens this way, it's truly special. The clients had seen my work and had been so impressed that they said they didn't want to "sway" me in one direction or another by offering their own design ideas and suggestions. Almost as important, they had the wherewithal to set me loose in pursuit of what I thought should be done throughout the entire space - everything from the watershapes and the outdoor kitchen to the plants and furnishings and small decorative details. As I discovered and they already
2017/11.2, November 15 — Tiny Spaces, Lazy Rivers, Public Waters and more
THE ESSENTIAL E-NEWSLETTER FOR WATERSHAPE DESIGNERS, ENGINEERS AND BUILDERS November 15, 2017 www.watershapes.com FEATURE ARTICLE…
Edges with a Difference
  Very often these days, we're a pre-selected contractor and get involved in projects early enough that we participate in their development almost from inception. That's great, because it gives us the opportunity to define what needs to happen to make the most of the glass-tile finishes we're frequently asked to install. In this case, however, another contractor had the first shot at the job, which involved extensive work on an unusual vanishing-edge pool as well as an innovative spa and a nice little waterfeature. Long story short, that other company had apparently never
Layering Experience
  In advancing my career as a watershape designer, I've put major stock in education to give me an edge. I've taken multiple courses in computer-assisted design, for instance, along with all sorts of technical-skills classes to keep me up with what's current in the field. But I've noticed as well that the accumulation of experience is a huge additional asset, mainly because it reflects what I've already tried, survived and learned from - but also because having done some of the things I've tackled through the years gives me
2017/11.1, November 1 — Design Audacity, Tile Mastery, Image Elevation and more
THE ESSENTIAL E-NEWSLETTER FOR WATERSHAPE DESIGNERS, ENGINEERS AND BUILDERS November 1, 2017 www.watershapes.com LOUISIANA DREAMIN’,…
In Pursuit of Art
  For me and my business in around 2008, this project was a real rite of passage. At that point, pool-construction and shotcrete-application companies like ours were well established and had lineages stretching back to the 1950s. Just the same, we were having a hard time gaining recognition from architects, landscape architects and developers who were pursuing quality, prestige construction. The irony is, my own firm had
Looking at Lighting
The advent of underwater LED lighting has changed the way we look at and perceive swimming pools and spas once the sun goes down. In contrast to past days, when a single incandescent light blasted the eyes of anyone nearby, lighting is now a far subtler design feature - an intricate, integral part of a pool's aesthetic presence and the key facilitator in creating an ideal backyard ambiance once the sun goes down. But LED technology brings a learning curve with it - one that is even more of a challenge in an era when pool designs are increasingly dynamic and complex. And no matter whether you're a veteran or a
2017/10.2, October 18 — Mansion Memories, Lighting Dynamics, Fountain Miscue and more
THE ESSENTIAL E-NEWSLETTER FOR WATERSHAPE DESIGNERS, ENGINEERS AND BUILDERS October 18, 2017 www.watershapes.com IN MEMORIAM…
Inter-Fab Offers River Run Landscape Slides
Inter-Fab (Tucson, AZ) has launched a series of six pre-designed landscape slides that are easy…