craftsmanship

2015/11.1, November 4 — Durable Plaster, Rooftop Dynamics, Courtyard Charms and more
THE ESSENTIAL E-NEWSLETTER FOR WATERSHAPE DESIGNERS, ENGINEERS AND BUILDERS November 4, 2015 www.watershapes.com UP ON…
The Hidden Source (pdf version)
Cascades and waterfalls are different from most other types of watershapes. In ponds, for example, the quiet reflective surface of the water serves to accentuate elements within the water, such as the plants, fish and rock materials, while reflecting the features surrounding it. That same reflectivity is a hallmark of pools as well. Our purpose in setting up cascades and waterfalls is, by contrast, to highlight the water itself, and specifically the
2011/9.1, September 14 — Curb Appeal, Fallingwater, Craftsmanship and more
September 14, 2011 WATERSHAPES.COM FEATURE ARTICLE Kicking Up ‘Curb Appeal’ You don’t get a second…
Quality Don’t Come Easy
    In 2001, as part of his ‘Aqua Culture’ column in WaterShapes, Brian Van Bower penned a thought-provoking piece entitled “Quality Don’t Come Easy.”  In it, he decried what he saw as a dearth of quality craftspeople in the watershaping trades — and in the broader construction industry as well.   “Time and again,” he noted, “I commiserate with colleagues who just can’t find good people who are dedicated to 
Images in Stone
Since the dawn of civilization, it has stood as the single most enduring of all artistic media:  From representations of mythological characters and historic events to applications as purely architectural forms and fixtures, carved stone has been with us every step of the way.   As modern observers, we treasure this heritage in the pyramids of Egypt and Mesoamerica.  We see it in the Parthenon in Athens, in the Roman Colosseum and in India's Taj Mahal - every one of them among humankind's finest uses of carved stone in the creation of monuments and public buildings.  As watershapers in particular, we stand in awe before the Trevi Fountain in Rome, the glorious waterworks of the Villa d'Este and the fountains of Versailles, three of history's most prominent examples of carved stone's use in conjunction with water. But you don't need to
Crossroads of Culture
I spent ten days this last December traveling in Turkey - my second visit to the country in the past several years and a trip that reinforced vivid memories of just how mind-expanding a place it is. The Greek, Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman empires all held sway over this patch of land at times during the past 2,500 years, and throughout that long history, these and other great civilizations of both East and West have made their marks on the place.  Situated at the crossroads of land- and sea-trade routes between Europe and Asia, Turkey has vast, rich reserves to drawn upon when it comes to