engineering

On the Waterfront
Did you ever have a client who knew exactly what he or she wanted in a project, only to change direction once he or she heard the price? That happened with the poolscape discussed in this article - but with an unusual twist. The homeowner, a prominent South Florida businessperson, had purchased the waterfront property with its existing pool. And he wasn't finished: He also purchased two neighboring homes, flattening one to make way for a sculpture garden and setting up the other as staff housing. When we saw the site for the first time, the main residence was
Moving a Mountain
We've participated in the construction of lots of great golf courses through the years, but this one was something special. It started for us at Pinnacle Design (Palm Desert, Calif.) with a call from one of the world's top golf-course architects, Ted Robinson, Jr., who let us know that we had to rush to prepare a presentation for a client in South Korea. As he explained the situation, if we couldn't win over the chairman of the conglomerate that was building the 27-hole course, the job would go to
2018/8.2, August 22 — Playing the Angles, Grand Landshaping, Halprin in L.A. and more
THE ESSENTIAL E-NEWSLETTER FOR WATERSHAPE DESIGNERS, ENGINEERS AND BUILDERS August 22, 2018 www.watershapes.com FEATURE ARTICLE…
Retaining-Wall Waterfalls from Blue Thumb
Blue Thumb Distributing (Saginaw, MI) makes Formal Falls waterfall systems for use in a variety…
Beneath the Shell
It's not often that an opportunity to work on anything as renowned as the Neptune Pool comes around. Built first as a reflecting pool, transformed into an oval-shaped plunge pool and, as Hearst Castle assumed massive proportions, ultimately finished as a 350,000-gallon swimming pool that's probably the most widely recognized watershape in the world, it's a pleasure just to see it, let alone help preserve it for future generations. We at Terracon, an engineering firm based in Olathe, Kans., came to the project through our acquisition late in 2014 of Rowley International, the aquatic design and engineering company based in Palos Verdes Estates, Calif. William Rowley, its principal and a specialist in sophisticated aquatic complexes - and, equally important
Changing Spaces
I've noticed through the years that, from my perspective at least, some of my favorite projects come with the best stories. The poolscape seen here is definitely one of these. The client started things off by purchasing a house in an ultra-high-end neighborhood, then personalized it with all sorts of details, materials and finishes that turned the existing house into an extremely comfortable Country French-style estate. The one element it lacked, he figured, was a nice swimming pool. While he was considering his options, the home next door - one with
2018/8.1, August 8 — The Right Revision, Comforting Spaces, Neptune Pool Repiping and more
THE ESSENTIAL E-NEWSLETTER FOR WATERSHAPE DESIGNERS, ENGINEERS AND BUILDERS August 8, 2018 www.watershapes.com FEATURE ARTICLE…
2018/7.2, July 25 — A Special Edition — WaterShapes’ Overlooked Gems!
THE ESSENTIAL E-NEWSLETTER FOR WATERSHAPE DESIGNERS, ENGINEERS AND BUILDERS July 25, 2018 www.watershapes.com FEATURE ARTICLE/May…
EasyPro Offers Mag Drive Pumps
EasyPro Pond Products (Grant, MI) makes the Tranquil Décor line of magnetic-drive pumps for small…
Copper Spas and Hot Tubs from Diamond Spas
Diamond Spas (Broomfield, CO) offers custom spas and hot tubs made from copper, a material…