grottoes

Avoiding ‘Dead Spots’
Just the term “dead spot” sounds bad on its own – and that’s probably a good thing, because it’s definitely something every watershaper should try to avoid. That can be tough these days, given the complex shapes of modern swimming pools and their multiple curves, inlets, grottos, vanishing edges, beach entries, tanning shelves and various other features that complicate the interior contours of the shell. To get the job done, you need to
Shell Games
It all started in 2002, when I was contacted by an architect who’d been retained to design a recreational complex for a huge estate in a wealthy Chicago suburb.  I knew at the time that this would be big, but in those early days I had no clear idea exactly what it would ultimately entail. It’s a familiar story:  Before the call came in, the homeowner had spoken with a number of pool-contracting firms in the area and had visited a number of projects that failed to impress her.  The unusual thing is, at the time she called I was focused exclusively on pursuing large-scale commercial projects and waterparks and didn’t see anything even approaching a
A Rustic Retreat
The Shenandoah Valley of western Virginia is one of the most beautiful places I've ever been.  The site to which we were summoned in January 2004 - a 220-acre estate set amidst its rolling hills - confirmed that opinion in every possible way by offering incredible views of nearby valleys, forests, farmland and mountains.   We'd been called to take over a grand-scale swimming-pool project, one as outsized as the property with respect to scope and complexity - and one that required constant, detailed interaction with