hydraulics
Vanishing-edge pools are all about changing the relationship of the water to its surroundings. They enable the water to reflect views and create visual links to the surrounding scenery in dramatic and surprising ways that simply can't be achieved with conventional designs. The same distinction is true of perimeter-overflow systems and pools with deck-level (or slot-overflow) designs, which is why I classify all three together as "water-in-transit" systems. There's a lot of diversity under that big conceptual umbrella, but these pools share
It should be a given, but it isn't: Despite the fact that proper pump installation is critical to ensuring the reliable and efficient functioning of any watershape's circulation system, too often installers will take shortcuts that compromise performance and shorten a pump's life. In this article, hydraulic expert Steve Gutai opens a new series on proper hydraulics with a concise look at what it takes to get the installation done the right way.
Is it honest to say that too few of the swimming pools you find in America's backyards are what one could call well built - and that even fewer of them are well designed? I think so, because so many of the pools I see run like junk and look like junk, and it's way too easy to find installations that lack any apparent relationship to their settings, their homes' architecture, the landscaping or any recognized
There's a natural tendency to think of artists as dreamy, distracted types devoid of any aptitude for or interest in things technical. When you study just about any art form in depth, however, you soon realize that
A grand California estate deserves a grand pool, and Cima del Mundo is certainly no exception. The new pool is part of a project that involves the complete renovation of a classic estate in the hills of Montecito, a prosperous enclave just south of Santa Barbara, Calif. In keeping with the overall theme of the project, which was described in detail in "The Crest of the World" (WaterShapes, January/February 2001, page 32), the pool has been outfitted with thoroughly
In the ballet of sequenced water, you'll find a repertoire of effects for watershapes of all kinds. Like individual dance steps, these water effects can be beautiful on their own - or they can be used in combination with other effects to create elaborately choreographed shows that dazzle, delight and entertain. From simple to complex and from small to utterly huge, sequenced-water effects are truly amazing, and the nice thing is that they can be incorporated into all kinds of watershapes. We'll take a look at some of the possibilities here as a means of defining why you and your clients should think about incorporating the devices needed to make them work in your projects. There are practical issues, of course, so we'll also cover the process of designing for sequencing and the considerations involved in the creative effort, as well as discussing the ins and outs of programming and commissioning for sequenced watershapes. In an extensive sidebar, we'll also take a look at available technologies and their strengths and weaknesses. Before we get into
Whether you build fountains, streams or Olympic-size swimming pools, you need to install a pump of some kind to make these watershapes work. As fundamental and essential as pumps really are, however, it's amazing to think how casual many of us in the trade are when it comes to knowing about how they work and how their performance characteristics differ. We've all heard and used terms like "energy efficient," "high head" and "self-priming," but for the most part, the real meanings of those words get lost in the competitive marketing blizzard that surrounds these products. Without a clear understanding of how pumps are designed and how they do their job, these distinctions are no more than words on a label - and that's not the way it should be. As watershapes become ever more complex and hydraulically challenging, cutting through the hype to find out what truly makes pumps work becomes even more important: No matter how beautiful a design may be, without a properly selected and installed pump working at the heart of the system, the best work will fall short in
How far we've come since the days of the lazy L, the kidney and the rectangle! During the more than 30 years I've been part of the pool industry, I've witnessed mind-boggling advances in the designs of swimming pools, spas and watershapes of all types. Especially in the past 10 years, the ideas, creativity and workmanship found in residential backyards far surpasses what we saw or even dreamed of 20 or 30 years ago. Back then, you'd have to go to a movie set or Las Vegas to see the exotic designs we are seeing today. I'd even say that today's designers are turning backyard pool environments into
