integration
In August 1999, more than 30 professionals gathered at a small college in Southeastern Ohio to talk about water and absorb the rudiments of a collective "Philosophy of Design." Organized by The Whispering Crane Institute, the conference was as much about attitude as it was about the practicalities of designing with water. In attendance were Rick Anderson and Richard Dubé of the Whispering Crane Institute and the Genesis 3 team of Skip Phillips, Brian Van Bower and
As purveyors of fountains and other forms of decorative or recreational water, watershapers are faced these days by an immediate challenge: What we do is generally classified as "unsustainable" by an environmentally conscious public because they erroneously assume poor performance when it comes to the way we approach water consumption, use of space and energy efficiency. On the surface, these are serious knocks on
Of all the innovations related to pond technology, design and installation I’ve encountered in recent years, the most curious one to me has always been the “pondless waterfall.” In an industry where the highest aspiration is always toward achieving truly naturalistic results, having the water reach the bottom and percolate into a bed of stones rather than into a large, attractive pool of water leaves the designer or installer with the challenge of making the project work visually (and emotionally) in what can clearly be perceived as an artificial context. To overcome these perceptions,
As custom watershapers, we all know that each combination of client and project presents a unique profile with respect to scope, design goals and the overall mission. In the project seen here, however, that common formulation was elevated by virtue of the fact that we were working with an accomplished architect on what was to be his own home. He came to the table with strong, distinct ideas about style and project direction, but he was also willing to collaborate with us when it came to the details and practicalities of developing a watershape composition that suited both his needs and a spectacular setting. The property - a gently sloping two-acre lot - is located in an exclusive neighborhood in San Marino, Calif., and our work there took place in concert with construction of a gorgeous new home in a classic Mediterranean style. My company, Arcadia Pools & Spas of Arcadia, Calif., had worked with the architect before on a fountain for a commercial property, so we
As custom watershapers, we all know that each combination of client and project presents a unique profile with respect to scope, design goals and the overall mission. In the project seen here, however, that common formulation was elevated by virtue of the fact that we were working with an accomplished architect on what was to be his own home. He came to the table with strong, distinct ideas about style and project direction, but he was also willing to collaborate with us when it came to the details and practicalities of developing a watershape composition that suited both his needs and a spectacular setting. The property - a gently sloping two-acre lot - is located in an exclusive neighborhood in San Marino, Calif., and our work there took place in concert with construction of a gorgeous new home in a classic Mediterranean style. My company, Arcadia Pools & Spas of Arcadia, Calif., had worked with the architect before on a fountain for a commercial property, so we
Like most everything in life, "Natural Companions" has evolved through the years. When I first started writing this column in 1999, I focused primarily on topics related to combining plants and watershapes and wrote a lot about surrounding hard structures with greenery in sensible and sustainable ways. As the New Year approaches, I've been thinking about how things have changed with the column and where it's now heading. I distinctly recall having the sense about four years ago that
Back in November, I described the background of a project on a sprawling estate in the hills near Hanover, Pa. - a spectacular setting for an enormous swimming pool, an island spa, a cascading waterfeature and big expanses of rockwork and stone decking. As was mentioned, our first task was to remove a brand-new system of retaining walls that had been built adjacent to the planned location for the swimming pool. We did so because the wall's large footings reached into a space needed to support a cascade that will appear to tumble into the pool. To ensure
One advantage of building pools in the affluent Chicago suburb of Lake Forest is that many of our prospects have seen inspiring landscapes, pools and waterfeatures in neighboring backyards or at quality resorts around the world - and, as a result, come to the design process with plenty of ideas. With all of that experience and thoughtful exposure to the possibilities of water, quite often they're already visualizing the way they want their backyards to look. Such was certainly the case with the project seen in this article: The homeowner came to us with an armload of photographs and knew exactly what she wanted from the outset. And the canvas for her imagination was plenty big, with a backyard measuring more than two acres and including a
I'm always looking for projects where I'm brought in to design the entire exterior environment, complete with hardscape, planting plans and watershapes. Working this way gives me a straight shot at integrating all of these major elements into cohesive designs that fit the setting. But I believe in collaboration, too, and in giving interested clients an opportunity to participate in the process. I listen carefully to what they say, factor in their budgets and then start working toward a suitable design. This integrated approach often requires intensive and extensive interaction with homeowners. Through it all, I'm flexible - but I'm also confident in my abilities, experience and expertise and generally end up installing something that closely matches my sense of the way things should be. When it works, everything goes smoothly. In the case of the project pictured in these pages, however, the process has been much more involved and is, 18 months into it, still ongoing in
Designing a New Paradigm (Part 2)