The COVID-19 pandemic has brought suffering and loss to many. It has certainly challenged everyone’s patience and forced us to find creative ways to move forward on the work front from the confines of home. For some, that’s proven impossible and they are truly stuck at home with little or nothing to do. Others are luckier and can earn the daily bread in isolation, or quarantine. Many bravely soldier on in medical facilities, grocery stores, delivery services and other essential businesses.
Tag: planning
Smiling in the Rock Yard
By Dave Garton
Author’s note: In January as part of a previous article in this series, I briefly discussed the process of selecting stone material with clients. Here we’ll expand on that process with a look at why checking out rocks can be so much fun, and why it can be so important.
Smiling changes things, but what on earth does that have to do with building ponds, or any other type of watershape for that matter? That answer is simply everything! In fact, this simple truth about the power of smiling might just be the most practical idea that exists in the world of watershaping. I believe it’s right there with
Embracing a Vision
By Dave Penton
Through the years, I’ve been involved in a number of amazing watershaping projects in the southern California region. I’m particularly comfortable with hillside work and have designed and built breathtaking pools and spas on my own, but I spend most of my time these days building to the specifications of ambitious architects and designers who know exactly what they want but
2019/5.2, May 15 — Vision Lessons, Gravel Appreciation, D.C. Masterpiece and more
THE ESSENTIAL E-NEWSLETTER FOR WATERSHAPE DESIGNERS, ENGINEERS AND BUILDERS May 15, 2019 www.watershapes.com FEATURE ARTICLE Adopted Vision Building a project to another designer’s plan can be awkward when you notice flaws you might have helped address. In this case, notesTanr Ross, the results were truly spectacular — but assessing the ‘deficiencies’ taught him valuable lessons […]
Planting Places
By Brian Van Bower
‘Growing as a designer,’ wrote Brian Van Bower to start his Aqua Culture column in October 2008, ‘is often a matter of seeing things from fresh perspectives.
‘As one with roots in the pool industry, for example, I once thought first about water and about plants and softscape later (if at all). That bias isn’t uncommon, of course: I know plenty of landscape architects and designers who think about plants first and only later
Planting Places
By Brian Van Bower
‘Growing as a designer,’ wrote Brian Van Bower to start his Aqua Culture column in October 2008, ‘is often a matter of seeing things from fresh perspectives.
‘As one with roots in the pool industry, for example, I once thought first about water and about plants and softscape later (if at all). That bias isn’t uncommon, of course: I know plenty of landscape architects and designers who think about plants first and only later
Dual Jewels
By Mike Farley
One of the important lessons I learned as a young watershaper is that I am not a surveyor.
Working on a pool design in the hills south of California’s Napa Valley many, many years ago, I found myself on a sloping lot, broke out my line level and figured I could, with some patience and care, map all of the relevant elevations and develop a suitable design based on my observations of the contours.
As it turned out, I was
2018/2.2, February 21 — Artfully to Plan, Fountains’ Foundations, Civic Prudery and more
THE ESSENTIAL E-NEWSLETTER FOR WATERSHAPE DESIGNERS, ENGINEERS AND BUILDERS February 21, 2018 www.watershapes.com FEATURE ARTICLE All in the Details It’s not how he usually works, notesBen Lasseter. But on this occasion, the opportunity to bring someone else’s exceptional design to fruition made taking a secondary role the right move — even with the awkward scheduling, […]
2017/2.2, February 22 — Sustaining Water, Frosty Ponds, Nautical Meditations and more
THE ESSENTIAL E-NEWSLETTER FOR WATERSHAPE DESIGNERS, ENGINEERS AND BUILDERS February 22, 2017 www.watershapes.com SUSTAINABLE TRENDS Water’s Place We’re all naturally attracted to water, writes Robert Mikula, but with perceptions of its preciousness and scarcity on the rise, it has become increasingly difficult to ensure its inclusion in built environments. Here’s the first of three articles […]
2016/9.2, September 21 — Hilltop Staging, Pond Pests, Shimmering Reflections and more
THE ESSENTIAL E-NEWSLETTER FOR WATERSHAPE DESIGNERS, ENGINEERS AND BUILDERS September 21, 2016 www.watershapes.com FEATURE ARTICLE All About the View The hilltop spec house called for a soft-spoken pool and spa that didn’t interfere with the great view beyond. So he started with a simple form, writes Ben Lasseter — then focused his creative energies on […]