pool systems
I’ve been discussing watershapes with clients for about 25 years now, and it’s been a long time since I was surprised by any of the questions they’ve asked me along the way. I’ve noticed, of course, that in many cases I’ve been asked
This project is all about making connections – connections between the inside of a home and the outdoors; between surrounding wide-open spaces and an intimate backyard; between the colors of the hillsides and the materials used in crafting the watershape; between the clients’ desire for recreation and their passion for beauty; and between the beauty of nature and the modern, sculptural lines of the design. In style, this freeform, vanishing-edge pool and raised spa are
Although the details of a well-organized equipment pad are seldom the object of as much appreciation as are the purely aesthetic touches on a project, they are no less important to its success, says Paolo Benedetti. Here, in the latest installment of his series on design and engineering solutions to common construction challenges, he offers advice on a key part of pad organization – that is, the management of its wiring connections. With today’s watershape circulation and support equipment becoming ever more complicated, there’s an increasing need to make equipment pads as uncluttered as possible. With that in mind, I’ve developed a few simple wiring strategies that let me keep things neat, organized and serviceable. It requires some improvisation, unfortunately, because for all the efforts manufacturers have undertaken to improve product performance, in many cases they have failed to make the wiring task as easy as it should be. A classic example is found in
{Multithumb} Ever since people decided to contain and control water for recreational and decorative uses, there have been competing ideas about how to treat it so that it remains safe for human contact. That environment has become even more intense in recent years, as questions and concerns have arisen about the continuing use of traditional chlorine chemistry to get this important job done. Today, for example, we hear a lot about “natural pools” – systems using plant material to absorb the nutrients that feed algae and bacteria. There’s also ozone technology, which needs to be combined with stabilized halogen to treat water effectively. Then there are copper/silver ionization systems and their cousins, the saltwater chlorinators, which have taken root and gained support in many quarters. My career working with alternative sanitizers began a few decades ago. About three years ago, my firm – Fluid Logics of Upland, Calif. – entered this arena with the thought in mind that the watershaping industry needed to take a broader view of the last of those alternatives, digging back through the 100-year history of electrolytic chemical generation and expanding the capacity of these systems to oxidize organic compounds and sanitize the water. For several years before then, I had
Swimming pools don’t always need to be complex or innovative to be beautiful. In fact, I’d like to suggest that even the simplest of design programs, when handled well by the watershaper, can lead to outstanding results. The reasons are obvious and well known: With water, we manage the world’s most beautiful and alluring design material. If we do a good job, put that water in the right place and build our structures well, the potential for achieving gorgeous results is almost always within reach and we organize reflections, flows, sounds, hardscape and plants. If all of those elements are in control and integrated into the same thoughtful program, in other words, even the most basic of projects can be so aesthetically on target that it will elicit strong emotional responses. All of these factors were in play with the small pool discussed here: With just 800 square feet of surface area, it sits in the front yard of a modest but attractive home in the Five Towns area of New York’s Long Island and is distinguished by
I like a good challenge in my work, and I like to have fun making it happen. This project embodied the best of both experiences. The project displayed on these pages was built for a wealthy client who lives on a working horse ranch in the rolling green countryside near Ocala, Fla. Our company, Certified Construction, was up to the task. We build hundreds of highly customized watershapes each year for a variety of theme parks, resorts and high-end residences. Most have highly developed "themes," so we're accustomed to providing our clients with heavy doses of imagination and creativity. The basic marching orders on this job were straightforward: The owner wanted a theme park on his property for his kids - and he didn't really care about
