pool Archives - Page 47 of 51

For most of the past four years, landscape architect/contractor/watershaper Mark Holden has devoted much of his professional energy to the creation of magnificent settings for Cima del Mundo, a grand estate high in the hills of Montecito, Calif. In two previous articles, he wrote about the nuts and bolts of the multi-phase project. Here, he steps back and offers a pictorial celebration to mark its completion.

A Classic Crescendo

'Project of a lifetime" may not be enough to describe our work at Cima del Mundo. If you'll recall, the hilltop home had experienced many changes since its original construction in 1925, including service as a makeshift monastery as well as a stretch of years in which the property was abandoned and

Most watershapers would agree that it’s relatively easy to build excellence into projects that come with large budgets – and that it’s much harder to stay on the path to quality when working in the mid-range market. Rather than compromise and degrade the product (which happens far too frequently, says G. Bruce Dunn of Mission Pools), the savvy contractor should focus on finding ways to deliver at the highest level, even for clients of modest means.

Core Value

To my way of thinking, even a so-called average swimming pool is a wonderful thing. It's a product we place in a backyard for the long haul, a product that provides an ongoing recreational experience, operates reliably, enhances lifestyles and adds to property values while offering quality family benefits. With that in mind, I firmly believe that we as an industry must collectively make the decision that there's no place for second-rate construction. "Bargain construction" doesn't work in our industry simply because of the

Right from the Start

Back in June 2000, WaterShapes publisher Jim McCloskey and I traveled to Montecito, Calif., to have a look at a project being installed by our friend Mark Holden. Just the drive up the long private road from sea level to

It’s time for a return visit to Cima del Mundo, the 50-acre estate in the hills above Montecito, Calif., that we first visited a year ago. Last time, we took a look at the design and construction of the courtyard’s central fountain, now complete. This time, we join landscape architect/contractor/watershaper Mark Holden to catch up on progress with another key feature: a new pool and spa that look as though they might have been built with the home in 1925.

Cresting Perfection

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

Texas watershaper Tom Moneta is one who believes that vanishing-edge effects are just too good to be limited to use on swimming pools and fountains. So he and the designers at Leisure Living Pools have spent the past few years perfecting ‘vanishing-edge spas’ – vessels that neatly combine the decorative qualities of waterfeatures with the therapeutic joys of bubbling hot water.

On the Hot Edge

Increasing numbers of our clients are asking for more from their watershapes - so many, in fact, that we're seeing an unprecedented blurring of the lines between swimming pools, spas and the full range of decorative waterfeatures. This demand is particularly strong in one area: In addition to projects that are functional, our clients want them to be visually compelling as well. This need has inspired designers at our firm (and elsewhere) to new levels of creativity. In certain instances, we at Leisure Living Pools in Frisco, Texas, have answered the call with spa designs that

Draped across a mountaintop overlooking Los Angeles, the Getty Center is truly monumental. But if you can wrest your attention from the outsized galleries and imposing offices and endure the always-large population of visitors, you find yourself in spaces uniquely moderated and defined by the use of water – as decoration, as diversion and as counterbalance to the gleaming, hard-edged structures that surround you.

Art for Art’s Sake

The Getty Center is a true multi-media experience: imposing architecture, lots of people, incredible materials of construction, amazing views, diverse spaces, rich and varied sounds - and it's mostly all a bonus, because none of this has much to do with the Los Angeles center's core functions as museum and research institution. Designed by architect Richard Meier, the 750-acre campus is dominated by outsized structures wrapped in travertine, glass and enameled aluminum. It's all a bit cold (maybe time will soften the sharper edges and

Material Issues

Lately I've been finding myself in what seems like a fairly unique position: On the one hand, I work as a design consultant for architects and as a designer for high-end customers; on the other, I work as a builder executing the designs that customers and their architects choose. In this dual capacity, I've been able to gather a tremendous amount of input from construction clients and transfer it in one form or another as a consultant. I also have had the opportunity of seeing how decisions made in the design process play out during the construction process. Seeing both sides has led me to certain conclusions, chief among them

Fallingwater is one of the world’s most photographed and studied residences: Frank Lloyd Wright’s sublime and inspired interweaving of architecture, forest and water has a grandeur that has never been matched in the more than six decades since its completion. Here, watershape designer and Wright enthusiast David Tisherman salutes this remarkable achievement and the man who redefined architecture for the 20th Century – and beyond.

Amazing Grace

It's one of the most famous buildings in the world, but few people know that Frank Lloyd Wright designed Fallingwater in a matter of hours. In 1935, when Wright first received the commission to design and build a vacation home for Pittsburgh retail tycoon Edgar J. Kaufman and his family in Mill Run, Pa., he didn't get to the project right away. After several months of preliminary discussions and delays, Kaufman decided to force the issue, telephoning the architect and saying that he was going to visit Wright's studio to see what had been done. It was at that point Wright decided he'd better design the house. He had a weekend. The construction process was no more direct, but it took longer. Work began in 1936 and was completed by 1939 in a series of costly fits and starts. The project was originally set to cost in the neighborhood of $40,000, but the final tally rose to nearly ten times that amount - not inconsiderable in post-Depression America. The result of the dramatic (and, at times, traumatic) process of design and construction is nothing less than one of the greatest achievements in American architecture, a work so compelling that it never stops

Amazing Grace

It's one of the most famous buildings in the world, but few people know that Frank Lloyd Wright designed Fallingwater in a matter of hours. In 1935, when Wright first received the commission to design and build a vacation home for Pittsburgh retail tycoon Edgar J. Kaufman and his family in Mill Run, Pa., he didn't get to the project right away. After several months of preliminary discussions and delays, Kaufman decided to force the issue, telephoning the architect and saying that he was going to visit Wright's studio to see what had been done. It was at that point Wright decided he'd better design the house. He had a weekend. The construction process was no more direct, but it took longer. Work began in 1936 and was completed by 1939 in a series of costly fits and starts. The project was originally set to cost in the neighborhood of $40,000, but the final tally rose to nearly ten times that amount - not inconsiderable in post-Depression America. The result of the dramatic (and, at times, traumatic) process of design and construction is nothing less than one of the greatest achievements in American architecture, a work so compelling that it never stops

The customer wanted it all: a large pool and spa made with natural materials; a fully-equipped outdoor entertainment area; a place to keep cool while lounging in the sunshine – all woven seamlessly into a work of watershaping art that took full advantage of a marvelously scenic location. Here’s a look at how designer/builder David Tisherman pulled all of the details into their dramatic final form.

Woven Beauty

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. If you've followed my "Details" column in WaterShapes in recent months, you've seen many of the components that have been incorporated into this particular