pool Archives - Page 9 of 51

2019/1.2, January 23 — Curative Power, Reflective Fixation, ‘Inclusive’ Fountain and more

THE ESSENTIAL E-NEWSLETTER FOR WATERSHAPE DESIGNERS, ENGINEERS AND BUILDERS January 23, 2019 www.watershapes.com FEATURE ARTICLE…

Raypak Releases New Electric Pool/Spa Heater

Raypak (Oxnard, CA) has introduced the Electric 3 Series Titanium heater for pools and spas.…

2019/1.1, January 9 — Evolving Vision, Simple Shade, Fit for a Queen and more

THE ESSENTIAL E-NEWSLETTER FOR WATERSHAPE DESIGNERS, ENGINEERS AND BUILDERS January 9, 2019 www.watershapes.com FEATURE ARTICLE…

After leaving us with a cliffhanger last month, Scott Christie follows up here with information on the clients' surprise request and on the process of bringing the backyard into final form with -- in addition to the original pool and spa -- a new pond system and, oh yes, a crumbling ruin.

Up from the Ruins

My recent article in WaterShapes left readers in some suspense. As reported last time (click here), we were most of the way through the design process and were actually getting ready to start important work on site when the homeowners sprung something new on us. They'd just returned from a trip to Europe, and they'd been so inspired by what they'd seen that they wondered if we could inject a sense of the "Old World" into the project. The goal had previously been about creating a naturalistic setting in which wilderness seemed intent on reclaiming the space. Their fresh desire was to make explicit the notion that a

Waterway Publishes 2019 Pool/Spa Product Catalog

Waterway Plastics (Oxnard, CA) has released its 2019 Pool & Spa Product Buyer’s Guide, a…

As part of a huge, evolving, multi-year project, Scott Christie and his colleagues were tasked with adding a pool to an estate's big backyard. In the first of two articles on what took place, he guides us through a design process filled with details, changes -- and a key surprise.

Peeling the Onion

There's a lot to be said for working with the same homeowners through extended periods on various projects on single sites. From easier communications and familiarity with personalities to full awareness of site dynamics and the capabilities of local talent, the advantages of these long-term relationship quickly collect in long lists. In this particular case, we at Hess Landscape Architects (Lansdale, Pa.) have worked on one particular property for a pair of clients for ten years now. This has included a variety of projects on an estate that covers

2018/12.2, December 19 — Evolving Details, Year-Round Impact, Garden Gem and more

THE ESSENTIAL E-NEWSLETTER FOR WATERSHAPE DESIGNERS, ENGINEERS AND BUILDERS December 19, 2018 www.watershapes.com FEATURE ARTICLE…

Instead of using soils and structural engineers to prepare plans tailored to a site's specific needs, builders sometimes order generic engineering plans and hope everything will work out for the best. That's a debatable decision, writes Paolo Benedetti, for reasons he lays out here.

Weighing the Options

In recent years, I've witnessed or participated in enjoyable conversations about the fact that pools, spas, fountains and other waterfeatures are now more complex than they've ever been. What I've heard and seen less often, however, is equivalent bantering about the fact that engineering plans for such projects must keep pace if these elaborate watershapes are to perform - as they should - well into the future. In this context of progress and success, it should trouble watershapers that large numbers of builders persist in relying on generic structural plans when it's time to break ground on their projects - even on those that