soils report
Some of the most intriguing projects begin with an element of mystery. I received a call from a prominent local designer who informed me that he was putting together a Dream Team for a special client and a special site - but for now, no name would be attached: All we were to receive was a reference number (15-LLC) and a location along with a preliminary plan and some photographs. I wasn't alone in receiving this preview: Other top-tier exterior-design professionals had been
Not long ago, I received a call from a young electronics entrepreneur who asked me to come and meet with him about the possibility of adding a swimming pool or spa to his multi-million-dollar hilltop property. The home had been built in the early 1960s, he told me, and he'd just completed a major remodeling project. He also indicated that he knew I was expensive, but that he'd already met with a number of other contractors and wanted to
Through the years, I’ve seen plentiful discussions of the fact that geotechnical (or soils) reports are required for proper watershape engineering. And it’s not just about complex vanishing-edge or perimeter-overflow pools: It’s about all swimming pools, spas, fountains and waterfeatures. Let’s consider that case closed. But who exactly should
One would like to think that if there was anything all watershapers were good at doing, it would be digging holes. As with many other watershaping activities, however, it is apparent that some are better at it than others and that the excavation portion of a project either does a good job of setting the stage for great things to follow - or involves errors that can project themselves all the way through to the finished product. In my view, getting things right at this stage is as important as any other step in the design, engineering or construction process and is actually
One would like to think that if there was anything all watershapers were good at doing, it would be digging holes. As with many other watershaping activities, however, it is apparent that some are better at it than others and that the excavation portion of a project either does a good job of setting the stage for great things to follow - or involves errors that can project themselves all the way through to the finished product. In my view, getting things right at this stage is as important as any other step in the design, engineering or construction process and is actually
When I sit down with clients for our first face-to-face meeting, we discuss a range of issues that will guide me when I return to my studio and get down to designing a watershape and surrounding areas for them. We'll talk about colors, materials, the location of the pool, their preferences in art, the way they entertain and, perhaps most important of all, how they plan to use their backyard and swimming pool. Let's focus on that last point: When we talk about how a pool is going to be used, what I really want to know is how it will be used on a daily or weekly basis (for swimming, exercise, play or simply as a visual), not how it's going to be used once or twice each year when they throw a big pool party. My thought is that these clients will
When I sit down with clients for our first face-to-face meeting, we discuss a range of issues that will guide me when I return to my studio and get down to designing a watershape and surrounding areas for them. We'll talk about colors, materials, the location of the pool, their preferences in art, the way they entertain and, perhaps most important of all, how they plan to use their backyard and swimming pool. Let's focus on that last point: When we talk about how a pool is going to be used, what I really want to know is how it will be used on a daily or weekly basis (for swimming, exercise, play or simply as a visual), not how it's going to be used once or twice each year when they throw a big pool party. My thought is that these clients will
When he was brought in to replace a pool that had failed because of improper construction for the existing soil conditions, David Tisherman knew he’d have to dig deep to come up with a solution – literally. The resulting structural design defines an approach to building in which at least as much thought and care goes into what’s installed beneath a pool or spa as into how the project ultimately will look to the client. Some projects are doomed from the start, and it was pretty obvious when I first laid eyes on what was left of the existing pool that this was one of those cases: Light-duty construction coupled with a complete lack of consideration of existing soil conditions had resulted in a nightmare for the homeowner – and costly litigation for the contractor. But with every failure comes a chance to succeed, and that’s what we’re working toward in this project, which is about 50% complete as this chapter of the story is being written. Our goal: taking an utter catastrophe and transforming it to a
