spa design Archives - Page 3 of 14

Collaborative Artists

The three features that top this edition of WaterShapes have been a long time coming - a special package of articles all about the same project told from three different professional perspectives. Through the years, we at WaterShapes have taken this

2019/6.1, June 5 — One Project, Three Perspectives and more

THE ESSENTIAL E-NEWSLETTER FOR WATERSHAPE DESIGNERS, ENGINEERS AND BUILDERS June 5, 2019 www.watershapes.com COLLABORATIVE ART,…

Waterway Publishes 2019 Pool/Spa Product Catalog

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

Designing and building any pool in close proximity to a body of water has its challenges. But if you start by focusing on one primary goal, writes William Drakeley, you'll find that the rest of the tasks involved in these technically demanding projects will become much more manageable.

Working at Water’s Edge

As watershapers, we all have one common goal in mind: We don't ever want our concrete pools, spas, fountains or waterfeatures - whatever it is we've just finished building - to move at any time, in any way at all. This is true no matter the physical or geological circumstances. On a slope, on the flat, elevated above a parking garage or set on rock or in sand or clay, wherever we're working, we follow

The project started with a touch of mystery, says Chuck Baumann, but not knowing the name of the client up front was no barrier to defining the site's potential -- or to asking for an expanded budget that would take full advantage of breathtaking views of San Francisco and its bay.

A Champion’s Pool

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

Pentair Adds Variable-Speed Pump with Flow Control

Pentair Aquatic Systems (Sanford, NC) has introduced an IntelliFlo variable-speed pump that also provides precise…

Working on a steeply sloping site above a Texas lake, Mike Farley ran into a bizarre local rule that knocked him back a couple steps -- literally. But that episode didn't keep him from providing his clients and their kids with more fun and features than they had ever imagined possible.

Dual Jewels

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

The pool and its spa may have simple shapes, says Jimmy Reed, but when they're finished as boldly as these are with glass and stone tile and custom-cut granite edging, you learn fast that basic contours pose unique challenges when it comes to producing visually flawless surfaces.

A Simple Marvel

If I've learned anything through the years, it's that a successful, truly satisfying project generally requires a good client and, quite often, a great project team. What the good client was after in the project discussed here was pretty simple - that is, an oval-shaped pool to go along with a large, oval-shaped shade structure another contractor was to install alongside it. Making a fine start, the client called in Skip Phillips of