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Bringing Visions to Life

I remember several years ago, back before it was really fashionable to build completely naturalistic pools, that I decided this was exactly what I wanted to do. This was in the very early 80s, when you'd see maybe some rocks on the bond beam or a waterfall on the end of the pool - but that was about as natural as it got back then. My new idea was to create environments that were completely natural, stem to stern. I tried presenting the concept to a number of potential clients, explaining how we could do things like angle the top of the pool and install rocks all around the edge and create natural

At some point, designing most any watershape means committing the concept to paper. A good bird’s-eye-view plot plan might be enough for imaginative clients who can translate a two-dimensional schematic into a vision of their yard’s potential, observes Clint West, but that’s asking a lot. Instead – and where the budget makes it sensible – why not present your client with a full-color, three-dimensional rendering and use the power of the image to everyone’s benefit?

Rendering a Visual Assist

Long before the Bobcats show up, most watershape designers will have used some sort of two-dimensional artwork to excavate their customers' imaginations. Perhaps it starts with old photographs in a portfolio, but it almost always ends up with new drawings that encourage precise, detailed communication between designer and client in a way that can never be fully achieved with verbal descriptions or written proposals. If done with appropriate detail and skill, a drawing gives designer and client the opportunity to explore the