#trends
Just recently, I spent some time looking through an issue of WaterShapes published in 2003. I won’t name names, but one of the articles was about a custom installation that was labeled as “luxurious” – and I was struck by the fact that, by today’s standards, it wasn’t really anything very special. Make no mistake: This magazine has had a great deal to do with advancing our industry, and I have no doubt that, six years ago, the project that caught my eye was at or near
Until quite recently, it was difficult to find too many people in the watershaping industry who were willing to say much about “going green.” For a while now, I’ve thought that was a mistake: It’s been manifestly clear for several years that practices and programs related to energy conservation, water conservation and an overall sense of environmental responsibility are here to stay, and I always think it’s better to stay ahead of the curve when these movements arise than it is to
Last month, I opened a two-part discussion on healing gardens, a trend in landscape design that’s become popular among managers at hospitals and other healthcare facilities who desire spaces where patients, visitors and staff can spend a bit of time in nature to heal, set aside stress and otherwise regenerate themselves. In the time since I first became involved with these spaces, I’ve also seen demand for these gardens – known in other contexts as “tranquility gardens” – grow among
One of the greatest epiphanies I’ve ever had as a watershaper came many years ago when I was asked to tell a group of businesspeople what I did for a living. I’d been invited to attend a meeting of the Miami Chamber of Commerce and, as a newcomer, was asked to say a few words about my company and my work. I was to go second: The first speaker was in the carpet-cleaning business and, as I recall vividly, described what he did in such a way that it would’ve been a great cure for insomnia. Standing up after his sleep-inducing performance, I was
I’ve always enjoyed spotting trends in watershaping, and I think I’ve found another that bears mentioning. This one first caught my eye on my daily walks through the neighborhood surrounding my home in Laguna Beach, Calif. I’ve always reveled in the creativity homeowners in this upscale seaside enclave apply in detailing their properties. Better still, it’s a place where no two homes are the same and almost everyone takes
It's probably something that few owners of swimming pools built in the 40-year period after World War II ever paused to consider, but from the days of ancient Rome until modern times, pools and watershapes were often finished with white or light gray materials of some type. From the late 1940s straight through to the mid-'70s, in fact, it was unusual - even over the top - for a backyard swimming pool to be finished with anything other than white plaster: That was what the companies that defined the industry in the early-postwar period used, and for the most part, that was the only choice consumers had. There were, of course, some beautiful (and costly) all-tile pools, and pools belonging to folks on all economic strata were occasionally painted in different colors, but brilliant white seemed to be exactly what everyone craved to the point where
Whether you call yourself an environmentalist or not, the current information about climate change and a range of related issues is something you need to consider. Before you react to that statement, be advised that you don't have to accept global warming as fact or anything else experts and scientists might say at face value. What you do have to accept, however, is that there's enough going on in those arenas that your clients are picking up on it - and personally, that's more than enough motivation for me to start paying attention sooner rather than later. In other words, as both enlightened citizens and forward-thinking watershapers, I think things are at a point where it's probably wise to
Whether you call yourself an environmentalist or not, the current information about climate change and a range of related issues is something you need to consider. Before you react to that statement, be advised that you don't have to accept global warming as fact or anything else experts and scientists might say at face value. What you do have to accept, however, is that there's enough going on in those arenas that your clients are picking up on it - and personally, that's more than enough motivation for me to start paying attention sooner rather than later. In other words, as both enlightened citizens and forward-thinking watershapers, I think things are at a point where it's probably wise to
It's a given that human beings enjoy being near water. That's why waterfront property generally comes at a premium and beaches are a favored destination for those who live inland. Quite frankly, it's also why the watershaping industry exists: Even if there isn't necessarily an overwhelming desire to get wet, the desire for proximity to water is almost universal. This built-in need to be close to water is, I believe, resulting in an exciting trend that seems to be taking hold and is in some cases redefining the role that water plays in the environment: More and more often, we designers are being asked to
Deficits of Trust