waterfalls
This past April, my wife Gina and I spent two wonderful weeks in Hawaii. As is true of most of those who visit our 50th state, we were mainly there to relax and enjoy warm weather, tropical Pacific waters, breathtaking scenery, fine cuisine and laid-back Hawaiian culture. As has been the case for countless others who’ve been there, we were not disappointed: Hawaii is everything people have said it is and much, much more. As a watershape designer, I had the added pleasure of being able to study a huge number of waterfalls and streams that mark many of the islands’ most appealing landscapes, particularly on Maui and Kauai. It was one of those happy situations where
Certainly one of the world’s most unusual watershaping achievements, ‘Le Reve’ is a Las Vegas-style aquatic production that carries audiences into an amazing dream world of water, light, music and incredible acrobatic skill. To achieve the water effects, former Cirque du Soleil producer Franco Dragone turned to Aviram Müller and Canada’s Kaarajal Design Aquatique – and the result is a marriage of watershaping art and technology unlike any other. Franco Dragone’s design team first contacted me late in 2003. His company, which organizes groups of design firms to create some of the world’s most elaborate stage productions, was working on a new Las Vegas extravaganza for hotelier Steve Wynn. Wynn’s properties are famous for their water effects, including the wonderful fountains in front of Bellagio on the Las Vegas Strip. I was told that his then-current project, the Wynn Resort, was to feature similarly spectacular water elements – one of which was to be
I've seen many changes in the 38 years I've been installing vinyl-liner pools. When I started out, we worked mostly with wooden walls, and I even recall some made with asbestos. We always did our best, but I'll concede that in those early days the construction techniques were relatively unsophisticated. These days, we at The Pool & Spa Doctor (Wall, N.J.) work mostly with galvanized-steel construction and, in a smaller percentage of projects, with either modular polymer or fiberglass systems. We've been at it long enough in our market that, through the years, we've gone in and replaced many of the old wooden walls with modern modular systems - an experience that always drives home for us the fact that the
I've seen many changes in the 38 years I've been installing vinyl-liner pools. When I started out, we worked mostly with wooden walls, and I even recall some made with asbestos. We always did our best, but I'll concede that in those early days the construction techniques were relatively unsophisticated. These days, we at The Pool & Spa Doctor (Wall, N.J.) work mostly with galvanized-steel construction and, in a smaller percentage of projects, with either modular polymer or fiberglass systems. We've been at it long enough in our market that, through the years, we've gone in and replaced many of the old wooden walls with modern modular systems - an experience that always drives home for us the fact that the
If you've been paying any attention to the media lately, you may have noticed that watershaping is "in" as a big-time topic for television, books, magazines, newspapers and other forms of mass communication. Never in all my years as part of this industry can I recall a time during which the subject of beautiful custom pools, spas, fountains, ponds, streams and interactive bodies of water has won so much attention. It seems as if our society has finally caught on to the power, beauty and excitement of the art form many of us
What makes for a great natural-style watershape? That's a huge question - one which a great many people have devoted their careers to exploring and for which almost every one of us will have a slightly different answer. As you will see here, my own response to the question starts with even more questions about the site, my clients and the surrounding structures and vegetation - questions I ask myself as I approach each individual design assignment and decide how far
It's not every day you get the chance to work on a project that's going to be seen around the world by millions of people for decades to come. That was exactly the opportunity that came our way in October 1999, when we were asked by the Denver Broncos to construct an elaborate waterfeature at Invesco Field at Mile High, a brand-new stadium that opened at the beginning of the 2001 football season. The project architect - HNTB Sports of Kansas City, Mo. - had developed
Home to some of the world's greatest outdoor spaces, Kyoto, Japan, is a garden lover's heaven. If you make the trip, however, there is one garden that stands above all others - an aesthetic treasure, a nature-inspired garden masterpiece that is quite possibly the most beautiful place I've ever been. Owned by the Japanese imperial family, Katsura Rikyu (pronounced kah-tsu-rah ree-kyu) is an estate in Western Kyoto near the Katsura River. Rikyu means "detached palace," but that translation is a little misleading to English speakers, because the estate does not
Good design isn't the sole province of any one country: It's something that happens around the world in response to local flavors and textures and the needs and desires of people who live there. Most of these watershape markets are absolutely minuscule by comparison to the U.S. market - but in each location you'll find clients who are just as interested as their American counterparts in commissioning watershapes that reflect high aspirations, suitable affluence and
It's tough to keep the Big Picture in mind when the day-to-day grind seems relentless. Even so, it's important to take a step back from time to time and remind yourself of exactly
