waterfeature design
Watershaping advanced by leaps and bounds from 1999 through 2004 – a journey of artistry…
Watershaping advanced by leaps and bounds from 1999 through 2004 – a journey of artistry…
Have you ever wondered why watershapes are at the heart of so many venerable courtyards and plazas? In a modern context, we might start answering that question by thinking about the natural human fascination and connection with water and then conclude that, like us, those who built the public spaces of ancient Mesopotamia or Athens or Rome simply liked being in the presence of water for emotional and spiritual reasons. But the truth behind the prominent role of water in these spaces isn't as romantic as all that. Indeed, there's
It's unusual to think of such a wonderfully decorative watershape in this way, but the one featured in this edition of "Details" was the result of a client's desire for a measure of safety for the front of his home. The house is located on an intersection in a hilly part of Manhattan Beach, Calif., where the steep, downhill orientation of the streets occasionally lead cars to make turns at unwisely high speeds. Given the orientation of his front door, my client was concerned that, with a bit of very bad luck, he might someday find an out-of-control-driver's car in his foyer. As is the case with many
As watershape designs become ever more creative and adventurous, there's an increased need to help clients and other project participants visualize our plans. Indeed, presentation is a topic of great importance these days for designers from both the pool/spa industry and the landscape trades, so much so that it's become a fixture on educational calendars and one of the cornerstones of the Genesis 3 curriculum. What has everyone excited about upgrading the way they present their ideas is that there are various good ways to get the job done. To be sure, having the ability to draw is a tremendous asset - some would say an absolute necessity - but fortunately for those who are
Long a fixture in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park, the Conservatory of Flowers is one of the most photographed structures in a city famous for picturesque beauty. At 125 years old, the facility is the oldest surviving public conservatory in the western hemisphere. Originally built in 1878 and then rebuilt after a devastating fire in 1883, it's also an architectural and engineering treasure - an extremely rare example of a prefabricated Victorian-era structure that had withstood the test of time. In 1995, however, a severe storm caused extensive damage and led city building officials to deem it unsafe for public use. Despite that decision, a dedicated group of paid staff and volunteers doggedly maintained and managed the site and its plants in a gallant effort to stave off further degradation, all with the hope that someday the Conservatory would be restored. They bit off no small challenge, as many of the facility's "botanical residents" are difficult and expensive to maintain - including a 100-year-old Philodendron with five-foot tall leaves that fills much of the space beneath the Conservatory's towering central glass dome. The ongoing campaign to save
It's right up there for longevity in the history of building materials with marble and concrete: The use of glass tile, in fact, dates to the Roman Empire and traces its path through widespread use in Byzantine art in the eastern Mediterranean before finding its way back to a primary role in the art and architecture of Renaissance Italy. From ancient times forward, glass tile has always been associated with beautiful and enduring works of art. Now enhanced by some modern-day manufacturing practices that serve to bring out its incredible gem-like features, the material still holds faith with all those centuries of tradition while reaching
From pools, spas and fountains to streams, ponds and waterparks, effective watershaping is largely about the plumbing that makes these systems work. If you see things that way, says hydraulics expert Steve Gutai, there's nothing more fundamental to success than making proper connections in the system's plumbing lines, first time, every time, and piping joints that will bear up under pressure for the long haul.
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
Without any hesitation at all, I can say that Gardening with Water by James Van Sweden (Random House, 1995) is one of the most influential books on design that I've ever read. It's currently out of print, but it's certainly worth a hunt and can still be found on the Internet and in many technical bookstores. All through its 206 beautifully illustrated pages, Van Sweden carefully details his approach to designing with water - an element he says should be used in some form in every garden design. Along the way, he covers his firm's use of swimming pools (natural and architectural) as well as birdbaths, fountains, small watergardens and large ponds. It's an important book from a tremendously influential designer. In fact,
