WaterShapes Classic
'When you work with someone in a cooperative effort to achieve a common goal,' wrote Curt Straub in a trailblazing article in October 1999, 'the odds are greatly reduced that you will wind up one day facing that person in a courtroom. 'The neat thing about this form of cooperation, also known in business circles as partnering, is that it can do much more than keep you off your lawyer's time clock. In fact, partnering is something that all of us in the industry can
'Until quite recently,' declared Brian Van Bower in opening his October 2009 Aqua Culture column, '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
'One of the themes I've covered repeatedly through the years,' wrote Brian Van Bower in opening his Aqua Culture column in September 2009, 'has had to do with the need for all of us to become effective team players. 'True, there have been times when egos have gotten in the way and I've found myself in fairly dysfunctional groups, but for all that, I have to say that collaboration very often
'The notion that we should do all we can to exceed client expectations,' wrote Brian Van Bower to open his August 2009 Aqua Culture column, 'is one we hear trumpeted in almost every inspirational business seminar and in nearly every keynote speech during trade shows. 'There are very good reasons for
'To my way of thinking,' wrote David Tisherman to open his Details column in August 2004, 'professional design work requires a professional workspace in which all of the necessary professional tools are available. 'In fact, for the designer creating custom watershapes, I see the space in which the work actually unfolds as being critical and cutting to the very heart of what it really means to be a "designer." I know that
'When it comes to just about anything that matters in life,' wrote Brian Van Bower to open his June 1999 Aqua Culture column, 'the difference between success and failure is often your mindset and the attitude you bring to each situation, event or occasion. 'That's a huge generalization,' he added, 'but it's something I consider each and every time I prepare myself for
'Some people seem to believe that designing is all about reinventing the wheel every time they go to work on a new project or need to create a new detail of some kind. Truth is, however, that most great design ideas and details are derivative of things that
'As winter draws to a close here in the northeast,' wrote Bruce Zaretsky to start his May 2009 On the Level column, 'we begin preparing in earnest to deal with the inevitable springtime rush. There are contracts to sign, materials to order, plants to grow, schedules to set and hires (if any) to be made. And we do all of this knowing that, once the weather breaks, we want to burst out of the gate like an odds-on favorite at the Kentucky Derby. 'To make this happen,' he continued, 'we
'Here in America, our idea of history goes back only so far,' wrote Stephanie Rose to open her May 2004 Natural Companions column. 'We don't have the "ancient" structures that still set the tone and architectural vocabulary the way they do in Europe, Asia and other places. 'For those who prefer modern or contemporary styles, this lack of history may
Learning by Doing