inside: gardens for people • classic details • artful restoration...

INSIDE: Gardens for People • Classic Details • Artful Restoration

De s i g n

E n g i n e e r i n g

C o n s t r u c t i o n

Volume 13Number 3May 2011

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46

may 2011

Building toward Clarity

By Steve Kenny

Designing pools withfantastic water in mind

ConcreteInevitabilities

By J.B. Werner

On permeability and the need for waterproofing

Persuaded by the Past

By Christopher Lines

Firing imaginationswith classic detailing

ArtfulRestorationBy Jeffrey Boucher

Walking in the footsteps

of 20th-century masters

4 • watershapes may 2 0 11 www.watershapes.com

Features

Contents

In This Issue

Advertiser Index

Spotlight Index

In the Spotlight

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8

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56

WATERSHAPES (ISSN 1522-6581) is published bi-monthly with a special December issue by McCloskey Com-munications, Inc. 6119 Lockhurst Dr., Woodland Hills, CA 91367. A controlled circulation publication, WaterShapesis distributed without charge to qualified subscribers. Non-qualified subscription rates in the U.S., $30 per year;Canada and Mexico $48 per year; all other countries $64 per year, payable in U.S. funds. Single copies $10 per issuein the U.S. and Canada. All other countries $15 per issue. Subscription requests must include name, job title, busi-ness location, address information and a signature and date. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to WaterShapes, P.O. Box 1216, Lowell, MA 01853-9930.Periodicals postage rates paid at Woodland Hills, CA 91365 and additional mailing offices.

Volume 13 • Number 3

On the Cover: Photo courtesy SRK Pool Services, Wainscott, N.Y.

StructuresBy Eric Herman

Seeing value in crossing professional lines

6

Aqua CultureBy Brian Van Bower

The bold realities ofmodern watershaping

10

On the LevelBy Bruce Zaretsky

Making certain ourgardens are for people

Book NotesBy Mike Farley

Taking inspirationto all-new heights

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may 2 0 11 watershapes • 5www.watershapes.com

Columns

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EditorEric Herman — 714.313-6136

Associate EditorMelissa Anderson Burress — 818.715-9776

Contributing EditorsBrian Van BowerBruce ZaretskyMike Farley

Art DirectorRick Leddy

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Circulation ManagerSimone Sanoian — 818.715-9776

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As I see it, watershaping is an activity in which multiple disciplines come togetherto design, engineer and construct decorative or recreational systems that containand control water: pools and spas, fountains, ponds, streams and waterfalls, inter-active water systems – “everything from birdbaths to lakes,” as publisher Jim McCloskeyis relentlessly fond of saying. Those multiple disciplines encompass landscape architects and designers, pool

designers and builders, architects, interior designers, environmental artists and ahost of subtrades as well as adherents of various movements, from historic preser-vationists to professionals in the green industries. It’s a broad amalgam of interests, and my sense is that, as time passes and creative

people from still other disciplines see the practical and aesthetic potentials of water-shaping, our new industry will only become more encompassing and inclusive. Case in point: In March 2011, Jim and I attended the annual Concrete Decor

Show in Nashville, Tenn. This was our second time at the event as exhibitors, andwe made the trip because we recognize the creativity decorative concrete specialistsbring to the table in the design and installation of exterior environments. More im-portant, we also see them as potential creative collaborators.On both occasions, we’ve enjoyed the opportunity to converse with professionals

whose collective experience through the past decade has mirrored what’s been hap-pening with watershaping. Both are fields that, at the highest levels, are now clearlydriven by passion, craftsmanship, artistry and the desire to push creative boundaries. What intrigued us most is the fact that so many of these decorative concrete folks

are so keenly interested in including water as part of their compositions, seeing theirmedium and ours as hand-in-glove companions. We were peppered with ques-tions about waterproofing (by far their overriding concern), water quality and hy-draulics and had the sense that they were determined to figure out the best possibleways to bridge the conceptual gap between what they do and what we do. In quieter moments at our booth, Jim and I regularly discussed how both water-

shapers and decorative concrete specialists would benefit from making broader con-nections between the two disciplines. A bit of the potential was seen in seminars ledby watershapers Paolo Benedetti and Scott Cohen – frequent contributors to thismagazine who encountered enthusiastic audiences overflowing with questions. We’re all for encouraging these connections. To that end, some of you may have

noticed articles in recent issues by decorative concrete professionals (Fu-Tung Chengin March 2011, Tommy T. Cook in November 2010) as well as informative featureson waterproofing (by Michael Mudrick and Elena Danke in January 2011 and by J.B.Werner in this issue). We’ve also been collaborating with Concrete Decor, the maga-zine that staged the Nashville show, to bring a range of decorative concrete-orientedarticles to our newsletters and web site in recent months. In doing so, we’ve cracked the door onto a new realm of possibilities – a place in

which concrete is a startlingly protean material that can be made to look like justabout anything you could imagine and one in which a common, familiar materialmeets its fuller artistic potential. If you think about it, that one sentence also tellsthe story of watershaping through the past ten years: Both are fields in which vi-sion, energy and creativity have conspired across disciplinary lines to result in some-thing fresh, original and authentic.

It’s all very cool.

Cross ConnectionsBy Eric Herman

tructuresS

6 • watershapes may 2011 www.watershapes.com

Steve Kenny is owner and president of SRK Pool Services,a residential watershape construction and service firm basedin Wainscott, N.Y. Kenny entered the industry as a servicetechnician 25 years ago, stepping up into design and newconstruction in earnest in 2007 after pursuing renovationsfor a time. Before joining the pool industry, he studied at theCulinary Institute of America, graduating with an associate’sdegree before spending two years as a sous chef for restau-rants in New York and Steamboat Springs, Colo. Kenny iscurrently a gold member of Genesis 3.

Jerry “J.B.” Werner is director of the Aquron AquaticsDivision of Aquron Corp. International, a manufacturer of

waterproofing agents (www.aquron.com). A civil engineerand Florida certified contractor, he is also president ofConcrete Preservation Systems, a consulting firm that nowhas Aquron as its exclusive client. Werner formerly served aspresident of Omega Engineering Consultants, an investiga-tive and forensic consulting firm in South Florida for whichhe examined damage and failures caused by hurricanes andother natural disasters on behalf of the insurance industry.In that role, a majority of his work focused on evaluatingmoisture intrusion with major structures including seawalls,parking structures and condominium complexes. He recent-ly joined the American Shotcrete Association and now serveson its Pool & Recreational Shotcrete Committee.

n This IssueIMay Writers



Christopher Lines is founder of Christopher Lines &Associates, a landscape-design firm based in Walnut Creekand Carmel Valley, Calif. He has worked in the industry forthe 18 years since completing studies in art and design at theUniversity of San Francisco and at San Francisco’s Academyof Art. Through the years, his work has been featured in TheRobb Report, Architectural Digest and by Sunset Books. Hisinternational work has included participation in what hasbecome known as the “World’s Largest Pool” in Dubai. He iswidely known for highly stylized, expressive designs that areboth historic and romantic in nature.

Jeffrey Boucher is vice president and managing partner

Interested in writing for WaterShapes on design, engineering or construction topics? Contact Eric Herman at (714) 313-6136!

of Drakeley Pool Co. and Drakeley Industries inWoodbury, Conn. A 17-year industry veteran with exper-tise in all forms of pool design, construction and service,Boucher is an expert in green technology and alternativesanitizers and has contributed to industry articles writtenon these topics. He also has a background in design andphotography, and his work with Drakeley Pool Co. hasbeen featured in national magazines including Cottagesand Gardens, Fairfield Country Home and Luxury Pools. Heis a participant in the Genesis 3 schools and is pursuingmembership in its Society of Watershape Designers; he isalso a member of the Nikon School of Photography andthe American Shotcrete Association.

may 20 11 watershapes • 9www.watershapes.com


qua CultureA


et’s begin this discussion with a ques-tion: What if you were so bad at yourjob that a person in a related field de-

cided, for the good of his own business, he hadto learn your business and replace you ratherthan cope with your incompetence? Mostpeople would say that this would be a justi-fied response to the fact that you do lousy work. Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending

how you look at it), this very thing is happen-ing in the pool industry – or, more accurate-ly, to the pool industry. For years now and withincreasing frequency, landscape architects havedecided they’ve had enough and are enteringthe pool industry. They are doing so becausethey’re burnt out when it comes to dealingwith the astonishing incompetence they en-counter at almost every turn. So now, rather than simply providing con-

ceptual designs and turning them over to apool builder to flesh out the skeleton and han-dle the installation – the longstanding nor-mal state of affairs – more and more land-scape architects are actively learning thetechnical specifics of watershape construc-tion, and many have secured contractor’s li-

censes to perform the work themselves. I can’t quantify this trend, but I hear evidence of it almost

daily, especially when I teach at conventions or as part of Genesis3’s schools. As I open each class, I start by asking for a show ofhands of those who are landscape architects and designers. Thenumber of hands I see has been growing larger consistently,and it has now reached a point where I’d say a good third ofmy students in some classes come from the landscape realm.In raw count, I’d say those hands now number in the hun-

dreds – and maybe even higher.

seizing necessityThe reasons for these migrations across industry lines are

obvious. No doubt some landscape professionals see opportu-nities for increased revenue in the expansion of their scope ofwork and expertise. But right up there, so far as motivation isconcerned, is the fact that almost every landscape architect Ispeak with has had an extremely negative experience with themainstream pool industry. And it isn’t a single incident in most cases, but is rather a

consistent pattern of entirely inadequate performances on thepart of pool “professionals.” Some of these stories would belaughable if they weren’t also so pathetic or painful. Expanding my survey a bit, I’ve recently taken to asking by

show of hands how many landscape architects and designers arethere because they saw attendance as a matter of necessity, giventhe problems they’ve had with pool people. Every time I ask thatquestion, almost every landscape professional’s hand goes up. I’m not generally over-critical, and I know for a plain fact

that there are lots of fantastic pool designers and builders outthere. That said, what we have here is an industry that, overall,is so generally bad at what it does that professionals from a re-lated field are moving in to fill the gap. And it’s worth notingthat this movement has gained momentum even during theworst recession most of us have ever seen. I’ve always believed that every scrap of work should be treat-

ed like gold, and that’s particularly true in times of scarcity.Even so, people in the pool industry are still dropping the ball,still underperforming in ways that make other design profes-sionals roll their eyes and sign up for classes in pool construc-tion, still doing things the old way even in times when it’s vi-tally important to sharpen their skill sets.

Meeting Minds

People in the pool industry aredropping the ball, still under-

performing in ways that makeother designers sign up for

classes in pool construction.

By Brian Van Bower

L

Continued on page 12

Now that the market is beginning to wakeup once again – and now that some are evenreporting the return of robust business ac-tivity – there may well be even greatermo-tivation for landscape professionals to crossindustry lines as the demand for pools andother watershapes increases. What this all points to, I believe, is a

growing chasm between competent play-ers and those who have yet to embrace theconcept that quality rather than mere quan-tity is what breeds success. Moreover, andas has been noted several times in thesepages and elsewhere that, since the begin-ning of Genesis 3 in 1998 and the launchof WaterShapes in 1999, we’ve seen theemergence of a separate, parallel industryrather than any real growth in the main-stream pool industry. I would argue that the emergence of wa-

tershaping landscape professionals is thestrongest kind of evidence that this newindustry is on the verge of coming intofull bloom and that this movement will

become more pronounced and powerfulas we move into the future. Those whohave already hung shingles out in this newindustry will be prepared to meet oppor-tunities that are just up the road, while thosewho persist in relying on outdated para-digms will fall farther and farther behind.

out of opportunityBeing the optimistic guy that I am, I

don’t enjoy dwelling on the negative sideof this discussion. I regret what is hap-pening within an industry to which I’vededicated most of my adult life, but I ac-cept the fact that there’s little more I cando to open the eyes of those who just don’tsee the big picture. It saddens me, but itis what it is – so I move on.The great thing is, for those of us on the

positive, forward-looking side of the di-vide, that the presence especially of land-scape architects among us spells opportu-nity in big, bold letters, both for watershapersand for landscape architects.

First, quality designers and buildersnever have to worry about someoneswooping in and usurping their business-es. Even in the context of this recession,the quality/custom operations were thelast to go down and are now among thefirst to rebound. Second, now that more landscape ar-

chitects are fully in the mix and have agreater understanding of what it takes todesign and build good watershapes, wewatershapers have a stellar opportunityto learn more about what landscape ar-chitects do and can position ourselves toforge fruitful working associations. As Isee it, this is a win-win-win scenario forwatershapers, landscape architects andclients. Indeed, the only people who haveanything to worry about here are thosewho encouraged these shifts through theirtowering incompetence. For my part, I love the fact that land-

scape architects are generally polishedand professional, perhaps simply by virtue

www.watershapes.com


12 • watershapes may 2 0 11

qua CultureA

of having graduated from college on theway to becoming certificated landscapearchitects. I also love the fact that theywork in exterior spaces and often designwonderful settings for my watershapes. I truly enjoy these opportunities to de-

velop fully integrated designs. I also ap-preciate the fact that they understand hard-scape and softscape in the context of greatdesign styles and traditions, I like the factthat they know decks and pathways, gar-den ornamentation, loggias, arbors, per-golas, outdoor lighting, materials selec-tions and spatial organization; and, finally,think it’s great that they’re becoming bet-ter informed about watershaping. If this intimidates you, I suggest get-

ting over it. For those of us who engagein constant professional growth and de-velopment, our associations with land-scape architects gives us direct access totheir expertise and the opportunity torespond to their presence by operatingon new and higher levels. In other words, what’s happening, right

now, is that we are learning from eachother and finding ways to collaborate asnever before.

here at homeI’m the first to concede that I haven’t done

everything to perfection in my career, butI know that among the smartest moves I’veever made has been the hiring of two land-scape professionals to work side by side withme. Andrew Kaner and Miguel Hastingsboth have masters degrees in landscape ar-chitecture, and through their expertise andwillingness to learn about watershaping,they have enabled me to add multiple di-mensions to the services my company pro-vides. With our veteran AutoCAD spe-cialist Mark Krawczyk, we make for quitea solid team.Their clear understanding of aesthet-

ic issues, for example, has raised our lev-el of design literacy to a point where wemesh easily not only with landscape ar-chitects but also with building architectsas well. They’ve also enhanced our pre-sentations and in many ways have madethe work more fun because both of themare wonderfully creative. Admittedly, in times past I’m not so sure

I would have fully appreciated all they’ve

brought to my business. I recall, for exam-ple, that when we were developing the corecurriculum for Genesis 3, I was puzzled byDavid Tisherman’s insistence that a courseon color theory had to be included. I didn’t see his point right away, but it

wasn’t long before I recognized that, likeit or not, allwatershaping is in some way

involved with the use of color. Very quick-ly, I saw not only that education on col-or theory was a good idea for our pro-gram, but that it was utterly essential tothe work I do daily. After absorbing everything Judith Co-

rona’s color course had to offer, I foundthat my confidence had grown and that

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I was no longer disadvantaged in speak-ing with architects and landscape archi-tects about color. (I also liked the au-thority it gave me in working with clients!)Immediately, I was able to see why some-one who suggested installation of a white-plaster pool with blue waterline tile andred-brick coping wasn’t considered com-petent by educated design professionals.It was like being given the key to a doorthat had always been locked before. This leads to an important point, es-

pecially for those interested in steppingup and engaging landscape architects ona level playing field: The first thing youneed to do is learn to speak the language.Long before you can actually wield land-

scape-design concepts, you must knowwhat they are, what they mean and whattheir application can do for a project. Noshortcuts here: You must find venueswhere you can learn about color, line, vi-sual weight, symmetrical and asymmet-rical balance, sight lines, textures and the

qua CultureA


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Calling ASLA

I’d like to make an opinionated observation: Based on scores of conversations I’ve had withlandscape architects who are members of the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA),I believe the organization is under-serving its membership.

When you look at the curriculum at ASLA’s annual conventions, there is one clear gap in cover-age: Only rarely is there anything about the design of watershapes in any form, perhaps withgrand-scale fountains being the occasional exception.

Yes, there are lots of water-related courses having to do with irrigation, drainage issues andwetland management, but there’s little or nothing to sustain the livelihoods of landscape architectswho work with decorative or recreational water – many of them in the majority of their projects.

We at Genesis 3 have reached out to ASLA on multiple occasions, always pointing out thatseminars on watershaping will benefit ASLA members, expand their control of job sites and en-hance their ability to achieve the results they want with the water components of their projects.Most of our overtures have met with little more than courteous indifference, but the few programswe’ve done for ASLA groups have received tremendous response and enthusiastic endorsement.

I’ve never figured this out, frankly, but I would love it if somebody could explain these discon-nects to me. And I must say I wouldn’t mind opening an engaged and more engaging dialoguewith the organization, basically because I think collaboration will do all of us a world of good.

– B.V.B.

plant kingdom. In particular, you mustlearn about organizing spaces for humanoccupation and movement. You can learn these things in classrooms,

from books and by working with and pay-ing attention to design professionals whohave that knowledge at hand. You alsohave to recognize that there are peckingorders to be observed and that in somecases you’ll run into substantial egos. I dealt with the pecking orders and egos

first by being confident in my own areaof specialization, but I also did so by sup-pressing my own ego and being patient,respectful and ready to collaborate. Intime, mutual respect has grown, egos areless of an issue and the pecking ordersare occasionally even flipped, with land-scape architects subordinating their workto mine as the lead watershaper.

find your wayAll of this requires flexibility and open-

mindedness when it comes to the way

projects unfold. In some cases, you’ll in-evitably be a passenger, someone alongfor the ride in executing someone else’sgrander vision. In others, you’ll call theshots yourself. In all situations, howev-er, being involved with other design pro-fessionals (landscape architects, archi-tects, interior designers, developers) putsyou in an environment in which creativegive and take is the order of the day. These kinds of exchanges call on your

knowledge, but they also require you tosuppress your fear of the unknown.So if you’re so bad at what you do that

landscape architects and other design pro-fessionals are coming after you, it’s time –and I mean this in the kindest way possi-ble – either to be inspired to do better orget out of the way. Either way, you mustrecognize that the status quo is not tenable. For those who already work at a high-

er level, I suggest embracing other en-lightened designers. Establish allianceswith local landscape architects and fig-

ure out ways to build two-way streets inwhich the success of one of you meansthe success of both of you. Or do as I’vedone and bring people into your firm withthe desired backgrounds and educations. However you approach the issue, rec-

ognize that great work is almost alwaysthe product of great collaboration. Betteryet, it’s a much happier way to spendyour days.

Next: To support the points I’ve made here,I’ll follow this discussion up with some inter-esting anecdotes drawn from my own experi-ences in working with landscape architects.

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Brian Van Bower runs Aquatic Consultants,a design firm based in Miami, Fla., and is aco-founder of the Genesis 3 Design Group;dedicated to top-of-the-line performance inaquatic design and construction, this orga-nization conducts schools for like-mindedpool designers and builders. He can bereached at [email protected].

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“Landscaping is not a complex and difficult artto be practiced only by high priests. In any ageof reason, it is the owner who . . . decides . . .the garden and the purposes for which it willbe used.”

hese words from landscape architectThomas Church’s seminal book, GardensAre for People, ring as true today as they

did when they were first published in 1955.Gardens truly are for people, and while that’smanifestly an obvious statement, it seems to bea concept that insufficient numbers of today’swatershape and landscape designers fully grasp. That’s nothing new. More than half a cen-

tury ago, in fact, Church was motivated to writewhat is widely acknowledged as the book oncreating gardens for the human experience byhis observation that too many of his contem-poraries were on the wrong course. They were,he regretted, delving into design work thatmight have satisfied their egos or looked greatin photos, but didn’t really take human use ofthe spaces they were designing into account.

Let me confess that I too have occasionally been guilty of try-ing to stretch the creative envelope with my work – typically indisplay gardens, where making artistic statements is acceptedand even encouraged. For the most part, however, I’m ever mind-ful that gardens are for people and that I’m devising spaces inwhich my clients will sit, swim, cook, socialize, reflect, exerciseand/or play. It’s about clients, that is, rather than about ego.

tracing influencesIronically, Church is probably best known today for his “radi-

cal” pool designs, particularly the “kidney bean” pool with whichhe graced a home in Sonoma, Calif., in 1948. In looking at thispool time and again, I can’t help thinking how well its designhas held up through the past 60-plus years. Certainly it’s beenknocked off countless times by other curvaceous pools, but ithas an integrity that none can rival. For all sorts of reasons, Church has had a major influence on

my work – and on that of countless others. But while I admirehim (and my numerous other design heroes) for barrier-bustingdesign and engineering feats, in using them as inspiration I nev-er, ever lose touch with the fact that my gardens are for my clients,not for me, my portfolio or my desire to walk in the footsteps ofbrilliant designers.Yes, I want my projects to look good in photographs, basically

so I can show prospective clients what I’ve done. But more im-portant, I want my clients to want to be in their gardens: I wantthem drawn outside toward the pool, over to the colorful gar-den, onto the well-appointed terrace or into the kitchen garden.And I don’t see this practical ambition as an option. Indeed, I

think it’s wrong to impose my will on clients and design accord-ing to my preferences or my artistic ambitions. It’s simply wrongto expect clients to accept this. Case in point – and one that has nothing to do with water-

shapes or landscapes: My wife and I enjoy dining out and oftennotice how these experiences parallel elements of our workinglives – a point Brian Van Bower has made many times in printand in his presentations. At its best, the dining experience trans-ports us to a relaxing frame of mind, extracting us from daily

Gardens for PeopleBy Bruce Zaretsky

T

On the Level

I’m ever mindful that gardensare for people and that I’m

devising spaces in which myclients will sit, swim, cook,

socialize, reflect, exercise and/or play.

cares and giving us sensations of luxury and self-indulgence. Sharon and I appreciate these experiences and enjoy finding

new places. At one restaurant, however, as soon as we sat downneither of us could help noticing the flatware – beautiful, sculp-tural, artistic and, unfortunately, quite difficult to use. The fork and knife had a quarter twist in them that made

them rest on the table with their handles perpendicular to thetabletop. We commented on how they appeared to float on thetablecloth – a stunning visual effect – but to use them, we hadto rotate them awkwardly in our hands and consciously turnthem sideways to spear food off our plates. We both had thesame question: Didn’t the designers (or the restaurateurs, forthat matter) ever try to use these things themselves? Herein is the crux of my argument (as derived, of course,

from Church’s): Why don’t we engage our clients and give themwhat theywant rather than what we decide they want? Whydon’t we just come right out and ask them what they think?What we see instead is that too many designers have an “I knowwhat you want and need” arrogance about the process andform preconceptions before they ever ring the doorbell. That’sa shame – and it’s wrong.

heart of the matterAs designers, it’s our job to dig in and figure out what our

clients really want. This enables us to create spaces that areworth what we’ve asked them to pay and that will be used (asintended and desired) for entertaining, by the kids or for myr-iad other purposes. To make this happen, we need to listen. I can’t count the number of times clients have told me, after

I’ve presented a proposal, that ours was the only firm that ac-tually listened to them and absorbed what they had to say. Ilike hearing this, of course, because it puts us on an inside track;but I’m also dumbfounded by the fact that so many of my fel-low designers seem incapable of paying attention to those whowill be opening their lives and homes to them.Once again, Church hit the nail on the head: “No one can

design intelligently for you,” he writes, “unless he knows whatyou need, what you want, and what you are like. If you won’ttell, he will have to guess.” Of course, it would be great if all clients insisted on giving de-

signers all the information they might need. But let’s face it:Not all clients are sharp enough or practiced enough or insight-ful enough to know how important it is to open up – which means,pure and simple, that we have to work at unlocking their minds. Often, of course, they’ll need practical guidance along the way,

as when they don’t understand local codes or the fact that theiryards are too shady for the pools they want or too sunny for the

C


n the LevelO


What I see is that too many designershave an ‘I know what you want andneed’ arrogance about the process andform preconceptions before they everring the doorbell.

clumps of hosta they envision for theirgardens. No matter: It’s up to us to workwith them, setting aside our preferencesfor certain plants or stone types or archi-tectural styles and determining what it isthat they really want and need – what itis that will make them happy with the pro-ject’s outcome.To that end, in my business we use a sim-

ple questionnaire to aid this process – justas many other designers do. We ask fourpages of direct, simple questions aboutfavorite (and least favorite) colors, howthey intend to use the space and whetherthey like entertaining guests or prefer pri-vate dining. We ask if they like formal orinformal gardens and all sorts of otherquestions, some of them doubling backso we come at key issues from multipledirections. We also ask about budget sowe can focus on what’s possible. Entering this process, we let our clients

know that design is subjective, and thateveryone has an opinion. Then I remindthem that when the job is done, I’ll gohome and they’ll have to live with theresults. “And so,” I tell them clearly, “ifyou want a pink walkway with purplepolka-dots, I will do that for you. I maynot like it very much, but I will design itproperly and install it perfectly.”

seeing redNaturally, I prefer working with those

who trust us and the vision we set outfor them, but each client is different.Some will say that indulging clients’sometimes erratic desires is a disserviceto the design profession, but if the clientsare happy and I did my best, who’s tojudge? This brings me to another case in point:

The notorious “red pool,” a project byDavid Tisherman that was featured (andheavily debated) in these pages severalyears back. Here was a design that shockedWaterShapes readers with its audacity butis passing the tests of time as a standard-changing design. The project was definitely wayoutside

the box, but it worked for the client andaligned with a venturesome designer’sneed for unique, soul-satisfying work.In this instance, the clients had a vividlycolorful home filled with African folk art,

and Tisherman brilliantly played off theirtastes in creating an exterior environmentperfectly befitting the clients and theirtastes. In another backyard for another client,

this would have been the product of thedesigner’s ego; in this backyard, howev-er, it was brilliant.

If I ever was given an opportunity by aclient who trusted me enough to let medo my own thing, I can only hope that Iwould be as bold and inventive as Tish-erman was with his red pool. I would alsohope that I’d have enough sense to listencarefully to my clients and respond as ap-propriately as he did to their basic needs



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tical projects. My point is that purelyartistic works have great potential for run-ning against the grain of utility; while Ican admire the aesthetic achievement, Iam supremely aware that I do not wantto be seduced into thinking that mak-ing such bold statements is the best wayto meet my own clients’ needs. By way of contrast, look at a “garden”

such as New York’s Central Park, whichFrederick Law Olmsted presciently de-vised as a backyard for masses of walk-ers, bikers, joggers, Frisbee-players, boatersand sunbathers while also offering a show-case for trees, shrubs and perennials. Allat once, it is as visually stunning as canbe while also being about as people-friendly as a space can get.One of the things I value most about

Central Park is that it’s so understated.It doesn’t grab the eye with unusual de-tails, which is a wondrously subtle wayof suggesting that all of it – every tree,every flower, every path, every bit of wa-ter – has been there basically forever. It’sa forest primeval through which people

have cut paths and shaped playing fields.Above all, it’s a magnificent response

to Olmstead’s clients: the citizens of NewYork and those who come to visit. In oth-er words, Olmstead knew, as did Church,that gardens are for people. The challengefor us as designers is to keep our ideasfresh and exciting while still paying at-tention to what our clients want and needthe most – that is, places to enjoy whatthey define as the finer things in life!

Coming up: a series of columns exam-ining the practicalities of spaces createdfor human use.

2 0 • watershapes may 2 0 11 www.watershapes.com

WS

Bruce Zaretsky is president of Zaretskyand Associates, a landscape design/con-struction/consultation company in Rochester,N.Y. Nationally recognized for creative andinspiring residential landscapes, he also workswith healthcare facilities, nursing homes andlocal municipalities in conceiving and installinghealing and meditation gardens. You canreach him at [email protected].

When we listen to our clients and give them what they want instead of what we decide isbest for them, chances are better than good that they will be happy every time they enterand use the space. This formal garden is just such a space – designed for its owners andscaled to meet their desires for years to come.

C

n the LevelOand desires. Several years back, I worked for a client

who told me after I had suggested usinga yellow-flowering Dwarf Forsythia thatshe absolutely hated the color yellow –and would not tell me why. “No yellow,”she said in that long-ago, pre-question-naire time. (It was only years later that Iaccidentally learned that her ex-husbandhad made a cutting remark about howshe’d looked in a certain yellow dress –a bad enough memory that she had avendetta against the whole color.) This is why, even when a client tells me

to “do my thing,” I still pester them forinformation and thoroughly exploit ourquestionnaire. While the notion of aclient leaving us free to create is fantas-tic in concept and does wonders for thespirit, it’s also a great and incredible bur-den and responsibility – not one I wouldcare to tackle blind. But there’s a tricky little issue buried

in all of this: There are many instancesout there of pure, artist-driven designsthat just take my breath away – and someof the most noteworthy achievementsin watershape and landscape design areamong them. Consider landscape architects such as

Martha Schwartz and Ken Smith: Theseare designers I greatly admire, and theyhave made their bones creating landscapesthat are considered to be works of art. Forall that, I consider Schwartz’s Bagel Gardenand the plastic daisies Smith used for theCornerstone Festival project as instancesin which outsized egos overwhelmed theclients’ needs.

adventures in designIt may be possible that the notoriety

of the Bagel Garden ultimately made theclient proud of having such an art instal-lation on the rooftop, but does it really,truly invite anyone out there to enjoy acup of morning coffee or an evening glassof wine? As for Smith’s daisies, I’ll grantthat I myself am intrigued enough by thecrazier potentials of display gardens thatI can’t protest too much.And for the record, I am not slamming

either Schwartz or Smith: They each haveamazing talent and between them havedone some very cool and eminently prac-

‘Truly experienced instructors who teach at a level that works foreveryone from absolute beginnersto those who are already veryaccomplished.’

‘Best software class I’ve attended.Gave all the tools needed to continuelearning at home.’

‘Great hands-on workshop. Thesmall techniques I learned haveadded so much to my drawing skillsthat I think I’m ready for measuredperspective.’

‘Very informative, enjoyable, andthought-provoking. I would encourageserious pool builders and designersto enroll in future classes.’

‘A wonderful educationalexperience. I really enjoy the timespent and the knowledge gained as well as the atmoshpere and levelof professionalism.’

Steven SwansonThe Pool CompanyClayton, Calif.

Roger Soares llHydroscapesFountain Hills, Ariz.

Jeff LokkerHuntington PoolsGlendora, Calif.

John SchweizerGaspar LandscapesRichboro, Pa.

Jeff ParkerOcean Scape DesignRancho Santa Margarita, Calif.

For more than a decade, Genesis 3’s educational programs have influenced theprofessional lives of hundreds of watershapers.

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To register for any of these Dallas events,please visit www.genesis3.com

3-D Computer Drawing – Part lDallas, TexasOctober 10-12, 2011This 20-hour class prepares students to design pools, spas,decks, fountains, pergolas and outdoor kitchens in 3-D usingSketchUp, a free, user-friendly software system that offers multi-ple views of finished designs. (Students must bring own laptops!)

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Having begun his career decades ago as a residential pool/spa service technicianin East Hampton, N.Y., watershaper Steve Kenny has a profound appreciationof superior water quality – one he developed, he says, despite a near vacuumwhen it came to high-caliber industry education on the subject. Today, this self-taught expert applies what he’s learned in building pools that combine unusualhydraulic designs with sophisticated water treatments.

Building

Claritytoward

By Steve Kenny

22 • watershapes may 2 0 11


hen my family started in the pool and spa servicebusiness some 25 years ago, it didn’t take us long to recognize that there was very littleavailable to us by way of education about water chemistry – or, for that matter, aboutmost of the other skills involved in maintaining pools, spas and other waterfeatures. That didn’t make much sense to us, even then. After all, how could an industry devoted

to the health, safety and comfort of millions of people function without addressing theneed for standardized approaches to water maintenance or the technical fundamentals? To be sure, the industry has caught up a bit in the past 25 years, and a variety of

trade shows and other forums are taking steps to fill the information gaps, butwhat I still see most often is education at a bare-sustenance level – enough to helpsomeone who owns a vehicle, has a few containers of chemicals and harbors a will-ingness to do backbreaking work deal with common challenges, treat a few symp-toms and maybe cope with some fairly serious conditions. But as I see it, there’sstill little or no support when it comes to helping professionals truly understandthe essence of water management as it applies to watershapes.This was certainly the case when I started working with my dad and two brothers

back in 1985: We knew almost nothing about the tasks we were pursuing and had ahard time finding resources to point us in the right direction. Sure, we kept our eyesand ears opened and picked up some pointers along the way. Before long, we fell neatlyin line with what was then the prevailing mentality about water treatment: Just keepadding chlorine until the water clears up.We were operating, we began to see, in a universe ruled by ignorance – and desperately

wanted to rise above it.

Serving QualityAs disconnected as it may sound, the main thing we had going for us in our fledgling

business was our family’s collective history in the culinary arts. My grandparents wererestaurateurs, and all of us recognized the way fine dining was in our blood and influ-enced the way we approached our lives and our business. From those early days to the present, this culinary orientation has continued to serve

me well and has helped me focus on the concept of delivering quality to consumers inways that encompass the entire experience. After all, food must look, smell and taste goodto generate satisfaction and must also be presented by a knowledgeable wait staff in an at-tractive, comfortable setting. And all of this must be done so that customer expectationsare met (or exceeded) at a reasonable price. Early on in our pool service business, that culinary value system provoked a restlessness

in me that I felt had to be indulged. I knew that water quality stood at the heart of whatwe were now doing and that there was no point in our clients’ owning pools or spasunless the water itself was inviting and delivered an experience worth the price. My brothers left the business after a few years, leaving me in charge of the field work.

W

It was never lost on me that, as withcooking, there was a great deal of basicchemistry involved. So, in effect, I beganto relearn how to bake a cake. As I had done in my previous career,

I took it upon myself to unearth as muchinformation about water chemistry as Ipossibly could (a commitment, by theway, that I maintain to this day). Thateffort was clouded at first, however, bythe fact that back in the 1980s and wellinto the ’90s, the industry was caught upin quick fixes and miracle cures. Wonder clarifiers, sanitizers and treat-

ment devices meant to solve all of ourwater-treatment problems besieged uson all sides. From magic magnets to spe-cial enzymes, it seemed that everyone –even a reputable company or two – wasselling some shortcut or other to pro-ducing quality water. And even thoughthe mainstream industry was virtuallyaddicted to chlorine, pathways to being“chlorine free” dominated the agendadespite the fact nobody I ever encoun-tered had a satisfactory explanation ofhow it was possible. Through all of the marketing hype

and pseudoscience, through all of theclang and clatter of confusing and mis-leading messages, I stuck with it andgradually, with study as well as a tremen-dous amount of trial and error, increasedmy understanding of water chemistryand its dynamics in the watershapes I’dbeen hired to maintain.

Moving ForwardThe first concept I embraced – and

one I steadfastly adhere to now – is theLangelier Saturation Index. This demon-strates in clear, scientific terms that forany treatment regimen to be effective,you must start by bringing the water intobalance – meaning that pH, total alka-linity and calcium hardness (among oth-er factors) must settle into prescribedranges to create water that is neither ex-cessively corrosive or scaling. In a sense, balanced water in these

terms is analogous to the foundation ofa house: Without good, manageable wa-ter balance, everything else you mighttry will be unreliable. Or put anotherway I understood even better, trying tomaintain water without balancing it waslike trying to bake bread without under-standing how leavening works. As is true of many people who start out

in pool service, I eventually found myselfin my own business doing repairs andrenovations and ultimately branched outinto new construction. That was in 2007,when we at SRK Pool Services of Wain-scott, N.Y., entered pool construction witha focus on custom residential pools andspas. (I still have a service unit, however,because I saw early on that the combina-tion enabled me to control my clients’treatment programs.) In building pools, I work hard to apply

a variety of lessons I’ve learned not onlyby servicing pools, but also in repairing

and renovating them. As an example,I’ve come to believe that the basic schemeof two skimmers, two return lines and amain drain – a common hydraulic setupwhere I operate – was completely inad-equate because of the way it virtually as-sured creation of massive dead spotswhere water didn’t circulate properly. In one instance, these problems with

circulation prompted me to try a new ap-proach – a turning point that has drivenmy business ever since.It was several years ago: I heard from

a client with a pool whose return linesboth leaked profusely. Rather than repairor replace them, I decided to return thewater through the main drain and rely onthe skimmer for suction. Although thatwas admittedly a primitive solution Iwouldn’t endorse today, I was able to seethat in making this one adjustment, I hadsucceeded in dramatically improving thepool’s water quality and had simultane-ously made it much easier to manage. Jumping ahead to my current work, I

currently design and install pools withmultiple floor returns and skimmers.Depending on a variety of design specifics,a typical 40,000-gallon pool will, for ex-ample, have from six to eight floor returnsdown the center and up to eight skimmers– but no main drains, thereby eliminatingany concerns about entrapment. What this basic arrangement does for

water circulation is amazing. We’re ableto turn pools over rapidly with amaz-


ingly low line velocities – often four feetper second or even lower. We use vari-able-speed pumps and large plumbingsizes for energy efficiency, and heatingbecomes more efficient as well by virtueof even distribution across the bottomof the pool and taking advantage of thefact that heat rises through the entire wa-ter column. And by putting all of this in context

with our adherence to the LangelierSaturation Index, we’ve set the table forwhat can only be described as truly su-perior results.

The Big IdeaAs mentioned above, I came of age in

this industry in an era when the notionof going “chlorine free” was the moti-vating force behind an entire segment ofthe water-treatment industry. I recognized the range of reasons why

so many consumers were interested inmaking this change, including the desireto get away from unpleasantly familiarchemical odors; the bleaching of bathingsuits; worries about possible health ef-fects; and the widely popular belief thatchlorine is bad for the environment. At times I found this a bit hard to take,

because I’m not personally opposed tothe use of chlorine and know that mostproblems associated with it are the resultof improper use. In fact, once I masteredbasic water chemistry and understoodthe advantages of working with balanced

water, for years I was able to maintainbeautiful water using chlorine. Achieving that mastery really made

the difference for me. I understood how,depending upon the situation, to makeuse of the different types of chlorine; hadfigured out how pH characteristics caninfluence water balance; knew the rightway to use shock treatments; and hadcome to see that if all of these factorswere held in balance, chlorine was nolonger a problem for most of my clients. I was on a roll, confident and comfort-

able, until 2008 – when my understandingof both hydraulic design and water treat-ment were put to a major test: This is whenI was asked to participate in a project spon-

may 2011 watershapes • 2 5www.watershapes.com

There aren’t huge technical differences be-tween building pools with multiple floor returnsand skimmers and building them in the con-ventional way, but it does involve extra piping,forming and fittings – and an enhanced needto keep everything organized.



sored by Hamptons Cottages & Gardens, aLong Island publication that covers high-end residential living in our area. The project was called “The Idea

House” and was intended as a showplacefor state-of-the-art design and amenitieswith a special focus on environmentalsustainability. The goal was to see howmany LEED points the project could earnthrough creation of a beautiful contem-porary environment. My part of the project was about build-

ing a chlorine-free pool using the latestin water-treatment technology. I enjoyedthe irony, because I had never tackled thatsort of approach before. So as excited asI was by the opportunity to participatein such a high-profile project, I was alsointimidated, knowing that if I failed, thedamage to my company’s reputationcould be significant and long lasting. Despite those early misgivings, I jumped

in and decided to replace the oxidizing ac-tion of chlorine with that of ozone, one ofthe most powerful oxidizers known to sci-

ence. To that end, I chose a commercial-grade corona discharge system by DelOzone (San Luis Obispo, Ca.) that pro-duced about seven grams of ozone perhour. For sterilization, I turned to a high-flow ultraviolet system made by EmperorAquatics (Pottstown, Pa.) We completed the system with an

ORP controller (also from Del Ozone)as well as a high-flow contact chamberand degassing system I fabricated toeliminate any concerns about contacttimes or off-gassing. We also split thecirculation system into two sub-systems– one for the ozone, the other for the ul-traviolet unit and the heating system.For additional energy efficiency, we in-stalled LED lights and finished the pool’sinterior with a dark exposed aggregateto absorb some heat from the sun.

The New PhaseWith a bit of luck in scheduling, we fin-

ished the pool late in spring – a couple ofmonths before work on the house was

complete. As a result, the pool was avail-able for near-daily use by the constructioncrews, and it turned out to be a great testrun for overall system performance. At times, it seemed, the watershape

was basically a public bath: Every day,numerous dirty, sweaty construction

workers took advantage of the opportu-nity to cool off and clean up – as I care-fully monitored the water chemistry. I’ve worked with pools for 25 years,

and I have to say that I was literallystunned to see how the system I’d in-stalled simply seemed to take care of it-

self. Without much intervention on mypart at all, the water stayed clear and inperfect balance and seemed to me to bevery close to self-sustaining. The Idea House itself was a smashing

success, and the pool was on display forhundreds of tours spread over several

months – giving me tremendous localnotoriety and ultimately propelling mypool construction career. I immediatelyseized on the ozone/ultraviolet combi-nation and began marketing the systemsas “Hydrozone 3.” Since that summer, I’ve designed and

built 28 custom pools using the conceptand have others in the pipeline. Theconfigurations change, of course, de-pending on the design of the pool andwhat the client wants and is, of course,able to afford. At a minimum now, all of my pools

use multiple floor returns and skimmers.Some still include chlorine as a primarysanitizer; some others use ozone with asmall chlorine residual; but most, I’m



Good organization at the pool pays dividendswhen everything is carried back to the equipmentroom, where all of the systems, manifolds andplumbing loops need to come together in under-standable, workable and serviceable ways.

happy to say, go all the way and take fulladvantage of the combined ozone/ultra-violet package. Not willing to sit still, we’ve kept tin-

kering with system configurations. We’reintrigued, for example, by the fact thatwhen you run ozone-treated water di-rectly through an ultraviolet chamber,it results in production of hydroxyl freeradicals – an extremely unstable formof oxygen that acts as a powerful sani-tizer. This adds a third phase to ourchemical treatment program and gen-erates the cleanest, most manageablewater I’ve ever encountered. The beauty of all this is that we didn’t

invent any of it. All we’ve done is com-bine established circulation-system de-signs with existing water-treatment tech-nologies and found a potent set ofsynergies – not the least of which is thesaving that comes when variable-speedpumps are used. That step alone morethan offsets the additional draws requiredto run the paired sanitizing systems. And there’s more, including no off-

gassing from the surface, which meansamong other things that solid pool cov-ers can be used and will enhance energyefficiency even further. In fact, those sav-ings have prompted some clients tospend more on heating to extend theswimming season – and one has evenchosen to leave the pool open year’round as a result. One final note on system evolution: I

don’t make these pools entirely chlorine-free unless specifically asked to do so.When given the option, I choose to workwith a tiny chlorine residual as a safetymeasure for immediate bather-to-watercontact. But with the main load of oxi-dation and sanitation taken care of by themain systems, I’m happy to say that thesepools rarely require shocking and alwaysstay ahead of whatever burdens batherloads might have to deliver.

Consumer DemandAll of the benefits of these systems, of

course, come at a cost. Given the times,I had no expectation, even with the suc-cess of The Idea House, that these pro-jects would catch on, no matter how af-fluent Long Islanders might be. In fact,I spent a good part of 2008 bolstering up


my service division to keep things rollingthrough the looming recession. Much to my surprise and delight, how-

ever, a significant number of people we’vetalked with about new pools or renovationsare extremely excited by the ozone/ultra-violet concept. Some just don’t warm toit or understand it and others can’t stretchto cover the cost, but we’ve been impressedby the count of people who see this ap-proach as an investment in their lives andin the way they’ll enjoy the swimming ex-perience. It’s been tremendous. Even the willing, of course, need an

explanation of the chemistry involvedand want to know that the benefits areboth long-term and sustainable with re-spect to both operating costs and waterquality. It bears mentioning that these

same clients also want quality when itcomes to aesthetics, and it’s clear that Iowe a great deal to the Genesis 3 pro-gram for elevating my awareness andabilities on that front. It’s also true that we have a big advan-

tage in servicing most of the pools webuild. Not only does this give us the abil-ity to address any minor issues thatmight arise, but it’s also given us the op-portunity to analyze how our systemsperform – observations that have helpedus tweak other installations and enabledall of my clients to benefit from what wekeep learning as we move along. We might have entered into this process

encumbered by ignorance, but throughthe years we’ve systematically pushed be-yond those limitations and are humbled

by the progress we’ve made as we’vepassed along what’s been a very long andat times bumpy road. It’s not lost on me when one of my

clients tells me that the water in our poolsis delicious. Given my culinary back-ground, that might be the best possiblecompliment I could ever receive becausenow I know I’m serving my clients thevery best “meal” possible!


Some might see all of these extra skimmerports as visual disruptions in a pool’s appear-ance, but we’ve found that, by arranging themwith an eye to symmetry and balance, they’renot any sort of issue – especially when we suc-ceed in blending the skimmer lids into the sur-rounding decks.

Concrete Inevitabilit

ies

By J.B. Werner


may 2 0 11 watershapes • 3 1www.watershapes.com

’ve come to the world ofwatershaping from a dif-

ferent perspective.Back in the 1960s, I worked for a com-pany that built poured-in-place concretehomes in Florida. Right from the begin-ning, I couldn’t help noticing the impor-tance of waterproofing in the performanceof these structures – or the consequencesof not taking the potential for water in-trusion seriously.My interest in this subject took on newsignificance in 1989, when I formed aFlorida firm that conducted forensicanalyses in all manner of structural fail-ures as a service to condominium associ-ations, the highway department and theinsurance industry. As part of that work,I saw the countless ways in which mois-ture could intrude into concrete structuresand cause them to deteriorate. And I ob-served that these issues were particularlyproblematic around the Florida coast,where salt and water combined to com-promise concrete-encased structural steel.Although my career has taken a num-ber of twists and turns in the past 50years, I’ve always stayed involved withconcrete and water and eventually began

It didn’t even seem to be a consciousdecision: Most simply assumed that theapproaches that had been used for gen-erations were perfectly valid, and so theyhad never even given things a secondthought. Yes, they mostly knew that shotcrete,gunite and poured concrete were allsomewhat permeable, but even if theywere able to grasp the fact that plasterwas imperfect as a barrier to water in-trusion, very few saw the groundwaterthat surrounded their shells as any sourceof concern. As time passed, I came to seethat just about everyone was operatingwith the same mindset. This was something of a shock to me.Here were structures that contain water onone side but are generally built below gradeand exposed to moisture and groundwateron the other. Professionally, I couldn’t thinkof a situation where waterproofing wouldbe more beneficial to a structure’s long-term performance, but I increasingly de-veloped a sense that because moisture in-trusion with an inground concrete pool isessentially invisible, the industry had ac-cepted an out-of-sight, out-of-mind men-tality about the issue.

working on a consulting basis withAquron, the Rockwell, Texas-based man-ufacturer of a family of waterproofingproducts. Eventually, my involvementwith this firm led me to my current spe-cial interest in watershaping.I immediately recognized, of course,that at the most basic level, all pools, spasand other types of watershapes exist tocontain water. But I also soon learnedthat, as a rule, many industry profession-als had only a limited understanding ofconcrete’s basic permeability and the factthat all concrete allows moisture to in-trude to one degree or another.

Into PoolsI began focusing on waterproofingissues related to watershapes in 2005,and to say that I was surprised by theinitial reactions I met in approachingindustry professionals about water-proofing would be an understatement.Indeed, it was like hitting a brick wallover and over again: Nearly everyone Idealt with was convinced that the plasterlining of the typical pool or spa or foun-tain was a perfect waterproofing mea-sure and that nothing else was needed.

Just about every watershaper knows that concrete is a greatmaterial: strong, resilient, formable and capable of long service.But judging by usual practice, says past concrete forensic ex-aminer Jerry Werner, not all watershapers seem to be fullyaware of the basic permeability of the material or recognizethe fact that almost all concrete structures will benefit from theuse of waterproofing agents – a point, he says, that should beconsidered in the design process.

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Moreover, I found that the level ofunderstanding was so limited that eventhe term “waterproofing” was problem-atic. (Truth be told, I have my issueswith that word as well, and I personallyprefer to discuss “moisture intrusionprevention.” This is why, in seminars,I poke fun at the terminology and pointout that other terms – including “wa-tertight,” “water-repellent” and “wa-ter-resistant” – only make things moreconfusing and that what we’re reallytalking about is preventing moisturefrom entering the concrete. For con-vention’s sake, however, I’ll stick with“waterproofing” here.)Things began to improve, however,when I began having regular conversa-tions about the efflorescence that affectsso many concrete structures. This gaveme the opportunity to explain that efflo-rescence is essentially the result of waterpenetrating the concrete matrix, reactingwith the soluble salts it encounters inpassing through the matrix. Ultimately,internal pressure from these reactionsforces the moisture that now carries thosesalts out of the matrix and out onto thesurface, where the moisture evaporatesand the salts remain. This discussion, I’ve found, has helpedmany a watershaper see that solving the

problem primarily boils down to pre-venting moisture from entering the con-crete in the first place.

Bigger UniverseI’ve also learned through the years thatpeople who are unfamiliar with these is-sues will better understand what’s hap-pening if I put things in a broader context. That’s easy, because in my investiga-tions of concrete problems and failures(some of them truly catastrophic), I sawthe damaging effects of moisture intru-sion on structures that were built tomuch higher standards and that hadbeen designed for far more critical ap-plications than almost anything I’ve seenin watershaping. I’ve seen moisture intrusion cause sig-nificant damage, for example, to parkinggarages, high-rise balconies, bridge abut-ments, tunnels and a host of other sig-nificant structures. Each scenario is dif-ferent, of course, but I can confidentlysay that my experience shows that allcon-crete structures are susceptible to mois-ture intrusion on one level or other. This is not unknown to the concreteindustry at large: During my time as aforensic investigator, we based certainevaluations on information availablethrough the American Concrete Insti-

tute’s Standard 318 – a set of recommen-dations for design engineers that definesissues such as compressive strength forvarious applications. Based on ACI318.08, in 2009 the American ShotcreteAssociation adopted a compressivestrength of 4,000 psi as a minimum stan-dard for swimming pools. For this reason, I was puzzled to learnthat, for concrete pools and spas, ACIrecommendations were not seen as thestandard by many in the pool industry.And that was true despite the fact thatnobody questions the standard with oth-er types of structures and that it’s notsomething those who build highwaybridges or tunnels, for example, wouldever choose to dispute. In the residential pool industry, how-ever, concrete strength seems to be anenduring subject of discussion, withsome standing by a 2,500 psi level asthe acceptable norm. Personally, Iwould agree with those who say that,when properly mixed and applied, thatlevel is so low that it’s almost impossi-ble to achieve – in other words, thatthose who strive to install 2,500 psishotcrete are actually (if unknowingly)applying 4,000 psi concrete as a matterof course. So to my mind, the “debate”really isn’t a debate after all.


A B

What intrigues me, however, are thosewho contend that by reaching a 4,000 psiconcrete strength, they are effectivelymaking the matrix so dense that nomoisture can penetrate it. Although Iwould strongly agree that denser con-crete has a greater ability to withstandmoisture intrusion, my experience out-side the industry with structures madewith concrete of far greater compressivestrength still reveal damage resultingfrom moisture intrusion. This is why I contend that all concretestructures – even those built to the 4,000psi standard or better – still benefit fromsome form of waterproofing, even if it isonly as an extra layer of protection.

Built to LastThat said, it’s important to bear inmind that the foremost preventivemeasures when it comes to waterproof-ing are proper engineering and soundconstruction. It’s simple: If a structurefractures, it doesn’t matter what typeof waterproofing agent you use, be-cause the structure in question will im-mediately become susceptible to mois-ture intrusion. That’s why I join those who advocatethe use of proper structural engineeringrelative to soil conditions and other

forces that influence a given structure.It’s also why I so strongly recommendsound concrete-application practices,especially when it comes to proper cov-erage of structural steel that is meant tobe encased in concrete. Without thesefundamentals in place, waterproofingbecomes irrelevant. Returning to ACI 318.08: The docu-ment defines three categories of concernwith respect to compressive strength,calling on engineers to look at each anddefine which most critically applies totheir situation and the design process:The first has to do with prevention ofmoisture intrusion in structures intend-ed to hold water. Here, the standard callsfor 4,000 psi, again supporting those whocall for that as a minimum standard inpool structures.The second deals with freeze/thawconditions and includes a recommendedstrength of 4,500 psi. The third considerscoastal areas where chloride intrusioncan be a problem and recommends astrength of 5,000 psi. (There’s a fourthcategory dealing with sulfur attacks, butits occurrence is not relevant most of thetime.) Looking at these recommendations,one might argue that compressivestrength alone addresses the issue of wa-

terproofing. But again, there are nu-merous examples of concrete appliedat levels as high as 7,000 psi – properlyengineered and capably installed – thatshow clear signs of moisture intrusion.So while I certainly recommend strictadherence to ACI standards, prudencealso asserts that all critical concretestructures (including pools, spas, foun-tains and other watershapes) should beinstalled with additional waterproofingmeasures in place. If that position needs support, pleaseconsider that the International ConcreteRepair Institute has estimated that thetotal cost for repairing, rehabilitating,strengthening and protecting of concretestructures (including waterproofing)amounts to $18 to $21 billion annuallyin the United States. There’s no reason-able way to see concrete watershapes asbeing somehow immune from thesechallenges. On that level, it’s not so

may 2011 watershapes • 33www.watershapes.com

Water’s ability to penetrate concrete is an issueeven in critical applications – as seen herewith this parking structure (A) and bridge abut-ment (B). If concrete structures made to thehighest applicable standards are subject tothis level of deterioration, it’s highly unlikelythat, say, the exposed undersides of a pooldeck (C) will not display similar challenges.

C

much a workmanship issue as it is thenature of the concrete beast combinedwith the characteristics of water and thedeterioration it causes.As for plaster, the National PlasterersCouncil has adopted the position – right-ly so, I believe – that even though plasterretards the intrusion of water into a con-crete substrate, it is neither a perfect norinfallible barrier nor a guarantor of a ves-sel’s watertightness.

Better Than the RestGiven all of this history and the basicnatures of concrete, water and water-shape shells, I believe strongly that wa-tershape designers and contractorsshould all be more aware of and in tunewith waterproofing issues – perhaps toan even greater degree than other con-crete-construction professionals. Consider water’s position (literally) inall of this: It’s present inside the pooland, despite plaster’s helpful role, doeseverything it can to find ways out. Infact, it is always ready to take advantageof any opportunity to penetrate any lin-ing or find its way around it via the tileline or the various fittings that penetratea shell. It’s also present outside the shell, some-times as incidental water from rainfallor irrigation, other times as groundwaterthat flows through a given piece of prop-erty. Whatever the source, water comesin direct contact with the back of a shellthat has no plaster lining or protectionof any kind. And where you might beable to see where it might intrude on theinsideof a watershape, there is simply noway to know what’s happening on theoutside of the structure because it’sburied or otherwise hidden from view. Where outer walls are exposed, as withvanishing-edge walls or raised spa walls,efflorescence resulting from moisturetransmission is quite frequently an issue.Also, water in transit over the face of, say,


In many cases, even carefully crafted poolswill fall victim to a degree of moisture pene-tration that manifests itself as efflorescence(A & B). In others, poor construction will beunmasked by water’s ability to work its waythrough any flaws it finds in a shell (C).

A

B

C

a tile finish can pull out soluble salts fromthe grout as well as the mortar bed. Onsmaller scales, there are concerns aboutrainwater falling on decks or, in somecases, consideration of splash-out andthe possibility that this water might offeropportunities for moisture intrusion.Saltwater chlorination has been blamedfor deterioration as well. It’s a tough environment, in otherwords, and even temperature fluctua-tions play an important role. In myforensic work, I’ve found numerous in-stances in which sudden changes in tem-perature have caused expansion and con-traction that led to tile cracking orpop-offs – thereby giving water directaccess to the concrete substrate. Properwaterproofing can reduce the effects ofthese extremes.And if you factor in other features –grout, coping, deck material, artificialrock structures, natural rock features andmore – virtually everything in andaround a pool, spa or other watershapewill present situations in which water-proofing might offer a much-needed lay-er of protection. At that point, the questions are allabout what you need to protect. Are youwilling to take the chance of efflorescencebuilding up behind tile on a vanishingedge wall and eventually causing pop-offs? Is it worth risking groundwater in-trusion into a shotcrete shell that mighteventually corrode its structural steel?Do you want to protect your perimeter-overflow gutter system? Given a clear, understood choice, mysense is that most professionals (and theirclients) will answer yes to these and a hostof other questions. But if you ask thosesame professionals if they’ve factored allof this into their previous projects, thehonest among them would mostly sayno. And this is so despite the fact that wa-terproofing should be part of the designprocess, not an afterthought.

You chooseOf course, saying yeswould be a lotsimpler if waterproofing was a one-so-lution-fits-all proposition – but it’s not.There are instead a whole range of pos-sibilities and all sorts of products, anddoing the job correctly means selectingthe right approach for the applicationand following the waterproofing suppli-er’s instructions to the letter.That means doing some research andasking lots of questions, which is morethan some watershapers prefer to do.But if you leave waterproofing to guess-work or even to assumptions based onexperience, it’s likely you may go to alot of trouble and not achieve the elim-

ination of moisture intrusion you seek. Explaining all of the nuances of availablewaterproofing products and optionswould take a discussion several times thelength of this article, but for starters, it isuseful to know that they come in three ba-sic forms: coatings that are applied to thesurface to create a membrane; admixturesthat are intrinsic to the concrete and areadded at the mix plant; and penetratingspray-on products that are applied topi-cally and migrate into the concrete matrix. Each of these has its place, and in thespirit of keeping things generic here Iwon’t make any specific recommenda-tions. I won’t even pitch the products weoffer at Aquron, because as good as they


Preparation of deck and pool surfaces can in-volve the use of a single waterproofing ap-proach (A), but in some cases – as with thepreparation of the pool in B for an all-tile finish– it warrants use of waterproofing schedulesthat use multiple treatments, sometimes frommultiple suppliers.

Pho

to c

ourt

esy

Roc

k S

olid

Tile

A

B

may be, they only have true merit if cho-sen for the right application and properlyapplied. And that’s true of many productsin the marketplace, no matter the supplier. As I see it, my competition isn’t otherwaterproofing companies; rather, it’s thewatershaping industry’s general lack ofacceptance of the need for waterproofing– an information gap I hope I have reme-died to some extent with this article. It’s also important to note that nowaterproofing system is flawless: Wateris called the “universal solvent” forgood reason, and all of us in this busi-ness know that, given enough time, wa-ter may find its way into and throughalmost any material to which it is

steadily exposed. As I see it, what wa-tershapers need to do is stack the deckin their favor as best they can – whichmakes waterproofing a smart and af-fordable form of insurance. I’ve long heard it said that watershapershave to be good at (or at least familiarwith) disciplines ranging from masonry,hydraulics and structural engineering towater chemistry, material and equipmentselection and design aesthetics, amongothers. With so much going on in today’swatershapes, with so much required toget the job done right, it only makes senseto try to make sure the primary elementwe all work with – that is, water – staysright where it belongs.


Waterproofing is a concern well beyond theshell itself – as here, where the coping, deck,natural stone and rock waterfall will all benefitby being protected from moisture intrusion.

3 8 • watershapes may 2 0 11

PastByChristopher Lines

Persuaded by the

may 2 0 11 watershapes • 3 9

AsI see it, watershaping is ultimately about its emotionaleffects: As designers and builders, it’s our job to bring a varietyof technical and aesthetic elements together to create spacesand structures that leave our clients with enduring feelings ofvitality, relaxation, comfort and luxury. In my case, the quest to realize this emotional component ac-

tually drives the process. As I strive to generate spaces that havereal meaning for my clients, I’m always putting my heart intothe work and am fully aware that what I do is an extension ofwho I am. Indeed, I’ve never been shy about letting my designsreflect my passion for art, architecture, history, color, form andeven poetry. By working on this level, I find that I’m able to carry my clients

along and make them as excited, inspired and engrossed by theprocess as I am. It’s an unabashedly romantic approach, but itcan be infectious – and clearly satisfies everyone who gets in-volved. Of course, there is plenty of perspiration that goes along with

Some watershapers see their work in primarily technicalterms – as complex tasks to be completed efficientlyand well. Others, notes watershaper and landscapeartist Christopher Lines, see technical mastery as astarting point beyond which they pursue purely artisticimpulses. He’s firmly in the latter camp, he adds, witha penchant for creating classically-inspired gardensthat tantalize the senses and fire the imagination withechoes of eras long past.

the inspiration. For all of my enthusiasm,I spend a tremendous amount of time de-signing these spaces and selecting elementsthat will populate them, from the largestwaterfeature to the smallest plant. I alsoclosely manage the construction process,never relinquishing control because witheach and every project, I’m expressing myown belief in the concept of creating highlypersonalized paradises. The key, I’ve found, is careful selection

of a style that works for the property, forthe clients and for me as the designer.

REACHING BACKIf I had to declare a stylistic preference

(or even a speciality), I’d have to say thatI’m a huge proponent of Classic looksand have spent much of my adult life ed-ucating myself about Classicism and anumber of related design traditions. What you discover through study of

this sort is that just about every stylisticcompartment you consider includes longlists of variations, sub-movements andquirks. In fact, what we even mean by theterm “Classic” is quite varied and vast.That’s why, when I’m working withclients, I find that I need to narrow the fo-cus and get as specific as I can with themas early in the process as possible.Let me define why that’s important:

When my clients and I talk about, say,Classic design, the reference might be toforms of Greek, Etruscan, Roman, Islamicor Asian architectural design – or even todetails of High Renaissance, Baroque orRococo art. There are even references to“Classic Contemporary” – all of which canconfuse my clients if I’m not careful withthe terminology and how we share it. Recently, for example, I finished an

elaborate project for clients who had re-located to the United States from Italyand had distinctly European frames of


Not only do these historic fountain forms dis-play the evolution of these special water-shapes, but they also represent a variety oflooks that can be used today with specificclients, settings and projects. Sometimes,depending on the stylistic target, a simplewellhead or waterspout will be a perfect fit,while other times only an elaborate tieredstructure or leaping jets of water will do.

reference. But once we started talkingabout their desire for a “Classic” project,it took us some time to work through allof the possibilities before settling onforms of the Renaissance from the 15thand early 16th centuries. To get there, we had to run through all

sorts of precursor and successor styles,explore Moorish Spain and get past theFrench and German and Italian influ-ences woven into the design fabric of thatera. In this case, we soon boiled thingsdown to a rather specific moment earlyin the 16th Century and a period knownas the Italian High Renaissance.This was the great period of Leonardo

da Vinci, Raphael and Michelangelo aswell as Bramante, the great architect ofthat time and place – and we used it as afilter in assessing the elements we wereconsidering for use in our own project. The art and architecture of that time

is all easily accessible in books, of course,which is one of the reasons why I’veamassed a collection of nearly 2,000 suchvolumes covering just about every typeof architectural and landscape style andtradition to share with my clients.But I am also a firm believer in the val-

ue of travel and of seeing these objectswith my own eyes, and I’ve been veryfortunate to have spent a great deal oftime traveling throughout Europe andespecially in Italy, where I’ve absorbedeverything I can from the streets and gal-leries of Florence and Rome and visitedsuch places as the Villa d’Este and theVatican among many others.Those experiences (and more) are on

display in the columns, steps, pilastersand colonnades I selected for these Italianexpatriates. In one way or another,everything within the package qualifiesnot only as Classic, but as Classic of avery specific sub-type.

PART OF LIFEOf course, the Italians had no monop-


Spaces designed in classic styles are almostalways governed by axial symmetry – a com-pulsively formal grid that organizes primaryviewpoints, pathways and placement of objectswithin these compositions. Experience showsthat getting this right is often the most directway to please classically oriented clients.

oly on Classicism. There are Classics inthe German style, for example, and inFrench, British and Spanish styles as well.I’ve spent my career figuring out andworking with the distinctions, in eachcase responding to some particular qual-ity desired by my clients as expressionsof their passions, backgrounds and ro-mantic impulses.At this stage of my career, this doubt-

less means that I’m attracted to projectsof a certain type – and very likely thatclients come to me because I’m knownfor my fascination with the Western tra-ditions of art and design. Whether it’sabout culture, royalty, governance, travel,resources or vernacular structures, I pur-sue timeless links to the romance, strug-gles and triumphs of the past. In short, I seek connections in my

own work and do what I can to link myclients to traditions that have defined allof us through important stretches of hu-man history. That’s all heady stuff, but it’s only

worth indulging because it also has apractical side: As part of the designprocess, I always encourage my clients topurchase some genuine artifact (or arti-facts) from the past (if they can in anyway afford it) so that these new water-shapes and landscapes have somethingof our subject period as part of the com-position. Even if it’s no more than a sin-gle reclaimed brick, its presence createsa distinct tie to the past that lends signif-

icance, meaning and emotional connec-tivity to the project.And if that artifact is a wall fountain

or a sculpture or some other object ofsubstance, all the better! As mentioned above, these elements

carry narratives that clients will valuethemselves and will share with familyand friends. Let’s say they traveled toRome to purchase them and had sideadventures along the way: Throughthese objects, the new spaces are vestedwith stories that reflect ages long pastas well as current personal history. Theyare infused with life in ways that cannotbe achieved with replicas, no mattertheir quality. In design terms, these artifacts become

wonderfully powerful focal points or ac-cents within a given space, serving as des-tinations, setting up vignettes and estab-lishing tone that will pervade and enhancetheir surroundings. And this works even if the artifact is

encompassed by new materials and ob-jects created to render the illusion of ageand tradition. In that sense, the designeris using education and life experience tochannel the works of artists and artisansof the past, using insights drawn fromtheir styles and approaches to devisespaces that bring them to life once again. Happily for those of us who work in

these styles, there are good resources athand including several suppliers who of-fer products that replicate works of an-

tiquity. The availability of these statues,fountains, columns, finials, and assortedother details enable us to work more orless as set designers and significantly en-hance our ability to transport our clientsto other times and places. But again, this is not a casual exercise:

To make the illusion work, you must un-derstand the details, know the vernacularand nuances of the particular style and,most of all, know how the various ele-ments all fit together. There are no short-cuts. You have to be sure of yourself,know what you’re pursuing – and figureout a way, of course, to bring your clientalong on the journey.

FOLLOWING LINESWhen working in one form or another

of a classic style, there is always going tobe some sort of framework or grid orpattern or array of elements that definethe look you seek to invoke.That may seem confining, and I’ve ob-

served with some projects that it can leadto conventional or even humdrum re-sults. For my part, however, I find theconventions of these forms to be liber-ating. As in jazz music or improvisation-al theater, the structure is what propelsand shades the creative decisions theartist makes. Once you hit certain notes or echo a

distinctive delivery, you’re on your way.If you’re working in French Gothic, forexample, once you’ve accommodated


the sensations created by Gothic arches,flying buttresses and ribbed vaults – anddefined distinctions between what you’redoing and the contours of, say, Islamicarches or Roman barrel vaults – thenyou’ve paid the necessary homages andcan move along creatively.It also helps that precision isn’t always

necessary, basically because there arefew sharp lines to be drawn among clas-sical forms. The designers of the HighRenaissance worked with a design vo-cabulary dictated largely by the Romansand by the Greeks before them, witheach subsequent movement pickingand choosing among elements and us-ing them as seemed appropriate.The colonnades and domes of Roman

architecture, in other words, were reborn(literally) during the Renaissance, butthey also existed in the more recent con-text of Moorish influences from Spainand Gothic influences from France.Knowing these lineages makes it possibleto work with and across styles so long as

what you’re doing doesn’t violate thespirit of what you’re after and you andyour client have developed a vocabularythat lets you discuss these nuances andcrosscurrents.In my experience, navigating these wa-

ters means adhering to a few core values.With Classic landscape designs, for ex-ample, spatial organization is critical,and I know I must observe certain prin-ciples related to symmetry, rectilinear

geometry and development of axial sightlines. And this is true no matter the pro-ject’s scope, whether I’m working witha grand estate the size of Versailles or ona private residence with a constrictedsuburban yard. As a result, every Classic design I do

starts with some form of axially definedlayout, which can mean centering a foun-tain or statue in view of a key window ordoorway and using it as a focal point to


No matter whether my clients are after spacesreminiscent of Classical Rome, RenaissanceItaly or Baroque Spain, I know I can find ac-cessories that will mentally transport them tojust the right time and place. These includeeverything from window brackets, wall fixturesand urns to iron gates, garden statuary andarchitectural fixtures – all available in modernreproductions.

govern pathways and placement of otherstructures, no matter the size of the space. From there, I work with additional

stylistic elements, planning an Englishgarden, for example, with crisp, orderlyrows of hedges or a Spanish Colonialquadrangle with wonderful garden gates.This flexibility is what I love about dig-ging into the Classics. And you can even break the rules if

you really know what you’re doing. Infact, asymmetrical balances can be ex-tremely stimulating: If you have a goodreason for doing so, a bit of imbalancethat would typically be objectionable canwork within these spaces.

WATER’S PRESENCEBeyond design traditions, I’m also pas-

sionate about using water in my projects.Whether it’s a wall fountain, a runnelsystem, a tiered fountain, a swimmingpool or a pond, these features can be thekey to almost any design in any style. Whether it’s quiet and reflective or an-

imated and turbulent, water is always adynamic design element. Designers ofdays long gone knew this, of course, andit would be interesting to meet the firstartists who figured out that simple well-heads could be transformed into majesticfountains serving triumphal civic pur-poses in town squares and hear whatdrove their designs. As time passed and whatever specific

paths were taken, water-as-utility even-tually became water-for-display. In somecases, water that was used for drinkingor for air conditioning became waterused to demonstrate wealth and poweror artistic ambition. In fact, the modestwellheads of Rome’s past did eventuallyevolve into grand, water-driven fountainsof great beauty.Fortunately, my clients typically share

my love of water, so it’s not very difficultto convince them to invest in some typeof watershape – or several watershapes,as the case may be. Examples of foun-tains abound, but I am also well aware

that Bramante didn’t specify a singleswimming pool with any of his projects.Water of swimming depth is indeed a

modern anachronism in a Classic setting,but there were many gardens that includ-ed reflecting pools or even rain-collectionbasins that are not out of place. It’s notmuch of a reach beyond either one ofthose to consider a vessel suitable for hu-man immersion. Beyond basic shapes (and depths), it’s

all about the details with pools. Theymust be adorned appropriately – mean-ing mosaics rather than fields of glass orceramic tile, for example – using materialsthe way builders of the Renaissance wouldhave inherited from their Roman for-bears. An air of authenticity is the key,which is why I often accent these poolswith statues and small fountains. And always, surrounding these vessels

appropriately is of crucial importance.Architectural details, statuary and plantsare all vital, and they all must be placedin the space using the governing princi-


Those mental connections also set the stage for their sustainedemotional involvement with the project once it’s complete. Taken together, all of this groundwork generates momentum as

we move forward. From the earliest stages, I’m choosing materialsand objects to inhabit their spaces – items that have both physicalform and some sort of function but that also have certain narrativesattached to them. If a client can look at the material chosen for the decking (let’s say

it’s a nice Travertine or marble) and recall conversations we’ve hadabout the material’s origins and historic uses, they will not only takepleasure in sharing what they know with others, but will also havean emotional attachment to it as a familiar, understood part of theirown personalized space. From my perspective, the more specific these key discussions are

with the clients, the more freedom I have to respond creatively whilesimultaneously guiding their expectations. As I mention in the ac-companying text, my design work is extremely detailed, and followingalong as the process unfolds places certain responsibilities on myclients to keep up and understand what’s happening. And I have found this to be true no matter the style in which I’m

working. Whether it’s Contemporary, Prairie Style or EuropeanClassical, it all works best when their involvement is both emotionaland all-encompassing.

– C.L

Matters of Style

When I begin working with clients, style is a topic from the start –both underlying and expressed. From the first second of my first site visit, I’m all eyes and ears, noting

the home’s architecture, spotting any art on the walls, sizing up thefurnishings and even thinking about the neighborhood in whichthey’ve chosen to live. From the outset, I’ll do all I can to pick up cuesthat will guide the design process. My clients are very important in this process, of course, but I’m

always aware that I am the one who is guiding the work, using myown thoughts and ideas to stimulate theirs as we develop wish listsand put some flesh on the skeletons of their ideas. During our discussions – all of them, but especially the early ones

– I’m drawing them out, getting them to relate experiences andmemories and developing a language we will share through the en-tirety of the process. It’s also about references and helping them de-velop a visual vocabulary we’ll have in common as well, which iswhy I will share books and magazines with them and lead them toexplore key web sites. As we communicate along these lines, this educational process typ-

ically grabs hold and my clients almost always become excited andinspired. I guess it’s just human nature to want to be knowledgeable,and I see what I’m doing as helping them expand their frames of ref-erence and classify past experiences with greater clarity and vibrancy.

ples of axial organization. Doing this wellis of special concern around watershapes,because they can draw too much atten-tion and ultimately become disruptive. This is why I like using aged or dis-

tressed materials as coping for these wa-terfeatures: It gives the impression thatthe rest of the space was planned arounda much older structure at the core.

MAGICAL ROMANCEThis text is meant to illustrate my be-

lief that, far from being confining, work-ing within established design styles andtraditions is actually liberating. Yes, thesedesigns require a disciplined approach,but there’s room for great creativity here.For me, the factor that helps me move

easily under the Classic umbrella is thefact that I bring a sense of romance tothe table. It’s the X factor that keeps memoving and makes it possible for me toforge the kind of connections that mustbe there if I’m to satisfy my clients. No matter how organized the space,

within each of my landscapes I make cer-tain to include something stirring andemotionally evocative that will pull myclients into the space over and over again– something that will get them so firedup that they’ll never tire of telling theumpteenth guest the story of how theywent to a shop just outside Rome andfound the old horse trough that nowfeeds water to their swimming pool.That sort of linkage will make family af-

ternoons, garden parties and quiet eveningsall that much more special: the food willtaste better; the wine will be superb, andeveryone there will be enveloped by a senseof timeless beauty not only in visual terms,but also in smells, sounds and tastes. And if the tomatoes in the salad and

the herbs in the sauce were grown in partof the garden; if the fragrant flowersfloating in the table’s bowls came fromvines tracing their way up the loggia; ifbeautiful music accompanies the gentlesounds of moving water, then this is aspace that will link my clients and theirguests to moments long past, half a worldaway from their daily routines. You can spend a lifetime chasing the

ages in this way. If you do so with pas-sion and romance, I can think of few bet-ter ways to spend your time.


When I develop a project in a particular style, I know that the results I achieve will be measuredagainst my clients’ understanding of the features of that style and their perception of how I’ve or-ganized the space, dealt with its symmetries, used appropriate materials and included objectsand details that attach them emotionally to what we’ve achieved together. If it all works, the factthat I’ve altered the program by using, for example, a sweeping vanishing edge is less a disruptionthan it is a welcome variation on a theme.

4 6 • watershapes may 2 0 11

ack in 1949, aprominentcouple living inLitchfield County,

Conn., decided theywanted to build a contemporary-stylehome that would stand out among theclassically styled residences that markedthe area. After conducting extensive re-search, they retained the renownedBauhaus architect and Modernist artistMarcel Breuer. The home Breuer eventually designed

for Leslie and Rufus Stillman pays testi-mony to the stark beauty of minimalism:The daring, box-shaped, two-level struc-ture featured an array of contemporaryelements and appointments, not least ofwhich is a large, rectilinear swimmingpool accessed by a dramatic, cantileveredstaircase from the home’s upper level.(Things worked out so well here, by theway, that this was just the first of threeBreuer homes commissioned by theStillmans.) The couple avidly collected modern

art, so the home became a showplace fora number of original pieces by several ofthe mid-century period’s greatest artists,including Alexander Calder. Althoughperhaps best remembered today for in-venting the mobile, Calder was asked inthis case to paint an original mural on alarge block wall set above the deep endof the pool. The results were, in a word,spectacular. But let’s fast-forward 60 years: By

2010, the Stillman House was in need ofrestoration, and even the vivid Caldermural had cracked and eroded from ex-posure to the elements. Happily, this

B

ArtfulRestoration

The restoration of significant architectural sitesis always a challenge, but as Jeffrey Boucherof Drakeley Swimming Pool Co. reports, it risesto an even higher level when the projectincludes restoration of a mural painted byAlexander Calder. Here, Boucher tells the storyof a high-stakes project filled with interestingtwists and turns – not least of which is therevelation of a deeper connection between thewatershaping team and this particular pool.

By Jeffrey Boucher


proved a turning point, as the property’snew owners announced their intentionto completely restore the house and re-turn it and all of its features to originalcondition.

A RARE OPPORTUNITYWe at Drakeley Swimming Pool Co.

(Bethlehem, Conn.) were contacted bythe homeowners at the recommendationof a mutual friend at some point afterthe Stillman House restoration projecthad begun. They told us that they hadbeen working with a local plasteringcompany who offered the suggestion thatall the pool really needed was a new plas-ter finish.They wanted a second opinion, and we

were happy to oblige. What we found onsite was a raw concretestructure that hadbeen treated with no more than a cement-based sealer – no plaster at all, no waterlinetile, no coping and no more than an un-usual rolled-edge detail at the top of thepool. The plastering company had rec-ommended a white, exposed-aggregatefinish, and the homeowners were rightlyconcerned that this wouldn’t look at alllike the original, especially at and abovethe waterline. And anyway, our site review indicated

that this project needed to be aboutmuch more than a replastering job: Wesaw the need for a new equipment set,revised plumbing and attention to ahost of other details – but nothingmuch out of the ordinary for a pool thathad its original cast-iron plumbing, fit-tings and bronze fixtures. We noted thatat some point a heater had been added,but beyond that, we saw no signs thatanything had been touched in a seriousway since 1950. The pool itself had been dry-gunned

and measured 18 feet wide by 36 feetlong, with the deep end at eight feet (nextto the mural wall) then rising sharply toa shallow end, where we found an un-usual 18-inch depth. The structure sitson a terrace overlooking a beautifulwooded valley that stretches out beyondthe mural wall, and perhaps the most in-teresting feature in a simple design wasthe cantilevered landing that offered ac-cess to the pool. (This was, by the way,a design detail Breuer revisted 15 years


When we arrived on the scene, the pool still held water and was structurally sound, but it hadsuffered in other ways through its 60 years of service and was clearly in need of aesthetic and me-chanical attention.

later in creating the entryway to theWhitney Museum in New York.) The pool’s shape was clearly simple,

but this was a progressive watershape forits day and bears witness to an early ap-plication of dry shotcrete in pool con-struction (including the rounded floor-to-wall transitions). We also had to work with the fact that

the homeowners initially thought thatall the pool needed was some cleaningup to become operational again. As wedug deeper, we had to inform them oth-erwise: The pool needed complete ren-ovation and updating, we said, andrestoring it to its original appearancewould take the same kind of care thatwas being applied to the home itself.

ORIGINAL INTENTAt the initial meeting with the client,

it was unclear to us that the project wasabout restoration rather than renovation.As a result, we had been considering anumber of ideas that would have altered(and, we thought, enhanced) the generalappearance while staying close to theoriginal program. We also talked with some colleagues

about the project – including, for one,David Tisherman of David Tisherman’sVisuals, Manhattan Beach, Calif., who sug-gested extending the pool around and pastthe mural wall to create the impressionthat the artwork was floating on the water. I actually proposed this idea to the

homeowners, who politely redirected

my thinking and made it clear that thework being done throughout the entireproperty was aimed at bringing thingsback to original condition to the greatestextent possible – pool and mural wall in-cluded. This meant we had to shift gears,but it did nothing to dampen our enthu-siasm for the tasks at hand.But before we could get involved

with the mural, we had to set thingsright with the pool, which needed allsorts of attention and carried its ownchallenges. First, for example, we hadto assess its basic structural integrity.It hadn’t been used for several seasonsand had been blackened by dirt and de-bris. Once we cleaned it up, we foundsome surface cracks, but otherwise andoverall, it was structurally sound. The plumbing was another story: It

all had to be updated while avoiding newpenetrations or other structural rework-

ing. The same was true of the equipmentset, which needed upgrading with energyefficient pumps, modern filtration, a newheater and a control system. One of our first challenges had to do

with the skimmer. What we found wasan old-style, no-niche fitting that ex-tended from the wall and connected toa bobbing-style unit (once common butrarely seen these days) supplied byAladdin Equipment Co. of Sarasota, Fla.Given the rolled edge, we knew wewouldn’t be able to use a modern sub-stitute without completely disruptingthe original appearance. This meant that we’d either have to fab-

ricate an exact replica of the original skim-mer or find one on some supplier’s backshelf. Playing a hunch, I contacted a friendat Paddock Pool Equipment (Rock Hill,S.C.), which was in business back in the’50s and, I hoped, might have some useful


It helped significantly that the early history of the house had been well documented and thoroughly photographed. This rich background answeredmany questions and sped the process of deciding just what needed to be done.

The pool needed complete renovation and updating, and

restoring it to its original appearance would take the same

kind of care that was being applied to the home itself.

information in its archives. I describedwhat I was looking for and asked if theymight know of such a product or, betterstill, might have it in stock somewhere. My friend said he’d look into it and

soon called me back with a report thatthere were two on the shelf. I purchasedboth, knowing that they might be theonly two such skimmers of their kindavailable anywhere. One was in mintcondition; the other had become discol-ored through the years. We decided touse the pristine unit and kept the otheras a backup.

RECREATING A CLASSICLuck was on our side, it seemed, and

stayed around for the rest of the project.We knew, for example, that local build-

ing codes would not allow the skimmerto be the only suction source, so we hadto rework and split the main drain tobring things up to current safety stan-dards. This would mean either diggingunder the pool or coring out the originaldrain – and probably both.As we started pulling things apart,

however, we noticed that at some pointsomeone had inserted a run of blackpolyethylene piping down to the main


Finish QuestionAs mentioned in the accompanying text, the historic pool seen here

was originally finished with a white, cementitious sealer – very commonin the New England area in 1950.

When it came time for us to resurface it, we stuck to the spirit of re-stroration that guided the project and selected a similar sort of sealer– in this case a Thoroseal product made by BASF Corp. of Shakopee,Minn. Even though this choice made sense in physical and aestheticterms, we all saw it as a near-barbaric way to finish the pool as it doesnot compare favorably with today’s surfacing products.

It was so rough, in fact, that we felt compelled to make sampleboards to make absolutely certain the homeowners knew what theywere getting and also to test out a variety of possible application meth-ods. The product is typically applied over large surfaces with thick-napped rollers that create very rough textures. For comparison, wealso prepared boards onto which we’d brushed or sprayed the ma-terial, giving us a representative range of textures.

Ultimately, we worked with the rollers, largely because we had asense that was how the work had originally been done in 1950. Theresulting surface has lots of texture, but as best we can tell it mostclosely aligns with the original intent.

– J.B.

drain, using the original cast-iron pipesas a sleeve. We pressure-tested the polyline: It held up well, so we were able touse it and, as a result, all we had to dowas cut into the shell to create the splitmain drain. We also used a variable-speed/variable-flow pump (made byPentair Water Pool & Spa, Sanford, N.C.)that includes an onboard SVRS deviceas another safety layer.(In removing the old main drain we

made what was, at least to us, a trulyamazing personal discovery: Inside wefound a bronze Paddock fixture thatmade it certain the pool had originallybeen built by the grandfather of BillDrakeley, our company’s president. Hewas the only custom builder in the areaat that time and was the only one in theregion who used Paddock equipment.)From that point on, replacing the

plumbing was a simple matter ofopening up the ground behind thebond beam and running a new plumb-ing loop. We had to make a few new

penetrations to add some return lines,concealing them as best we could aswhite, flush-mounted fittings, but byand large what we did was minimallyintrusive both in physical and especial-ly in visual terms.The only true alteration to the original

design had to do with adding a pool lighton the house side of the watershape togive the setting some added drama atnight. We core drilled the niche andpowder coated the entire assembly inwhite so it would blend in with the sur-face. The light came from Hayward PoolProducts (Elizabeth, N.J.) and was cho-sen for the style of the lens, which seemedto fit best as part of the contemporarydesign and may well have been some-thing the architect and artist might haveused if it had been available when thewatershape was constructed. As all of this basic restoration work

moved along, we began to get increas-ingly excited by the prospect of the pro-ject’s main event and the reconstruc-

tion of the wall and restoration of theCalder mural. The mural had been painted on a

block wall 12 feet, six inches tall and 22feet wide. The wall’s footing, unfortu-nately, had been set in gravel and hadgone out of level by about four inches inthe course of 60 years. As a consequenceof this general decline, water had enteredthe block structure at the top of the walland had penetrated through the block,lifting the paint and substantially de-stroying the mural’s surface.

STEP BY STEPThe painstaking restoration process

was undertaken with the help of theCalder Foundation and with the aid ofcontemporary photographs as well as in-formation on the original dimensionsand even on the paints the artist had used. Indeed, the design and construction of

the house had been documented in greatdetail (including photographs I found ona visit to the Litchfield Historical Society


With exact restoration in mind, we proceededwith extraordinary care in selecting materialsand finishes to get the job done. This includedpreparation of various sample boards for thegleaming interior finish and sourcing a re-placement for the old-style skimmer, but italso involved finding appropriately sleek light-ing fixtures – an amenity not originally includ-ed in the pool.

of a mock-up and full-scale renditionmade by Calder for the Stillmans’ ap-proval) – and in general we followed everylead: The current homeowner’s passionfor Breuer and Calder was so great thatthere would literally be no unansweredquestions. Our part in this was advising on re-

building the wall, which was upgradedwith 48-inch deep footing designed todo a much better job than the originalof withstanding local freeze/thaw con-ditions. The area was also graded and aproper drainage system installed to pro-tect this base before every one of the care-fully marked blocks was put back in itsexact, original position. Once the wall was up and we’d sealed

it with base coatings to create a propertexture for application of the mural, thehomeowner set about recreating the boldyet simple geometric forms Calder hadused to link his work to views of the val-ley beyond. The wall actually obstructs a large por-

tion of a wonderfully scenic view of for-est-covered hillsides – an incredibly boldstep on Breuer’s part, but one that Caldereased by incorporating representationsof distant contours into his compositionin a way that effectively comments on,extends and engages the view. There’s an orange sphere, for example,

that represents the sun hanging in a rollof the hills, along with a lower spherethat represents the moon, a triangle thatrepresents the mountainous terrain anda conical shape that suggests a volcano(a truly exotic touch, as there are nonein the region).In other words, the mural is both a

representation and a part of the land-scape view – a pioneering work of envi-ronmental art that fits perfectly withinthe context of Calder’s exploration ofmore mobile forms that participate intheir settings.


Before painting the mural in 1950, AlexanderCalder prepared a full-scale mockup for clientapproval. We gained access to that plywoodpanel through the local historical society, andit was amazing to see how meticulously theartist had recorded measurements and so clear-ly defined the various spatial relationships.

Fully restored after long years of deterioration, the pool and mural atConnecticut’s famed Stillman House have regained their former gloryand once again offer testimony to the artful collaboration of an ingeniousarchitect and a brilliant artist.

may 2011 watershapes • 53

58 Air-O-Lator • (800) 821-3177 www.airolator.com

14 AQUAFIN • (866) 278-2346 www.aquafin.net

3 Aquamatic Cover Systems • (800) 262-4044 www.aquamatic.com

56 Aquatic Access • (800) 325-5438 www.aquaticaccess.com

58 AQURON • (800) 342-4649 www.aquron.com

59 BioNova Natural Pools • (507) 246-6682 www.bionovanaturalpools.com

9 CEMROCK • (800) 843-6067 www.cemrock.com

56 DEL Ozone • (800) 676-1335 www.delozone.com

8 Emperor Aquatics • (610) 970-0440 www.emperoraquatics-pool.com

21 Genesis 3 Schools • (877) 513-5800 www.genesis3.com

15 Gilderfluke & Co. • (800) 776-5972 www.gilderfluke.com

26 Grand Effects • (949) 697-5270 www.grandeffectsinc.com

59 Great American Waterfall Co. • (888) 683-0042 www.gawcinc.com

17 Hayward Commercial Pool Products • (800) 657-2287 www.haywardcommercialpool.com

14 Hydro Dramatics • (877) 988-7867 www.hydrodramatics.com

18 Kenneth Lynch & Sons • (203) 264-2831 www.klynchandsons.com

64 Jandy • (800) 822-7933 www.nature2.com

27 Laticrete International • (800) 243-4788 www.laticrete.com

63 Lightstreams Glass Tile • (408) 492-1689 www.LightstreamsGlassTile.com

57 Macalite Equipment • (877) 622-2548 www.macaliteequipment.com

12 Outdoor Fire Concepts • (877) 630-6114 www.outdoorfireconcepts.com

11 Pentair Water Commercial Pool and Aquatics • (800) 831-7133 www.pentaircommercial.com

2 Roman Fountains • (800) 794-1801 www.romanfountains.com



15 SAVI Pool and Spa • (407) 855-5630 www.nextstepproduct.com

56 Vastec U.S.A • (888) 282-7832 www.vastec-usa.com

7 Waterway Plastics • (805) 981-0262 www.waterwayplastics.com

Page

Advertiser Index

Information Express


Let your suppliers know where you found out about them:Mention May 2011 WaterShapes when

contacting them by phone or the interent

For More Information...Our reader service card has gone high-tech. Torequest additional information from any of the

advertisers listed below, go to www.watershapes.com/ads

56 Techniseal

56 Zodiac Pool Systems

56 Ebac Industrial Products

56 Atlantic Water Gardens

57 Lightstreams Glass Tile

57 Kenneth Lynch & Sons

57 Tube Planters

57 Quaker Plastics

58 BioNova Natural Pools

58 Legacy Decorative Concrete Systems

58 Pentair Water Commercial Pool & Aquatics

58 Kichler Lighting

59 GF Piping Systems

59 Vortex Aquatic Structures Int’l

59 Bosch

59 Trex

60 Hydro Dramatics

60 Aquamatic Cover Systems

60 Decorative Stone Solutions

60 Hayward Commercial Pool Products

60 EasyPro Products

60 pinta acoustic

60 Waterway Plastics

60 Caterpillar

Page

For live links to the companies listed in the Spotlight Index, go to

www.watershapes.com/spotlight

SpotlightIndex

TECHNISEAL (Candiac, Quebec, Canada) has in-troduced HP2Polymeric Sand for use with pavers.Fast-setting and formulated for the toughest ap-plications, the material offers optimal strength anddurability even in high-humidity locations and be-comes waterproof in only 90 minutes. It also canbe used with joints up to four inches wide, whichmakes it ideally suited for use with natural stone.

EBAC INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTS (NewportNews, VA) offers the Model WM80 dehu-midifier for use with indoor pools and spasin residential or commercial applications.Equipped with a high-efficiency rotary com-pressor for low amp draw and high capac-ity, the 360-cfm airflow unit can be wall-

mounted or freestanding and also features an inlet air filter, across-flow fan and an internal humidistat.

Paver Jointing Sand

Dehumidifier

In the Spotlight



Go to www.watershapes.com/ads


ZODIAC POOL SYSTEMS (Vista,CA) has introduced the Polaris9300xi Sport, a robotic cleanerfor inground pools. Designed witha high-capacity filter canister, theunit features a powerful vacuum system that picks up largerdebris quickly while maintaining maximum suction throughoutthe cleaning cycle. It can be operated in an automated clean-ing mode or as directed by a hand-held remote control.

Robotic Pool Cleaner

ATLANTIC WATER GARDENS (Mantua,OH) has introduced the Triton Ionizer.Designed for chemical-free control ofalgae in ponds and watergardens withcapacities up to 25,000 gallons, thelow-voltage units electronically intro-duce copper, silver and zinc ions into the water to keep it crystalclear. They are also safe for use with fish and plants and actuallypromote healthy living conditions in ponds.

Ionizing System

For live links to the companies featured here, go to www.watershapes.com/spotlight

CANTILEVER DECKS WITHOUT THE HASSLELESS TIME + LESS LABOR + LESS COST = MORE POOLS!

VASTEC USA“INNOVATIVE POOL COPING AND MORE!”

• Fast & easy, do it yourself• No subcontractor needed!• No special training needed!

• Great alternative to styrofoam concrete forms• Can be shimmed to fix out-of-level pools• Powder coated for superior scratch resistance

• No getting into pool to finish concrete• Flexible aluminum forms fit any fiberglass or vinyl liner pool• Works with tile, fiberoptics, pavers & more

CALL FOR FREE SAMPLES, DEMO VIDEO &FULL CATALOG OF COPING FOR FIBERGLASS &

VINYL LINER POOLSVASTEC U.S.A. 888-282-7832

www.vastec-usa.com

LIGHTSTREAMS GLASS TILE (Santa Clara, CA) offersthe Renaissance Collection of glass tile. Designed foruse at the waterline or on the interiors of pools, spasand fountains, the tiles can be used in hot or freezingclimates; are thick and substantial; feature permanent,transparent color within the glass; and have edges andcorners that are finished, shiny and smooth to the touch.

TUBE PLANTERS (Garden Grove, CA) offersflexible geotextile fabric planters designed foruse with new or existing watershapes androckscapes. The fabric sleeves are four to nineinches in diameter and are machine-filled withuniform-density soil mixes. They can be at-

tached to rock structures where plant life would grow naturally –between boulders, in crevices and along stream or pond edges.

Glass Tile Collection

Planting Systems



KENNETH LYNCH & SONS (Oxford, CT) of-fers a range of sculptural fountains for useas centerpieces or accents in landscape de-signs. These products include Rain Trees,which are made by hand in copper and bronzeand feature copper leaves plumbed as wa-terfeatures. These sculptures are intendedto stand within basins made using the com-pany’s pool curbing and can be customized to suit any setting.

Rain Trees

QUAKER PLASTICS (Schuylkill Haven, PA)has introduced Paver Drain Overlay in white,tan and gray colors. Designed for use inthe renovation of old drains and decks, theproduct installs easily over old drains, fitsflush with one-inch paver blocks and has a notched side panelthat can be snapped off so the product will fit flush against walls– no need to dig up old drains or work with replacement caps.

Drain Renovation System



BIONOVA NATURAL POOLS (Hackett-stown, NJ) offers literature on the in-stallation of natural swimming pools inpublic settings. The four-page, full-col-or brochure defines how these water-

shapes mimic the proven natural processes that keep wetland wa-ters clean – and do so with smaller carbon footprint, no chemicalusage, less maintenance and lower operating costs than conven-tional public pools.

PENTAIR WATER COMMERCIAL POOL & AQUAT-ICS (Sanford, NC) offers the Acu Drive XS VariableFrequency Drive. Designed specifically to save en-ergy costs while optimizing pump-room operation,the compact unit enhances hydraulic performance,can be used indoors or out and has a payback sched-ule so minimal that the control panel displays thetime remaining until the unit pays for itself.

Natural Public Pools

Variable-Frequency Drive

In the Spotlight


LEGACY DECORATIVE CONCRETE SYSTEMS(Springfield, IL) has published a catalog on itsline of concrete colorants, finishing products,tools and sealers. The 24-page, full-color book-let includes product descriptions; color chartsfor a wide array of coloring systems and resur-facing products; finishing aids; surface protec-tants; and a collection of tooling mats and accessories for con-crete texturing.

Concrete Products Catalog

KICHLER LIGHTING (Cleveland, OH) offersthe Design Pro LED lighting series. The lineincludes compact accent lights for under-water use in ponds, fountains and other wa-terfeatures or in applications beyond the wa-ter’s edge. It also features hardscape lightsfor illuminating retaining walls, columns, steps and other out-door areas; and path lights in a wide range of materials and fin-ishes for every landscape.

LED Lighting


For more info, go to www.watershapes.com/ads For more info, go to www.watershapes.com/ads

GF PIPING SYSTEMS (Tustin, CA) hasextended its line of large-diameter but-terfly valves to include sizes from 14 to24 inches. Each wafer-style, polypropy-lene unit has complete modularity for easyinterchangeability, excellent corrosion re-

sistance and a unique design that allows the disc to completelydisengage from the disc seal (even when partially open) for longservice life and reduced time in maintenance.

BOSCH (Mount Prospect, IL) hasadded a straight-shank rebar cutterto its line of tools for use with ham-mer and rotary drills. The bit lasts

up to twice as long as other rebar cutters and drills through rebarup to 36 percent faster using a unique flute geometry and steepspiral design to remove debris quickly. There’s also a relief holeincorporated into the cutting surface to dissipate heat and facili-tate slug removal.

Big Butterfly Valves

Rebar Cutter

may 2 0 11 watershapes • 5 9www.watershapes.com



VORTEX AQUATIC STRUCTURES INT’L (Mon-treal, Quebec, Canada) has introduced theScorpion and the Spider – interactive play mod-ules for use with its Splashpads and by water-parks and aquatic facilities. The imposing newcreatures are designed to encourage collabo-rative play and cooperation, with children learn-ing cause and effect as they control the crea-tures’ water effects from various appendages.

Interactive Water Play

TREX (Winchester, VA) has introduced DeckWorks,a versatile deck-design program for designersand contractors. Designed for superior speed,ease of use and design flexibility using a varietyof woods and the company’s own wood-alterna-tive products, the system operates on theVectorworks platform, allowing professionals tooutput photo-realistic, three-dimensional renderings of outdoorliving spaces.

Deck-Design Software


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HYDRO DRAMATICS (St. Louis,MO) offers assistance in the me-chanical and electrical design andpost-installation service of fountains.Working with architects, designers,

engineers, contractors and others who need technical support forfountains small or large and from simple to one-of-a-kind com-plex, its projects range from public parks and gardens to corpo-rate sites and high-end residences.

DECORATIVE STONE SOLUTIONS (RanchoCucamonga, CA) offers landscape stone ina wide range of forms and styles – boulders,cobbles, crushed gravels, rubble/rip-rap,round pebbles, colored decomposed gran-ite and more. The products are intended for

use in creating low-water/sustainable landscapes, dry streambeds,decorative groundcovers, pathways, stormwater-infiltration areasand waterfeatures.

In the SpotlightFountain Services

Landscape Stone

EASYPRO POND PRODUCTS (Grant, MI) hasintroduced a copper attachment for its wa-terfall diffusers. Ideal for use with formalwaterfeatures mounted in walls built with eight-or 12-inch-thick blocks, the 23-inch-wide spill-way attaches to the diffuser and generates

great sounds in a compact space. The spillway comes in a kit withreservoir cubes, a liner and underlayment, pipe, a check valve anda pump.

Spillway System

WATERWAY PLASTICS (Oxnard, CA) offers32-inch Ultra Strip Drains. Compliant withprovisions of the Virginia Graeme Baker Pool& Spa Safety Act, these units can be used withconcrete, vinyl or fiberglass pools and havebeen NSF-certified for floor and wall applica-tions using either a center port or two sideports. With their length ensuring unblocka-

bility, the units come in a wide variety of colors.

Strip Drains


AQUAMATIC COVER SYSTEMS (Gilroy, CA) of-fers an eight-page, full-color booklet on EZ Cover,which looks and moves like an automatic safe-ty cover but does so manually without the hy-draulic mechanism. Designed to open or closein about 70 seconds, the systems can be mount-ed in boxes above or hidden below deck leveland can be converted to automatic operationat any point after installation.

Manual Pool Cover

HAYWARD COMMERCIAL POOL PRO-DUCTS (Elizabeth, NJ) has introducedUniversal H-Series line of natural gas/propane heaters. Designed for either newor existing commercial applications, theunits come in low-profile 250,000- or400,000-Btu models that combine optimized hydraulics, excep-tional performance, energy efficiency, reliability and cupronickelheat exchangers with low NOx emissions.

Commercial Gas Heaters

PINTA ACOUSTIC (Minneapolis, MN)has introduced the Rondo line of baf-fles. Designed for exceptional soundabsorption across all frequencies witha high noise reduction coefficient, thecompact, visually appealing, easy-to-install units are intended for use in large, open spaces – in-cluding aquatic centers – and are made of a fire-rated foamavailable in custom lengths in natural white and light grey.

Noise-Reduction Baffles

CATERPILLAR (Peoria, IL) has introducedthe B-Series 3 line of loaders. Designed forsafety, reliability and convenience with morepower, the line’s five skid-steer loaders (SSLs) and two multi-terrain loaders (MTLs) feature larger engines and more power-ful hydraulic systems to go along with excellent maneuverabil-ity, compact size – and safety should a machine run out of fuelor stall with the lift arm raised.

Loader Series


Learn to Earn!WaterShapes book reviewer Mike Farley has long been a strong proponent of personal and professionalenrichment through reading.

For ten years, he’s used his ‘Book Notes’ column toshow how the information in the titles he picks can beapplied to designing, engineering and building qualitywatershapes and the landscaping that surrounds them.

Now WaterShapes has made it fast, easy and convenient for you to acquire many of the books Mike has discussed. Go to www.watershapes.com,click on the WaterShapes Store, then click on the Book Notes ad.

We guarantee that the material Mike has selected willdeepen your knowledge, broaden your perspective andhelp you think outside the box.

Why not make an investment in your future?

THE STORE

ast year was the worst I’ve endured since I was a novicein the pool and spa industry. At the time, I found my-self taking comfort in the fact that I wasn’t alone, that

the recession was to blame for my ebbing sales and that wewere all in the same boat. Misery, it seems, loved company.

But I snapped out of it late last year. I now believe (as Ishould have last year) that when you constantly tell yourselfthings are bad, you almost ensure that they will be that wayand stay that way. What I did to escape the trap was to con-vince myself that, even in bad times, I am solely responsiblefor shaping my mental outlook.

In the first quarter of 2011, things turned completely aroundfor me professionally and I had my best period ever – ab-solutely gangbusters, and there’s no sign of things letting up.I’ve been told we’re in a recovery, but I don’t see evidencethat things have improved enough to explain my numbers –and certainly nothing that accounts for my going from thepits to my best quarter ever, just like flicking a switch.

On top of that, the increase I’ve seen hasn’t been in thehigh-end marketplace where it might be expected; rather,I’m selling what could be considered mid-range pool-and-garden designs – despite the fact that everything I hear andread tells me that the mid-range market is comatose and willbe that way for a long time to come.

What has changed, I believe, is my own thinking and ap-proach to the business, a shift I attribute to three books I’veread repeatedly in the past seven months. The unifying thread:All of them discuss how you approach your own thinkingand do so in ways that reach way beyond typical self-help books.

w Selling in Tough Times by Tom Hopkins(Hachette Book Group, 2010) offers a won-derful primer on returning to service-basedselling. He emphasizes building customerloyalty by providing potential clients withwhat they actually need rather than withwhat you only think they need. Hopkinsis a well-known sales guru and burnisheshis reputation here by offering wonderful

advice on positive thinking and the value of projecting confi-dence and pride in what you offer.

w Aspire by Kevin Hall (Harper Collins, 2009)looks at the world as it revolves around an in-teresting cluster of eleven key words, one ofwhich is the book’s title. Others include pas-sion, humility, integrity and some both famil-iar and very unusual, such as ollin, an Aztecword. In each case, he digs deep to find thedeepest levels of meaning and shares his per-spective with personal, real-life scenarios. It’s

a quick, easy reading experience, but one that imparts a sur-prising level of useful insight.

w Little Voice Mastery by Blair Singer (ExcelPress, 2007) carries a wonderful, down-to-earth discussion on how to manage whatSinger calls the “little voice” inside your head.It’s all about controlling how you think andthe way you respond to challenges, mistakesand successes. I’ve read other books on thistopic, but none matches the grounded, sen-sible assurances offered here. I sincerely be-

lieve that it has helped me reshape the way I think. The bottom line is, these days, that there is no cure-all,

no magic bullet to turn sales around. Based on my ownexperience, however, I have a hunch that if you delve intothese three brilliantly insightful little books, you’ll at leastsee things with fresh eyes and I dare say an elevated spirit– improvements that might just yield positive results thisseason and beyond.

By Mike Farley

All in My Head

L


ook NotesB

Now you can purchase books reviewed by Mike Farley through our web site. Go to www.watershapes.com and click on WaterShapes Store!

WS

Mike Farley is a landscape designer with more than 20 years ofexperience and is currently a designer/project manager for ClaffeyPools in Southlake, Texas. A graduate of Genesis 3’s Level I DesignSchool, he holds a degree in landscape architecture from TexasTech University and has worked as a watershaper in both Californiaand Texas.

inside: gardens for people • classic details • artful restoration...

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