INSIDE: Practical Passion • Outdoor Kitchens • Indoor-Pool ... · dining and entertaining....

INSIDE: Practical Passion • Outdoor Kitchens • Indoor-Pool Design

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

Volume 12Number 6

July/August 2010 $7.00

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july/august 2010

Outdoor LivingBy Scott Cohen

An expert’s guide toal fresco kitchen designs

Through the Lens

By David Tisherman

Finding just the rightphotographer for the job

A Flair with FlamesBy Kevin Doud

Fanning creativitywith today’s fire features

Inside ManeuversBy Kevin Ruddy

Covering all the bases indesigning an indoor pool

4 • watershapes july/august 2 0 10 www.watershapes.com

Features

Contents

In This Issue

Advertiser Index

Spotlight Index

In the Spotlight

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WATERSHAPES (ISSN 1522-6581) is published nine times a year with combined May/June, July/August andSeptember/October issues by McCloskey Communications, Inc. 6119 Lockhurst Dr., Woodland Hills, CA 91367. Acontrolled circulation publication, WaterShapes is distributed without charge to qualified subscribers. Non-qualifiedsubscription 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 issue in the U.S. and Canada. All other countries $15 per issue.Subscription requests must include name, job title, business 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 12 • Number 6

On the Cover: Photo courtesy Richard Tuil Designs, Los Angeles, and provided by Grand Effects, Irvine, Calif.

StructuresBy Eric Herman

Bringing culinary joyto hot summer days

6

Aqua CultureBy Brian Van Bower

Let’s stand up for an invaluable resource

10

On the LevelBy Bruce Zaretsky

Defining a balance ofpassion and practicality

CurrentsBy Mike Gambino

On using materials that make the grade

Book NotesBy Mike Farley

Asian-flavoredslices of paradise

58

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ju ly/august 2 0 10 watershapes • 5www.watershapes.com

Columns

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EditorEric Herman — 714.313-6136

Associate EditorMelissa Anderson Burress — 818.715-9776

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For all the technical savvy, design sophistication and overall smarts demandedof those who reach for the heights in the aquatic arts, I’m often remindedthat, at its core, watershaping is largely about fun and enjoyment.

For years now, that message has come through in any number of ways inthese pages. Take the columns of Brian Van Bower: Just about every month,he does an amazing job of persuading us that watershaping is really aboutgood times and the pursuit of the good life. And he’s not alone in repeatedlydriving home the point that a big part of this pleasurable scene revolves arounddining and entertaining.

That’s why I’m sure Brian and like-minded colleagues will particularly ap-preciate “Outdoor Living” by Scott Cohen, beginning on page 22 of this issue.Cohen is an accomplished designer and self-styled “garden artist” who plieshis trade in the warm environs of southern California’s San Fernando Valley.

At the same time as he’s become widely known for creating scores of lav-ishly appointed backyard watershapes and landscapes, he’s also become wellknown as an authority on designing and installing outdoor kitchens – so muchso that he’s one of HGTV’s go-to guys on the subject.

In this month’s article, he generously shares what he’s learned in workingwith clients as they winnow through the vast array of options and possibili-ties that are part and parcel of these projects. He also makes it deliciouslyclear that spaces for cooking, dining and socializing outside can become asumptuous form of art when approached with tasteful planning and a fewdashes of design sophistication.

ttt

Inspired by that spirit, allow me to join the party and share one of my favoritesummertime recipes – one that’s particularly well suited for an outdoor grill.

It’s a dish of my own concoction, based loosely on recipes picked up fromEmeril Lagasse and Paul Prudhomme, two of my culinary heroes. I call it “Eric’sZesty Crusted Fish Filets.”

The ingredients include four six-ounce fish filets (sole, talapia, sea bass,trout, redfish, halibut or any firm-fleshed fish), four strips of bacon or pancetta,a quarter cup of lemon zest, a quarter cup of grated fresh horseradish, a quar-ter cup of grated parmesan cheese, eight to ten finely sliced pepperoncinos,two eggs (whites only), a dash of red pepper flakes, a dash of black pepperand a healthy pinch of sea salt.

Prepare a sheet of aluminum foil for each of the filets. Lightly brush the fishwith the egg white and then coat them with a mix of the lemon zest, parmesanand horseradish before dusting with the black pepper and sea salt. After placingthem on the foil, spread the sliced peppers down the length of the filets, then laya slice of bacon on top of each. Loosely wrap the filets in the aluminum foil.

Place the wrapped filets on the grill over medium heat for 15-20 minutes.When you can smell the bacon, the feast is ready. I would suggest serving thismain course with grilled vegetables (asparagus is a personal favorite), a freshbaguette and sparkling fruit juice or a good chardonnay.

To the joys of summer – bon appétit!

The Tastes of SummerBy Eric Herman

tructuresS

6 • watershapes july/august 2010 www.watershapes.com

Scott Cohen is president of The Green Scene, an outdoordesign/construction firm in Northridge, Calif. An accom-plished ceramicist and sculptor, Cohen specializes in custom-designed tiles and sculptures that add imaginative personaltouches to his designs. His work has been featured onHGTV’s “Landscaper’s Challenge” and “Designing for theSexes,” as well as in local and national media including TheLos Angeles Times, Sunset Magazine Pool & Spa Book,Woman’s Day and Better Homes & Gardens. Through theyears, he’s become a frequent resource for HGTV on subjectsrelated to designing and installing outdoor kitchens. Cohenis a member of California’s Contractors Board IndustryExpert Program and lobbies for ethical Workers’Compensation practices in the construction industry.

David Tisherman is the principal in two design/construc-tion firms: David Tisherman’s Visuals in Manhattan Beach,Calif., and Liquid Design of Cherry Hill, N.J. A designer andbuilder of custom, high-end swimming pools since 1979, heis widely known in the pool and spa industry as an advocatefor the highest possible standards of design, engineering andconstruction. He has degrees and credentials in industrialdesign, scientific illustration and architectural drawing fromHarvard University and Art Center College of Design; hastaught architectural rendering and presentation at UCLA;and is currently teaching a course on design and construc-tion of residential watershapes at UCLA. An award-winningdesigner, he serves as an industry expert for California’sContractor State License Board. Tisherman is a co-founder

n This IssueIJuly/August Writers


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of and principal instructor for the Genesis 3 Design Groupand was also a 2008 recipient of The Joseph McCloskey Prizefor Outstanding Achievement in the Art & Craft ofWatershaping.

Kevin Doud is founder of Grand Effects, a fire and water-feature manufacturer based in Irvine, Calif. He has a bache-lor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the CaliforniaPolytechnic State University and has an extensive practicalbackground in combustion technology gathered in ten years’employment as an engineer and regional sales manager for aleading manufacturer of industrial combustion equipment.Doud also holds a patent on Grand Effects’ automated burn-er package.

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

Kevin Ruddy is president of Omega Pool Structures, a TomsRiver, N.J.-based firm that specializes in the design, engineer-ing and construction of indoor swimming pools. Ruddy’s ca-reer in watershaping began more than 25 years ago, after hespent some time in the home-building industry and decidedto apply what he’d learned to building entire backyard spacesthat included pools, spas, landscaping and associated struc-tures. Before long, he saw the need in his area for a companyfocused on the indoor-pool market and established OmegaPool Structures in 1987. The company now works on indoorpools nationwide and established a pool-construction divi-sion in 1993 so it could build many of the pools it designs.Ruddy is both a Gold and Platinum member of Genesis 3 anda member of the Society of Watershape Designers.



qua CultureA


f you’re like me, you look forward to thearrival of every issue of this magazine. As I see it, WaterShapes provides in-

formation that helps me become better atwhat I do. It’s also fun to read, informativeand wonderfully affirming in that it showsour industry at its very best. It’s truly an in-dispensible resource, has been responsiblefor a good measure of the progress the in-dustry has made in the past 12 years – and,unfortunately, it’s also struggling to makeheadway in a tough marketplace.Let me say this up front: I’m going to lay

it on the line about WaterShapes in this col-umn. I will do so not because I write for it,nor because publisher Jim McCloskey andeditor Eric Herman are close personal friends,nor because of the great working relation-ship the magazine has had with my colleaguesand me at Genesis 3. Rather, I do so becausewhat’s happening with the magazine mighthave tragic consequences for our continuingprogress as watershapers.The plain fact is, WaterShapes is an amaz-

ing gift, and we all should cherish it and dowhat we can to ensure its continuing presencein our marketplace and our professional lives.

tough timesIt’s obvious that WaterShapes is having a tough time of it, as

is true of many other individuals and organizations through-out the industry. Nonetheless, I was shocked a while back tolearn that the magazine had pared back its publishing sched-ule to every other month as a way to stay in the game – eventhough I really should have seen it coming. Just stop and consider what’s gone on in our own construc-

tion-related marketplace, and then put it in the context of every-thing that’s happening to just about all print publications thesedays: It’s a real double whammy.Just this morning, for example, I read in the ever-thinning Miami

Herald that one of my favorite magazines, Wine News, has closedits doors, joining an unsettling number of other magazines andnewspapers that have broken under the stress. Now, basicallythrough no fault of its own, WaterShapes has taken a hit – not afatal blow, but one that changes our industry’s routines and par-tially deprives me of a resource I always want more of, not less. I’m certain I can speak for other readers in hoping that this

situation is temporary, because we truly need this publication.It’s plain to see that necessity when you stop to consider what’shappened within our industry in the past dozen years. Indeed, WaterShapes, in tandem with Genesis 3, ushered in a

revolution at the end of the last decade – a revolution, as I’ve writ-ten in this space, that has resulted in the emergence of an entirelynew industry made up of ideas, interests, technologies, trendsand tastes welling up from the pool/spa realm, the landscape ar-chitecture and design communities, the fountain business, thepond and stream trades, the green movement and the fine arts. Through the power of these pages, those elements have

coalesced to create something truly new and tremendouslyexciting. By demonstrating the raw potential of watershap-ing, the magazine has been instrumental in inspiring a wholegeneration of established professionals to reach higher andhigher and in introducing a new generation to fresh ways ofthinking about water.As a result of the existence of this forum, in other words, our

output as watershapers has become more beautiful and multi-faceted than most of us would ever have dared to dream in thenot-so-distant past.

Premium Pages

As a result of the existence of this forum, our output as

watershapers has become morebeautiful and multifaceted than

most of us would ever havedared to dream in the

not-so-distant past.

By Brian Van Bower

I

Continued on page 12


For any questions, please call US agentPhilippe Bazin at 212-564-0404 or [email protected]

qua CultureA

www.watershapes.com

to the pointExamples of what I’m suggesting here

are so numerous that it’s tough to nar-row the list: Every single issue is filled withsuch substance that you don’t have to digvery hard to find columns or articles thatare interesting and relevant. Invariably,issue after issue, quality steps forward theinstant you crack the covers. Where else (other than in some Genesis

3 classes) do you find contributions ofeminences such as Anthony Archer Wills?Here’s an artist who creates works thattruly appear to be made by God and na-ture, often executed on massive scales –and he’s written eight amazing articlesfor the magazine in just the past five years!The way he transforms spaces is stun-ning: It’s watershaping at its absolute best. If you’re a pond and stream specialist

(and even if you’re really good at it),there’s no way you can look at Anthony’swork and not realize that you still haveroom to grow. And because of the wealthof information he has shared in the mag-azine, I’m certain that countless pondsand streams are more beautiful, bettermade and ultimately more likely to in-spire others to consider owning one. Ifthat’s not advancing the cause of the in-dustry, I don’t know what is. In a completely different vein, consid-

er the frequent contributions of PaoloBenedetti. Considering only his recent-ly started “Solutions” features (and notthe seven other features he’s writtenthrough the years), Paolo shares detailsand tips that he’s picked up through yearsof experience, trial and error. Rather thankeep his insights secret, he openly shareswhat he’s learned simply because hewants others to benefit. As an example, in my own practice

we’ve picked up his detail for placingstrainer baskets inside surge tanks. It’s afantastic detail that genuinely improvessystem performance by keeping the wa-ter in surge tanks cleaner, and until Paoloshared his approach, no one (so far as Iknow) was doing anything similar. Ontop of that, I’ll wager that it won’t be longbefore a manufacturer picks up his con-cept and creates an off-the-shelf prod-uct for the application. When that hap-pens, the entire industry will have access

to a great tool that apparently did notexist before Paolo shared it in these pages. In yet another completely different vein,

I think about the influence that my goodfriend and Genesis 3 co-founder DavidTisherman has had by way of his work withWaterShapes from its very first issue in 1999.His passion for quality in design and forincomparable construction has set entire-ly new standards for our industry. Consider the current view of skimmer

lids. There was a time where we simplyaccepted the fact that every pool had around, white dot somewhere in the mid-dle of the deck – sort of like a wart on thenose we simply accepted. David changedthat perspective forever both with hisbristling criticism of those who didn’t seethis as a radical flaw and with his detaileddiscussions of practical ways to cover skim-mers with deck material. It’s reached a point where now, when-

ever I see a telltale white lid in the mid-dle of an otherwise attractive deck, I in-stantly sense that the designer or thebuilder didn’t think the work all the waythrough. It may seem a smallish sort ofconsideration, but as David has taughtus in the past 12 years, excellence con-sists of complete mastery of such details.

into the breachLet me be clear: In charting the enor-

mously positive influence WaterShapeshas had on our industry, I am in no waysuggesting that the publication has ac-complished what it set out to do and thatwe have so much momentum now thatit can step aside and wouldn’t be missed.Quite the opposite is true! We’ve all effectively started a journey

together, and WaterShapes has literallyhad the backs of all progressive-think-ing watershapers from the very start. Toproceed without its support will not onlybe harder and riskier, but also the paceof growth and development will be con-siderably slowed basically because therewon’t be anyone there to pick up the slack. Further, this economic downturn has

keenly demonstrated that there’s a vastgulf between companies that operate ona quality basis and those that ply theirtrade based on price and volume. As I’venoted in my columns many times, the

upper echelon of the trades – the seg-ment that has joined the WatershapingRevolution – has fared surprisingly wellduring this recession while the volumeindustry has suffered grievously. The reason for this is simple: In the

new industry, artistry, quality, integrityand creativity (not price!) are the keysto progress, and the demand for thosevirtues never goes away. WaterShapesconsistently reminds us of these facts.Yes, doing business with clients who have

money is some guarantor of success, butit’s not the only or even the most impor-tant driver: As has been demonstrated inthese pages time and time again, anyone atany level of the industry can improve hisor her skills. Even the most ordinary ofswimming pools can and should be madewith sound hydraulics and structural in-tegrity, for instance, and in most cases evenmodest pools can include aesthetic touch-es that will make them beautiful. Again,WaterShapesnever ceases to impress thispoint upon us.What the magazine shows us over and

over, however, is that quality is transfer-able and that you don’t have to be build-ing quarter-million-dollar pools to un-derstand and apply good design conceptsand sound technical skills. In fact, in ap-plying those qualities on more modestprojects, you fill your projects with value– and will achieve success while perform-ing on a higher plane than those whohaven’t embraced quality as a guiding light. As I see it, the greater the degree to

which the watershaping trades rejectcrummy design, bad hydraulics, sub-standard construction and lousy cus-tomer service, the better off we all willbe. And don’t even get me started aboutthose who operate in the gray market andcompete under the table with no licens-es, no permits, no oversight and no qual-ity assurance of any kind! I get ill just thinking about the way some

people still do business – and I’ve alwaysseen WaterShapesas the antidote: It showsus all a better way to do things, a betterway to relate to our colleagues and a bet-ter way to work with clients. In that con-text, I must finally pose the ugly ques-tion: Can you imagine moving forwardin this industry without this publication?

12 • watershapes july/august 2 0 10

www.watershapes.com

pocketbook issuesLet me conclude this discussion by

issuing a call to action to manufacturers– those who, with their advertising bud-gets, have choices when it comes to whichpublications they support and which theyconsider to be secondary. Frankly, I just can’t understand why

WaterShapes isn’t every relevant mar-keter’s primary outlet: At a time whenwe who are still busy need informa-tion more than ever about who you areand what you have to offer, too manyof you seem to be absent from the onemagazine we all read, most of us cov-er to cover, as soon as it reaches ourdesks.If I were you, I’d want my products to

be associated with a forum that embod-ies excellence, a forum where people areconstantly looking for new ideas andproducts and better ways of doing things.That environment, which fuels imagi-nation as well as competitive fires, is ex-actly where, as a marketer, I would reachout to designers, specifiers and installers.These are people who not only will usemy products in quality applications, butalso are creative types who likely will findways of using them that I might neverhave considered as their manufacturer.On top of that, I’m constantly aware

of the fact that WaterShapes reachesacross industry lines. In marketingGenesis 3 schools, I know that the mag-azine draws responses not just fromthe pool/spa industry, but also fromlandscape architects and designers aswell as the pond and fountain trades.The magazine has helped us expandour marketing reach among water-cen-tered businesses in cross-cultural wayswe couldn’t have affordably achievedotherwise. When I wear my marketing hat, I see

not advertising with WaterShapes as aviolation of my self-interest. I’m notsuggesting that this is the only place Iput my advertisements, but it’s certainlyat the top of my list because it reachesjust the professionals I want to reach. For many reasons, I’m deeply grateful

to those companies that have always sup-ported WaterShapes. I recognize that no-body makes advertising decisions based

on altruism, but at least the advertisers inthese pages have made sound decisions thatalso do right by the watershaping indus-try as a whole. In sum, we’ve become a better indus-

try because of WaterShapes, and we needthis magazine to continue so we will keepreaching even higher.


ju ly/august 2 0 10 watershapes • 13

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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].

On the Level


f you ask my employees and manage toget an unguarded response, they’ll tell youthat I’m an unrelenting pain in the neck

– a real tyrant. That’s because I’m always ask-ing nagging sorts of questions such as, “Whyisn’t this project finished yet?” or “How muchlonger is this going to take?” or “Can you speedthings up?”My point in asking, of course, is to let them

know on some level that if Iwere on site andwas responsible for what was happening, we’dalreadybe done and moving along to anotherproject, no problems, no issues. Furthermore,our completed landscape or watershape wouldbe a true work of art! My questions, of course, are somewhat

unfair and by implication tend to overstatethe effect my superhuman presence mighthave on a project. We may joke about it, butI have no reluctance to come across as atyrant because, although we are pursuingartistic endeavors, we also need to be effi-cient enough in doing so that we stay prof-itable and in business.I recognize that it is frequently difficult to

reconcile art and productivity, but it is some-

thing all business owners and managers must do to keep theartistic concepts in our heads moving forward at the same timewe’re paying close attention to our clients’ budgets and ourown bottom lines. Frankly, working out these balances oftenkeeps me awake at night and, truth be told, is what makes meoccasionally cranky on job sites.

artistic inclinationsAs is true of many of us in the watershaping and landscape

trades, my goal is to create unique, dramatic, satisfying worksof art for my clients. I want them and their friends and their families to be awestruck

when they walk into a space I’ve developed. And I love the factthat ours is an interactive pursuit: People don’t just stand infront of what I do as they would if I painted landscapes on can-vas. Instead, they actually walk into the spaces I’ve createdand experience them with all of their senses. My clients appreciate what I can do and come to me be-

cause they want landscapes or gardens tailored to their de-sires, lifestyles and quirks. Most know that just about anyonecan invade their properties, slam down some pavers, jam in afew plants, collect a check and call it a day. But that’s not me– never has been and never will be – because I want each andevery project to be special. But therein lies the rub: How can I keep reinventing myself

and my outlook on each project? How can I keep creating in-dividualized, idiosyncratic gardens – and do so without losingmy shirt? How can I afford to stay in a constant state of explo-ration and experimentation and keep assuming the risks asso-ciated with innovation? Although I’m not afraid of failure in a specific sense of some-

thing not working on a project and needing to redo things onthe fly, I am afraid of failure on a grander scale and of puttingmy business at risk to the point of bankruptcy. Happily, however, I’ve managed to keep that fear at bay for a

long time and have stuck to my resolve to stay creative and domy absolute best for my clients. At the same time, I see the ef-fect this sort of fear has on other businesspeople – see how thefear of failure drives so many watershapers and landscape pro-fessionals to the “safe harbor” of cookie-cutter designs. These well-meaning (yet timid) practitioners use the same

products and the same approaches on virtually every project

Practical Passion

How can I afford to stay in aconstant state of exploration

and experimentation and keepassuming the risks associated

with innovation?

By Bruce Zaretsky

I

they tackle, regardless of the architectureof the home or even the clients’ wishes.These are the ones who label themselvesin Yellow Pages ads as “Certified Installers”of some product line or other and, ap-propriate or not, use it whenever andwherever they can. They’ll become affiliated with some

paver supplier, for example, and will getpretty good at installing that particularproduct, increasing efficiency and help-ing the bottom line. And they’ll bene-fit from getting volume discounts as well.Indeed, it looks so good on the accountledger that this sort of practice is hardto resist. But look at the results: Every project

with the same pavers, the same few treespecies, the same plant selections, the samepool shapes – all of them familiar andshopworn and probably passé, regard-less of what the architecture of the homecalls for or the clients might really want. In many cases, businesses are driven to

the cookie-cutter approach in pursuit ofbudget-restricted projects where opera-tional efficiency offers the only room tomake a buck. As I see it, however, whatthis approach represents is the design equiv-alent of a buzz kill – the end of creativity,the demise of art.

both waysIn my years in business, I’ve had my

share of great clients who’ve had grandambitions and the resources to realizethem. But along the way I’ve also workedwith countless clients who had cham-pagne tastes on beer budgets – and it tookme a while to differentiate between thosetwo client classes without getting my-self into trouble.In the old days, I used to ask what the

budget was and, with beer-level clients,would get either blank stares or unreason-ably low price points. Experience has sincetaught me to turn the tables and tell them,point blank, that what they’re asking forin our initial meeting will work within agiven price range I share with them. Thislends a dose of reality to the discussionsand puts us in a place where we can hon-estly figure out priorities and move aheadwith realistic designs.I also made the decision early on that,

just because a client has a beer budget,modest means would not preclude mefrom delivering a garden space or wa-tershape that would satisfy his or her de-sires. This, in fact, is exactlywhere theart versus productivity issue jumps tothe fore. In giving our clients with smallish bud-

gets what they want, we decided that we’davoid the temptation to break out the cook-ie cutters but would instead focus on be-ing as productive as possible – our avenuetoward keeping our prices down for theseprojects. Just as some cookie-cutter op-erations trim prices by being brutally ef-ficient in installing certain products, we



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focus on efficiency as well – but we do whatit takes to avoid having our productionorientation drive us into any ruts. A case in point is the large meadow gar-

den we installed for Rochester GeneralHospital (shortly after completing theWoodward Healing Garden I describedin my March 2010 column). We wereasked to design the space in front of a new-ly built, state-of-the-art emergency de-partment and proposed a wildflowermeadow with walking trails, ADA-acces-sible paths, trees and sitting terraces. Before the design work began, we were

given a figure to work with – and whatwe were proposing went well over thatbudget. I didn’t want to cut anythingout, so I found a way to lower the laborcost by stepping in myself and runningthe job on site. We brought in our en-

tire crew of ten and planted nearly 2,000perennials, 700 shrubs and trees and20,000 square feet of sod in about a week,including all site preparation, grading,mulching and watering. This approach allowed us to keep max-

imum artistic leeway while kicking upour production level and still meetingthe highest possible standards. The keyto making this work was the role I tookon site: I kept things moving along at abrisk pace – acting every bit the tyrant –and did so knowing that this was the onlyway we could deliver champagne resultson this particular beer budget.I know my staff would rebel if I took to

applying this approach on every job, butthis was a special case and it turned outto be just what was required to ace the jobwith respect to both artistry and profit.

making things workThrough the years, I’ve found many oth-

er ways to give clients unique, creative in-stallations while staying within budgets.Many times, for example, we’ll come upwith a design that just floors a client – aspace he or she just can’t live without butsimply can’t afford – and have had to getcreative in bringing the design to fruition.A perfect example of this is a Tuscan-

style garden we devised a few years back.The home was set in a typical subdivi-sion, surrounded on three sides by homesset too close for comfort. The one di-rectly behind our clients’ had a pool fre-quented by every kid within a three-mileradius, so the primary driver for the pro-ject was our clients’ desire to isolate them-selves in a walled garden. As luck would have it, the home had


n the LevelO

With a little creativity, it’s possible to lend deluxe touches to what are otherwise simple, inexpensive projects. From unusual fence-top details orinlaid step markers to small (yet visually significant) fountain features, we have the ability to please clients in unexpected ways that add immeasur-ably to their satisfaction with a project.

a distinctive Tuscan look, so we proposedenclosing the yard with six-foot-tall stuc-co walls that would establish an enclosedoutdoor space just outside the home’sbig family room. We planned on a ter-race with a private, intimate, comfort-able seating area and lush plantings –what I call a morning-cup-of-coffee/af-ternoon-glass-of-wine space. They loved the concept, but the $50,000

cost of the stucco walls made them blanch:This was far beyond what they’d budget-ed, and I watched as their initial excite-ment deflated to disappointment. But Ireally wanted to do this project, as it’s notoften you encounter a Tuscan villa inRochester, N.Y., so I asked them to giveme a few days to figure things out. After brainstorming with my carpen-

ter and painter, we came up with a solu-tion: We would build the walls like a fence,then stucco the fence. We set six-by-six-inch posts into the ground to the frost lineand, above ground level, sheathed themfront and back with half-inch exterior ply-

wood while leaving a two-inch air gap atthe bottom of the wall. We then stuccoedthis structure before hiding the air gapbehind plants. Finally, we capped the wallwith two-by-10 cedar boards to completethe look. The final cost was about $15,000– and the clients were thrilled.(Ironically, we have since designed a

Tuscan-style courtyard for other clients,this time using real stucco walls and stoneveneers that will cost about $70,000. Itjust goes to prove that one person’s $1,000is another’s $100,000!)We apply this same sort of needs-based

logic to many aspects of our work, creat-ing magical waterfeatures from off-the-shelf containers, cored-out boulders, slabsof stone – whatever it takes to give clientsone-of-a-kind art pieces for relatively smallsums of money. We’ve used candleholders as light fix-

tures, wiring them up to serve as simplelow-voltage sockets, and we’ll mix materi-als to create “area rugs” of brick, flagstoneand/or bluestone amid fields of pavers –

simple ideas that take less time to do thanto think up but still manage to imprint aproject with a unique, eye-catching (andtypically client-pleasing) detail. So, even though I will always struggle

to balance artistry with productivity, I findthat the quest always serves to keep mycreative juices flowing and enables me todesign without specifically concerningmyself with a client’s budget or demo-graphics. As I see it, I do what I do as anoutlet for my creativity – and projects withsmall budgets truly put my skills and de-termination to the test.

www.watershapes.com july/august 2 0 10 watershapes • 17

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].

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The Tuscan-style walls shown here were built inexpensively using a wood structure set on wood footings (similar to fence installation, but deeper!)that we faced with metal lath and stucco. It’s a great way to build ‘stone walls’ on a budget.

Currents


all it human nature, free-market eco-nomics, the profit motive or whatever– the fact of the matter is that too many

landscape lighting installers rely on low-costproducts made with low-grade materials. Obviously, they do it to cut down costs

either to squeeze more profit out of each jobor to bring the price down to the level re-quired to get clients to sign on the dottedline. So rather than reduce the number offixtures used on a project or even turn downa project altogether, they’re clearly willingto win a job by using equipment that has nochance of lasting more than a couple of yearsin the field. I have no doubt that this is happening: In

more than 20 years of working as a landscapelighting designer and installer, I’ve run acrossthese cheap products countless times. Andthe upshot is always the same: I’m called tovisit a relatively new installation that doesn’twork – and in too many cases can’t even besalvaged because, for example, transformersintended for indoor use have been used out-

doors or because design compromises have been so severe thata site’s basic aesthetics are beyond help. This willingness of some professionals to debase what good

landscape lighting is all about is, I think, self-defeating. It maykeep a company in business for a time, but it sets such a low barfor performance and reliability that the reputation of the entireindustry suffers and even the ineffective players will ultimatelyvanish. The real bottom line? This approach hurts everyone,from the manufacturer and the installer to the consumer whoseexpectations have not been met.

meets the eyeThe problem with products made with low-grade materials

is that, in most cases, they do work – at least at first. In other words, you can take the cheapest, flimsiest junk off

the shelf at a store that sells irrigation or lighting products, in-stall it with valid creative and aesthetic ideas in mind and, whenthe sun goes down and you throw the switch for the first timein the client’s presence, he or she will likely be overwhelmed –exactly as would be the case had the project been completed withprofessional-grade equipment. That initial impression, however, is horribly (and even fraudu-

lently?) deceptive. The “lighting expert” who perpetrates suchprojects seldom offers ongoing service as part of the installationcontract, so there’s nobody to confront when, as inevitably hap-pens, the system becomes problematic or stops working within afew months – or even within weeks in some egregious cases. The client, of course, has no idea which products are inferior

and all too often is left on his or her own to find another firm toset things right. I am occasionally called by these abused home-owners, and it’s a horrible situation in which any good feelingthe client might have is gone. What’s worse, the original specifi-er or contractor has squandered the opportunity to have a wellexecuted project stand as a constant form of promotion of thevalue of landscape lighting to other consumers. That’s just not right.This is one of the reasons why, with every prospect I meet, I al-

ways stress the importance of working with professionals who atleast offer maintenance packages: It is, I tell them, a demonstra-tion of the contractor’s belief in the end product and signifies awillingness to ensure long-term client satisfaction.

Material Standards

The problem with productsmade with low-grade

materials is that, in mostcases, they do work

– at least at first.

By Mike Gambino

C

Indeed, for those of us who have madethat ongoing commitment, the very ideaof using inferior products is unthink-able, basically because we know that itwill end up costing us more, a lot more,in the not-so-long run to use inferiorproducts up front.Part of the problem is the aforemen-

tioned consumer expectations and thefact that lighting systems are availablein retail stores at price points aimed atevery level and budget. Some of the bet-ter stores may have a good array of prod-ucts to sell across the full spectrum, butthe average homeowner’s thinking is like-ly to be shaped by the lowest-cost itemsrather than the highest-priced ones.If they get stuck conceptually at the lev-

el of the cheapest do-it-yourself-style prod-ucts, it’s up to us as professional lightingdesigners and installers to inform themof the distinctions and focus their atten-tion on what’s best for them for all the yearsthey’ll own their homes. As I tell them,what they’ve been exposed to on the re-tail level are toys compared to truly pro-fessional lighting products: Yes, what I’llbe recommending costs more, but theequipment represents a far better valuewith respect to reliability and long-termperformance and maintainability.

on the shelfAny lighting designer or installer wor-

thy of being called a professional knowsthese product levels and their differences,and any who are willing to work with thetoys really shouldn’t be in business. That’san open-and-shut case.As I see it, the real problem comes in

the middle or lower range with so-called“professional products”: These are of-ten made by reputable manufacturerswith good brand-name recognition, butto reach a more cost-conscious marketthey use lower-grade materials for theirfixture housings and mounting hardware.These products basically cost about halfof what top-of-the-line models cost – and,regrettably, they are marketed and soldas durable, professional-grade equipment. While it is true that these items will last

longer and perform better than the toysmentioned above, the fact is that these alu-minum and composite materials simply

are not durable enough for extended usein a landscape. For starters, most are stillpaired with halogen lamps, which gener-ate tremendous amounts of heat and will,in time, break down the composite untilthey warp, crack, are no longer watertight,fail and decline beyond repair.The other issue with composites is that

they are all susceptible to the threat posedby gardeners. I respect these maintenanceprofessionals and have a great manyfriends in that trade, but there is no es-caping the fact that they tend to be veryhard on lighting systems. They’ll kick fix-tures, smack them with power tools, lashthem with weed whackers, bury them in



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debris, bring down heavy limbs on topof them – or worse. Inadvertently (ornot?), they’ll also dig up cables, break junc-tion boxes and seemingly do all they canto destroy lighting systems. That’s bad enough when you have

heavy-duty fixtures in place that can takethe abuse, but when you use equipmentmade with light-duty materials and putthem in harm’s way, it’s just a matter oftime until significant damage and fail-ures will occur. This is why, if I see these products when

I’m called in to evaluate existing projects,I won’t touch a renovation job unless theclients are willing to have me replace allof the low-grade fixtures with higher-quality versions. There is, I tell them, sim-ply no way to fix the underlying prob-lems while continuing to use productsthat at best represented a compromisewhen first installed.

metal worksThe alternatives I define for these clients

come in two forms: The first level includesfixtures made of non-ferrous (and, there-fore, non-rusting) metal that has beenspun or stamped and turned to createhousings. These are assembled usingwelds or stainless steel hardware, and thejoints are sealed from the elements withvarious O-rings and heat-resistant sealantmaterials. These products are superior to their

composite and aluminum based cousins:They’ll stand up to some abuse and, whendamaged, can generally be repaired. Tobe sure, they aren’t what I’d call top-of-the-line products, but I’d suggest theiruse in certain situations, as when a pro-ject requires use of dozens or even hun-dreds of fixtures and economizing makessense.I always make it clear to clients that these

non-rusting metal fixtures still do requireregular maintenance, as is true of all sys-tems. I let them know as well that, althoughthese products are reliable and durable,they don’t approach either the reliability

or durability of the top products. The problem at this level, I tell them,

is that the metal stock can only be sothick when it goes into the bending andstamping processes. Moreover, seamssecured by welds or screws can becomeweak spots when exposed to the ele-ments and/or to repeated abuse by gar-deners and their crews. This leads us to discuss the top level –

products I use wherever and wheneverI can. These fixtures are made of fully cast

bronze, copper, brass or stainless steel.Casted metal are the key words here:These fixtures are made in foundries, typ-ically die-cast or fabricated in sand molds,and are so thick-walled and heavy-dutythat they’ll stand up to almost any typeof physical abuse. Not even a motivat-ed gardener will win this contest!As true professionals, these are the

products we must strive to use. Yes, theyare expensive – twice or three times ascostly as inferior products – but I describe

2 0 • watershapes july/august 2 0 10 www.watershapes.com

urrentsCThe quality of installed components truly makesa difference with landscape lighting, simplybecause the fixtures are exposed to more thanjust the weather. The plastic ground stake forthe fixture at left, for example, wasn’t up toresisting repeated blows delivered by weedwhackers and lawn mowers, while the high-quality brass fixture at right is made to takemost of such challenges in stride.

Not all transformers and housings are created equal. The one at left, for example, was simply not capable of standing up to outdoor installation,while the one at right is set up to last through years of exposure to the most persistent insults nature and the elements can throw at it.

the difference to my clients as an invest-ment in service life, serviceability andlong-term satisfaction. Nowadays, I say,I’m currently servicing fixtures of thiskind that I installed twenty years ago. Yes,I’ve replaced lenses, lamps, seals, O-ringsand the occasional socket, but the fix-ture housings and mounting hardwareare still rock solid. And in situations where time and abuse

have taken a toll on aesthetics, it’s seldoma big deal to remove these fixtures fromthe site and send them to a metal shopfor sandblasting and application of a freshchemical-stain finish. Once such fixtures

are refitted with new wiring, O-rings,lamps, lenses and sockets, they’re basi-cally good as new (if not better). In other words, with proper mainte-

nance, these are the products that last in-definitely. They may become weatheredand oxidized, but if you open up even anold one of these fixtures, you’re likely tosee an inside surface that looks somewhatnew.

no ignorant blissThe difference between fixtures made

with cast non-rusting metal and all ofthe available alternatives are so great that

I find it difficult to accept the thoughtof using lesser-quality materials at theprofessional level. I am so dogged on this point that it up-

sets some of my colleagues, but I look atit this way: Landscape lighting systemsare not unlike most watershapes in thatneither are necessities of life. These areluxury products, and therefore they arenot something every home should havesimply because not every homeownercan afford to have the job done right. In this limited marketplace, I consid-

er every system I install (and then sub-sequently maintain) to be a marketingdevice for my business. As a result, I wantthem to work properly so that, when po-tential clients see them, they will wantsomething that performs just as well.This entire referral dynamic breaks down

completely when a system doesn’t work. Although some will say I’m being too

rigid, I think it is better to walk away froma job when the clients don’t have the bud-get to do things right (or are unwillingto pare back on the system and their ex-pectations) than it is to move forwardand do substandard work that will notperform in the long run. Yes, times are tough, but if we profes-

sionals really do want to lay foundationsfor better times, the only reliable way isto deliver quality in all aspects of whatwe do. In this business, that means start-ing with the raw materials from whichour products are made! Even if the products you use in your

designs don’t have your name on them(as mine do), you should treat them assuch because your projects can be no bet-ter than the weakest link in the systemsyou develop. And if that weakest link isrelated to reliability and longevity, it’s easyto see that these product choices have agreat deal to say about the ultimate suc-cess of your business!

ju ly/august 2 0 10 watershapes • 2 1www.watershapes.com

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Beyond Fixtures

The cables used in landscape lighting systems are among the most consistent productsI’ve ever encountered: If the product is rated by the Underwriters Laboratories (and,frankly, even if it’s not – although I’d never advocate the use of non-UL-approved cable),the copper used in cable is always going to do its job.

In all my years in this business, in fact, I’ve never once experienced a short in any cablethat comes off the spool. Yes, there are differences in sheathings and coatings and someare easier to use than others, but in my experience, cable made for direct burial in gener-al and for landscape lighting in particular can be used with great confidence.

For all that, once it’s been in the ground for a while in direct contact with soil, it losessome of its flexibility and the sheathing may become hard and brittle – a point to notewell if you’re called in to do extensive work on an existing system.

(A side note: As I’ve mentioned before in these pages, I’ve taken to installing all mywiring in conduit. Not only does this protect the cable from damage, but it also makes in-stallation and replacement easy. Direct burial is the accepted industry standard, but I pre-fer this approach.)

Transformers, by contrast, are different animals that are made to less rigorous standardswhen not specifically manufactured and listed for landscape lighting use.

This is a place where contractors can save a lot of money, but, personally, I recommendand install only high-end products that are designed specifically for landscape lighting useand have interior terminal lugs that accommodate multiple cable runs.

Without getting too specific here (given that transformers are a fairly complex topicunto themselves), let me draw some clear lines in the sand: First, pay attention to the en-closure. Some boxes intended for outdoor use consist of painted steel that just won’thold up to the elements. Instead, I use stainless steel, fully gasketed boxes that will per-form reliably for years without creating any safety hazards.

Second, use only transformers designed and intended for outdoor use with proper,built-in primary and secondary circuit breakers or fuses. To do otherwise is to expose yourclients or their landscape-maintenance crews to significant risk of severe injury (and your-self to possible liability). The frightening difficulty here is that most states (including California,where I work) have no permit or inspection process for low-voltage landscape lighting.

Bottom line: Transformers used in outdoor applications must always have been de-signed and intended for outdoor applications – no exceptions!

– M.G.

Mike Gambinoowns and operates GambinoLandscape Lighting of Simi Valley, Calif. A li-censed lighting contractor since 1990, he hasspecialized since 1995 on high-performancelow-voltage systems. He may be reached viahis Web site: www.gambinolighting.com.


Outdoor

LivingOutdoor

LivingBy Scott Cohen


f there’s one thing that almost all parties in homes have incommon, it’s that people tend to congregate around food anddrink in the kitchen. Almost invariably, that’s where the action is. As more and more homeowners are taking their indoorlifestyles outdoors into their backyards and landscapes, the “ac-tion” is moving outside as well, with al frescokitchens becomingthe new hub at social gatherings. This is why outdoor kitchenshave grown so much in popularity in recent years, moving pastbeing simple counters adjacent to charcoal barbecues to become,according to the American Institute of Architects, the number-one growth category in home improvement. In plying my trade in a sunny, particularly warm part of south-ern California, I’ve had a front-row seat in watching this trenddevelop – and I’ve now been designing and building these ameni-ties for more than a quarter century. It’s reached a point wheremy company, The Green Scene (Northridge, Calif.), builds atleast 25 outdoor kitchens every year across a range of styles andlevels of complexity. Experience has taught us that the more inviting and usefulthe kitchen is, the more time people spend outside using theentire space and the happier they are with their investment.Getting there, of course, is all about the planning.

Pass the FunEven in the soft economy of the past few years, outdoorkitchens have been riding high locally. In fact, it’s not unusualthese days for our firm to design and specify an entire space,then install only the outdoor kitchen as a first phase. The obviousreason for this is that the outdoor kitchen is what many home-owners want most – ahead of the swimming pools, fire pits,landscaping and other hardscape structures we’ve included intheir master plans. Part of the reason is that, by and large, men and women tendto agree when it comes to outdoor kitchens. In working withcouples through the years, in fact, it’s one of the few areas inwhich it’s easy to find common ground when it comes to spend-ing the money: Where a couple might be at odds about everyother element in a design, they have a shared sense of the worthof an outdoor kitchen. And the cool thing is that, in observing the way our clientsactually use their outdoor kitchens, it’s clear that these are spacesin which they are much more likely to work together in thefood-preparation process than is the case in the cramped con-fines of an indoor kitchen. Furthermore – and again this comes through watching be-havior at parties, which is something I do as often as I can –

II

Southern California watershaper and landscape archi-tect Scott Cohen is known for wildly creative designsthat capture and express his clients’ personalities andaspirations about luxury. Along the way, he’s developeda special touch in developing outdoor cooking and din-ing areas – a pursuit taken up by many watershapersin recent years and one about which Cohen has writtena book whose key recommendations he shares here.

these outdoor kitchens are spaces wherethe tendency for men and women to di-vide into separate groups always seemsto break down. And the same goes forkids and adults and for people at partieswho don’t know each other. Check it out for yourself: If you wantto see the place where everyone at a gath-ering spends time, you generally don’thave to look beyond the outdoor kitchen.In fact, if you’re at a party and want tohave the chance to talk to everyone who’sthere, just hang out in this area andthey’ll all eventually come to you. It’swhere you’ll hear the most laughter, re-ceive the most hugs and by and largehave the most fun.All of this spontaneity and convivialityrequires forethought. Indeed, properplanning by the homeowners is by farthe most important factor in the relativesuccess or failure of an outdoor kitchenproject, which is one of the reasons Inever approach these jobs with any pre-conceptions: No two outdoor kitchensare ever alike, and there are so many op-tions in terms of appliances, layouts, lo-cations and sizes that homeowners sim-ply must get involved and take the timeto consider, in detail, what they wantmost and what they’ll be most likely touse and how. In my 25 years with these installations,it’s been my observation that some clientscome to me already having consideredmany of the key issues and approach thedesign process with fairly clear ideas

about what they want. Far more often,however, they haven’t stopped to thinkabout the range of options beyond(maybe) a grill and need help walkingthrough their options. There was enough of this going onthat, to aid the process, I finally sat downand wrote a book on the subject.

Living ColorLast year, I published Scott Cohen’s

Outdoor Kitchen Design Workbook, which,as the title implies, is something both de-signers and homeowners can use to focustheir thoughts and efforts along produc-tive lines.The book’s 170 pages go into tremen-dous detail – far beyond what I can coverhere – and highlights the fact that themost important aspect of the planningprocess is to break things down into keyareas of inquiry that will enable designersto determine and work with homeown-ers’ needs, desires and personalities. w Style Preferences: As with all as-pects of watershape, landscape and ar-chitectural design, outdoor kitchens havea style. I always ask clients if they have atheme in mind for the space (tropical,classic, contemporary, nautical) or ifthey’ve seen something that has partic-ularly caught their attention. I also ask them to describe the style oftheir house, which, although it might beobvious, is often something of whichthey are unaware or simply don’t per-ceive. If they can’t get specific, I cast an

even wider net and get them talkingabout any memorable experiences, hob-bies or locales they think they’d like toincorporate into the design. w Entertaining Needs: I ask themwhether their goal in the project is to havea place for entertaining family and friends– a question that begins the process ofdetermining the amount of space neededfor the kitchen and dining areas as wellas the size and selection of the appliances. How often do they anticipate cookingoutside? How many people do they an-ticipate entertaining? Will parties includebartenders or caterers? Will they have adining table? How much space will be de-voted to furniture? My goal here is to getthem to start visualizing the space and howpeople and furnishings will fill it. w Counter Configuration: A fewquick questions about counter space shiftthe attention from the social to the prac-tical. How much food-preparation sur-face do they think they’ll need? Howmany cooks will be at work when thingsget busy? Do they want single- or split-height counters? Of course, there’s also a social com-ponent to this resource issue, so we alsoask: How many people do they want toaccommodate right at the counter? (Forsome basic measurement guidelines, seethe sidebar on page 29.)w Lighting and Fire: It’s importantto know when clients anticipate usingtheir outdoor kitchens: On weeknightsor weekend evenings, or mainly for day-


time gatherings on weekends? Mostpeople want the flexibility of using thekitchen day or night, so typically we needto consider illuminating the areas thatneed to be lit, beginning obviously withthe kitchen counters. And if it’s clear thatthey intend to use the space year ’round,fire or other heating elements generallybecome part of the conversation.In each of these areas, there’s room forexcruciatingly detailed discussion – andeach element should indeed be pursuedfully and carefully. But there are two ad-ditional areas I want to mention, bothof which are more crucial than any ofthe points just above in determining theoverall success of the design: locationand appliance selection.


In designing outdoor kitchens for residen-tial spaces, we pursue four key goals:First, we make what we do fit within thestyle of the home and other amenities onthe property; second, we accommodatethe clients’ de-sires when it comes toentertaining either small or large parties;third, we organize counters for efficientcooking – sometimes by multiple chefs –and allow for adjacent seating and diningareas as desired; and, fourth, we provideadequate illumination with either lightingor fire features or both. The best designs,of course, integrate all four of these keysinto wonderfully complete packages.

not going to want to tuck the kitcheninto a corner or a spot where bottleneckswill become an annoying fact of life. In many cases, clients want their kitch-en to be located near the home – or evenmade into an extension of the home’sstructure. To be sure, keeping thingsclose can make a great deal of sense in asmaller yard, where you want to maxi-mize the rest of the useful space. And it’scertainly never a bad idea to have theoutdoor kitchen within a reasonable dis-tance of the indoor kitchen simply be-cause there’s generally a lot of back and

Well PlacedOne might argue that the most im-portant of all decisions when planningan outdoor kitchen is where to put it.This can have a major influence on aspace’s functionality, aesthetics and effecton the rest of the property as well as onwhether the space will be used constantly– or hardly at all. As mentioned above, an outdoorkitchen is a place where people gather,so it should be put in a desirable location– perhaps where there are generous viewsof the rest of the yard or the surroundingarea or it is nestled in beautiful landscap-ing. As with any other exterior room,you should also consider how the out-door kitchen is seen from various pointsinside the house.Many are situated near swimmingpools or fire pits, and as a rule they’re setup so they can be covered by some sort ofshade structure. And while an al frescokitchen can be set amid a lush landscape,it’s rarely a good idea to put a cooking orfood-preparation area under overhanginggreenery: Having plant material fall intothe kitchen space creates maintenance,cleanliness and even fire-safety issues. Traffic patterns are another key con-sideration. This is going to be an areawhere people will pick up food anddrinks, so it should be easy to move inand out with some sort of reasonableflow – meaning most of the time you’re

forth between the two spaces. All that is true, but at the same time,it’s not a great idea to place the indoorand outdoor kitchen areas immediatelyadjacent to one another. I’ve seen thislayout quite a few times and have twoobservations: First, this approach tendsto resegregate men and women, withthe men congregating outside and thewomen gathering inside. Second, thedoorway between the adjoining spacesbecomes a bottleneck – a problem min-imized if there’s a buffer zone betweenthe two spaces.


The array of high-quality, reliable, fullyfunctional cooking systems and acces-sories now available is truly outstandingand gives the outdoor-kitchen designer awide variety of options to discuss withclients. Working with them to come upwith the right combinations of grills, cook-tops, drawers, beverage coolers and evenpaper-towel dispensers can take time –but decisions made here will determinewhether cooking outdoors will be an occa-sional chore or a frequent delight.

Sometimes, of course, a buffer zonecan be too large – a common problemon larger properties where the outdoorkitchen is placed well away from thehouse to create a destination in the land-scape. This has the positive effect ofdrawing guests out into the yard to noticeand enjoy their surroundings from dif-ferent perspectives, but it also means theoutdoor kitchen must be fairly well self-contained unless the homeowners wantto wear themselves out moving back andforth from the grill to the house. The key here is to think things throughand know whyyou’re placing the kitchenin a remote spot. If there’s a rewardingview or this placement takes advantageof a great garden path or conveys peopletoward the pool area or gives them accessto a special entertainment zone, all thatdistance might make sense. In all cases, you also need to considerthe elements, especially prevailing winds.This brings the physical orientation ofkitchen elements into play, given the ob-vious fact that it would be undesirableto set things up in such a way that, mostdays, the smoke from the grill will waftacross the kitchen space and into every-one’s eyes and lungs. Having things blowaround is not much fun, either. Finally, consider privacy. Generally,it’s not a great idea to put an outdoorkitchen in the direct line of sight of aneighbor’s house. If this can’t be avoid-ed, we’ll set up privacy screens or patioplantings to create a sense of division(and have noticed that the plants reducenoise as well).

Appliance ScienceAt the same time outdoor kitchens havebeen growing in popularity, there’s beena parallel surge in interest among supplierswho want to meet the demand – andthey’re delivering big time, having comelight years with respect to variety, specialfeatures and overall sophistication. Given all of the possibilities, it’s ex-tremely important to cover appliancesearly on in client discussions: Their in-formed choices (and believe me, mostof them are familiar only with a few oftheir options) will have a lot to say aboutthe size of counter spaces and the overallfunctionality of the entire design.

To illustrate this point, here’s a quickrundown of some of the currently avail-able appliances and features that canmake both large and small differences inhow an outdoor kitchen will be designed,used and enjoyed:w Grills: These have come a very longway in recent times, particularly when youconsider approaches such as rotisseriecooking. There was a day when most ro-tisserie set-ups were awkward because,with their horizontal heat sources placedbelow the meat, they’d flare up and it wasquite difficult to get even cooking. Now rotisserie grills come equippedwith vertical back-side burners – a signif-icant advancement that enables the pre-parer to cook meat reliably without hav-ing to monitor its progress constantly.This enables the cook to spend more timesocializing and tending to guests and lesstime micromanaging the rotisserie. Also, grills these days can come withsmoker drawers, steamers, fry cookers,searing zones (one of my favorite features– wonderful for preparing meats restau-rant style), side burners, warming draw-ers, hot plates, griddle plates and wokburners. Most of these relate directly tothe types of dishes clients anticipatepreparing, so right from the start youmust define some culinary specifics. w Beverage Centers: I recommendsome type of beverage center for all ofmy projects. These can be as simple asstainless-steel drop-in coolers that worklike ice chests or as sophisticated as full-service cocktail stations with separateice bins, bottle storage areas, cuttingboards, drop-in ingredient containersand the like. These areas are great because they pro-vide ready access to drinks, are easilycleaned and are infinitely preferable toplacing a separate, camp-style ice chestoff to the side of the cooking area: Theylook a bit tacky, involve too much bend-ing over and are simply a hassle relativeto built-in alternatives. Along similar lines, I’m not nearly as en-thusiastic about outdoor refrigerators as Iam about drop-in coolers. They work well,but they gobble up considerable energy todo little more than keep a few beers or so-das cold between parties. Truth be told,there’s almost never a need to store food


Surface Materials

There are numerous materials you canuse to create counters for outdoor kitchens. Granite is extremely popular these

days, largely for its durability and rangeof colors and patterning, as is tile, whichis also quite durable and easily works ina range of styles. Personally, however, I steer away from

both of those options: Granite counterscan be beautiful, but they require regulartreatment to prevent moisture penetra-tion and staining, and they have to befabricated elsewhere and shipped to thesite, which is expensive as well as risky.Certain tiles can be wonderful, too, butthe grout is tough to clean and prone todiscoloration. In my projects, concrete is the material

of choice – decorative concrete to be pre-cise. This material can be made to looklike anything imaginable, from wood orgranite to marble or tile. It’s also durableand can easily be fashioned on site. Andif you mess up, it’s easy to start over. Partof the fun is coming up with somethingunique, whether it’s with elaborate, sculpt-ed details or with wonderfully creative in-lays or colors. As with most other things, there’s a

learning curve with decorative concrete,but the time I’ve spent mastering its poten-tial has paid off handsomely – both for meand my clients.

– S.C.

in an outdoor refrigerator, so they end up wasting space and money. There are, of course, some exceptions: If there are a lot ofkids using a nearby pool area on a regular basis, then an outdoorrefrigerator might make sense to keep bottled water and softdrinks at hand (and keep the kids from traipsing in and out ofthe house dripping wet). Another special case is when the out-door kitchen is truly remote from the home and there’s somemerit to the idea of making the outdoor kitchen more self-con-tained and complete. w Trash Openings: This is a simple thing, but all outdoorkitchens should have through-the-counter trash openings. Theseallow for convenient disposal of cooking debris while also keepingtrash cans out of sight and helping the whole area seem neat andclean. There are also trash receptacles that come out as drawers,which works as well – and some of these units come with built-in cutting boards, which can be mighty convenient for scrap andtrimming disposal. w Drawers: It’s important to remember that even with anoutdoor kitchen, most of the food preparation will still takeplace indoors. This puts a premium on having outdoor storagedrawers that can be used to hold prepared foods in much thesame way drawers are used to stash food in restaurants prior to

cooking. With that in mind, manufacturers have developedmodels equipped with pullout liners for easy food transfers anddrains to speed up cleaning. wPaper-Towel Holders: I’m only half-joking when I say thatthe simple drawer equipped with a paper-towel spindle is, in myopinion, the biggest recent improvement in outdoor kitchens.Placed near the grill, these features help cooks (and others) resistthe temptation to wipe their hands on their clothes. And the factthat the roll is hidden inside a drawer protects the paper towelsfrom incidental spills – a great practical feature. w Sinks: Although these are seemingly obvious inclusions inoutdoor kitchens, they are certainly the most problematic. Thereason is simple: Once potable water passes through humanhands, by code it has become contaminated and must flow toa sanitary sewer instead of into a simple drainage system. Thiscan mean significant effort in routing the drain to the sewer,which is why so many homeowners, balking at the expense,don’t include these fixtures. Truth be told, very few people are going to wash dishes inan outdoor sink. Indeed, simply rinsing hands is the likeliestuse, so as an alternative, we commonly recess a hose bib inthe side of the grill or counter structure that serves a dual pur-pose for quick rinses and for connection of a hose for post-party clean ups. w Pizza Ovens: I love the thought of great pizza and under-stand why so many people request these ovens, but I’ve cometo see them as impractical. They’re quite expensive, take up lotsof space, are tough to clean and use lots of energy. And on apractical level, unless you know your way around a real pizza


When spatially integrated with pools and spas, outdoor kitchenscan become readily accessible hubs for all sorts of fun outdooractivity, recreation and entertaining – and definitely bring newlife to the concept of swim-up bars.

oven through experience in a real pizza cookery, they’re prettydifficult to use. For those who insist, we’re happy to oblige. But I’ll spend agood bit of time making certain they know the practicalities andhaven’t simply been caught up in the romance of the idea. Ifthey know what they’re doing and we move ahead, tremendouspizza can be the result.

Good TimesIf you do everything properly in working with your clientsto develop their custom outdoor kitchens, much more thangood pizza is on the way: Above anything else, these amenitiesare about fun and enjoyment. Sometimes the results will fit seamlessly within the property’sarchitectural themes, but other times our clients will see thesekitchens more as extensions of themselves and their personalitiesthan as reflections of their built surroundings. Whichever di-rection we take, we know that if we’ve listened well and havetranslated what we hear into outdoor kitchens they’ll actuallyuse, these spaces will help these homeowners experience thegood life in myriad new ways — and enable them to bring theirfriends along for the ride.As a designer, I’ve always approached outdoor kitchenswith confidence, knowing that unless something goes seriouslyawry, the clients are going to spend quality time using thewonderful spaces I’ve devised for them over and over again.And if my own experiences in attending parties hosted byformer clients are any indication, outdoor kitchens truly arewhere the action is!


Many watershape spaces are used primarily in daylight hours,but when an outdoor kitchen is part of the exterior environment,it’s a virtual certainty that these areas will be used after the sungoes down. This opens design possibilities to all sorts of greatdetails – from special visual effects such as radiant countertopsto warm and welcoming fire effects

Math Matters

When it comes to planning outdoor kitchens, I’ve encountereda handful of basic measurements I always keep in mind: w Food-preparation counters should be 36 inches high – or 38

inches to accommodate an under-counter refrigerator or a tall cook.(In general, the counter should never be higher than the usual cook’sbent elbow!)

w The standard height for tabletops is 30 inches. w Bar counters are generally 42 to 46 inches high, while most

barstools are 28 inches high (but can vary). In some cases, if theclients are intent on a particular style or model of barstool, we’llacquire them first and set the bar height accordingly.

w Allow 24 inches of width for each seat at the bar. w Bar counters should be a minimum of 18 inches deep, thus

leaving room for countertop dining with typical plates, whichrange from nine to 11 inches.

– S.C.

A Brief Interview with Cristian Costea

WaterShapes: When you show up at a site you’re going toshoot, what are you looking for?

Costea: I’m interested in the “big gestures.” In almost allforms of architecture or landscape architecture, there’s a ges-ture, something that makes a defining statement. In someplaces, such as the Disney Music Hall in Los Angeles, the curvi-linear architecture is an obvious gesture, but then there areother elements within the space that are not so obvious butare also extremely important. In just about every setting that’sbeen created by a talented designer, there’s going to be some-thing that can be found and expressed using the camera.

WaterShapes: In the Malibu project you shot – the one forwhich David Tisherman designed the swimming pool – whatwas the big gesture there?

Costea: Certainly the swimming pool, with its long, recti-linear shape, was the key feature in the landscape. It workedbeautifully with the house, which had beautiful arches andgeometry all surrounded by beautiful landscaping. Yet it wasthe pool that really captured the scene with its reflections andthe way it drew the eye toward the house. So I exploited italong with the rock wall and cabana next to it.


Welcome to the first installment of“References,” an occasional feature thathighlights professionals who contributeto the watershaping process. I (and even-tually some others) will be using thisspace to identify people who have hada significant effect on my work – and tosuggest how similar associations mightbe helpful to other watershapers. This time around, I’ll deal with some-

thing that has always been dear to myheart: photography. Ernest Hemingwayonce said, “Anything that was ever any good, you pay for”– and I can’t think of an area where that’s truer than it iswith quality photography. In the watershaping business, it’s extraordinarily im-

portant to present clients with options and directions.You can do that to some extent with drawings that con-ceptualize what might be created, but I’ve always believedthat photographs are more powerful: They show com-plete scenes that actually exist and do a great job of help-ing clients visualize the potential of their own proper-ties. In short, great photography drives desire, stokes theimagination and demonstrates and defines value. Someone I truly admire in this respect is an amazing

artist: Cristian Costea of Costea Photography (Santa Ana,Calif.). I met him several years ago when he shot one ofmy projects, and I renewed the acquaintance when he record-ed one I completed in Malibu, Calif., not long ago. In bothcases, he’d been brought in by the architect – and after see-ing what he achieved with those projects, I was hooked:He’s now my go-to photographer. Be forewarned: Quality photography can be an ex-

pensive proposition, and work of this caliber does notcome cheap. But to my way of thinking, if you’re seri-ous about recording your work on a level that sets youapart, you must find someone with this kind of skill andtalent, whatever the cost.

Through the LensBy David Tisherman


WaterShapes: Why should watershapers invest in profes-sional photography?

Costea: From a purely pragmatic point of view, if some-one has spent so much and worked so hard to create some-thing unique, it makes no sense to record it poorly. You canreally kill the soul of a place by representing it poorly in pho-tographs: Everyone who subsequently comes to know theplace by way of those images is, in a way, prevented from tru-ly understanding it. In a more emotional sense, if you’re the creator of some-

thing special, why would you not want to capture the essenceof your work and keep it? After all, things change – and theremay well come a time when the place doesn’t exist in thatsame way anymore. To honor your work, you should cap-ture the soul of the place when it is finished and completelyrepresents your work. WaterShapes February 2009 Cover

‘If you’re the creator ofsomething special, why would

you not want to capture the essence of your work

and keep it?’

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WaterShapes November 2009 Cover

WaterShapes: On your website, you demonstrate how pho-tos can be altered and improved. What role does editing play inyour work?

Costea: In many situations, there are small elements thatreally shouldn’t be there from a purely visual standpoint – forexample, shadows that aren’t where they should be, or glarefrom surfaces, or colors that aren’t as expressive as possible.That’s on the creative side, but on the practical side there arethings such as fire hydrants, pipes, sprinkler heads and elec-trical outlets – visual noise that disrupts the scene and canand should be removed.

WaterShapes: How do you approach photographing water?

Costea: It depends if it’s moving or still. Photography is

frozen in time, so you have to decide whether you’re going toshow motion or not. When I see water that has vertical elements, such as a foun-

tain, for example, then I know it has to demonstrate motionand I look at how the lines created by the movement partic-ipate with the surrounding lines of buildings or landscapes.By contrast, when it comes to pools, I like to create photographswhere the surface appears solid, because we naturally respondto hard surfaces visually. What I do is create ripples, sometimes by tossing a piece

of ice into the water, and expose the image long enough sothat the surface becomes just slightly opaque. This gives thewater visual weight – meat on the bones, something we thinkwe can almost touch. It’s all about knowing how to exploitwater visually.


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A Flairwith FlamesA Flairwith Flames


By Kevin Doud

Fire effects have grown tremendously in popularity in recent years, especially amongswimming pool designers and builders who use them in developing various fire-on-water features. On one level, it seems that these professionals (and their clients) have noticed thatsystems that contain and control fire serve as wonderful complements to systems thatcontain and control water. On a grander scale, however, it’s apparent that, as watershapedesigners and builders have become more and more creative, fire features have risenin the estimation of those who want to give their clients something special – somethingfew others have. At my company, Grand Effects of Irvine, Calif., we’ve focused on making it easy forwatershapers, general contractors and landscape designers and architects to bring fireinto the picture across a range of applications. To that end, we’ve developed an array ofcompletely off-the-shelf systems, ready to install, and have done all of the engineeringand testing required to build confidence into every product. In doing so, we’ve studied possible effects and developed systems that tap into fire’selemental appeal across a broad spectrum of applications. In particular, we’ve exploredcombinations of fire and water, our conclusion being that we’ve only just begun toscratch the surface when it comes to exploiting their amazing synergies.

Lives of Their OwnSo much of this is unexpected, because fire and water are typically seen as havingopposite characteristics. But it’s actually quite the contrary: In fact, when it comes tousing fire in the vicinity of water, we’ve come to observe several important and evenprofound similarities. Both fire and water can be extremely dangerous, for example, yet both bring life.They can both be soothing and exciting; bring distinctive points of interest to landscapes;serve as warm, welcoming gathering places; and carry tremendous cultural and evenspiritual meanings. And because both fire and water can cause tremendous damage when not containedproperly, those who design with and install these systems must know a thing or three

Once knownonly as rare and unusual elements in

watershape and landscape designs, fire features have now

become familiar in both residential and commercial settings.

As Kevin Doud explains, firms dedicated to meeting this grow-

ing demand typically offer fully engineered, pre-assembled

systems that meet rigorous safety standards – but still have

the flexibility it takes to enchant clients while adding flames

to the spectrum of aesthetic possibilities.

www.watershapes.com july/august 2 0 10 watershapes • 3 5

Photo courtesy Wise Pools, Conroe, Texas

about how to use them effectively andsafely in either residential or commercialsettings. Now that more and more of these sys-tems are out there in conjunction withwatershapes, the feedback we’ve gottentells a compelling story: For whateveraesthetic, sociological or psychologicalreason people care to summon up, fireand water are a perfect fit.Indeed, there’s a yin/yang relationshipbetween the two that creates fascinatingtension and simultaneous harmonywithin a scene. Firelight reflecting offthe water’s surface lends a mysterious,even mystical quality to a setting, whilewater emitting from a fire structure iscounterintuitive and fascinating. Andwhere water provides a soothing coolingfactor in hot weather, fire offers comple-mentary warmth to a space when the airturns chilly. On its own, fire offers a form of illu-mination that is unlike any that can beachieved using electricity. Its ephemeralquality and dancing motion are hypnoticand entertaining to human beings inways matched only by motion picturesand television – the only other visual ef-fects I can think of that motivate peopleto sit and watch quietly in darkenedspaces for extended periods of time. It’s reached a point where we can takeall of those impressions and emotionsand think about them in practical andeven cold commercial terms. This is whyfire shows up in so many restaurants:Fire pits and fireplaces entice people tosit while consuming food and beveragesand in that sense have taken on directrevenue-generating roles. This ability toattract attention also explains why firefigures so prominently in the entrancesto hotels and casinos. Boiling it down, fire provides an ele-mental brand of fascination that simplycannot be obtained in any other way, andwith ready-made systems now widelyavailable from a number of suppliers, de-signers and builders are now seeing amultiplicity of ways to use fire in addingvalue to their work.

Many FormsThe role of system suppliers in all ofthis is simple: We’re here because the

vast majority of designers and buildershave a healthy respect for fire and aren’tinclined to improvise or try to cobble to-gether systems on their own. So we takeon system development and testing –and all of us have learned in the processthat these are indeed specialty items thattake time to master. In that sense, what we do is analogousto sculptors or statuary companies thatoffer decorative items meant to increase

the beauty, interest and value of an overallproject. Very few landscape architects orpool contactors are interested in becom-ing sculptors themselves, so they seek out-side sources and assign them responsibil-ity for what often turn out to be highlysignificant aspects of these projects. Fire functions in that same sort of role,and time and time again we’ve heardfrom homeowners or property managerswho say that it’s become the favorite part


Fire features gained their original (and still enjoy much of their enduring) popularity as spaceheaters – purely functional units that keep people warm and happy to be outside when a chill fillsthe air.


In recent years, fire has increasingly been used strictly for its decorative potential. These units may warm the occasional passerby, but they’re basicallythere to create a visual focus, draw the eye to a desired perspective, call attention to key structures or bring a sense of dynamic, continuous motionto otherwise static settings.

Photo courtesy Landmark Pools, Ladera Ranch, Calif.

Photo courtesy Bella Vista Pools, Corona, Calif.

Photo courtesy Dow

n Unda Pools, Houston

Photo courtesy Bella Vista Pools

of their swimming pool, fountain orlandscape design. To meet that need andthe different sets of expectations differentclients always have, we’ve created familiesof products that enable designers to gosimple – or mix and match different fea-tures and materials to come up withlooks that appeal to the specific needs ofcertain clients. In order to be effective in this market-place, we’ve spent a great deal of time lis-tening to what people tell us – profes-sionals and consumers alike – aboutwhat they need or want. By doing so,we’ve been able to develop ranges of sys-tems in various sizes, shapes and stylesfor use in an array of settings. In our case, we also will tackle customconfigurations on request, but given theexpense associated with developing andtesting these fabrications for safety andperformance, most of our clients selectfrom among our standard pieces (firepits, fire-pit inserts, rock inserts, verticaltorches, fire-and-water bowls, walltorches and more) and then focus onmaking things unique with materialsand creative placements within overallcompositions.Through the years, we’ve found that bykeeping things simple, we offer a resourcethat works with a broad range of archi-tectural and landscape styles, from thevery traditional to the highly contempo-

rary. By working with basic linear andcurvilinear forms, we make certain ourfeatures don’t get in the way when itcomes to a project’s overall look, whetherthe need is to create a small accent orframe a vanishing-edge detail.We’ve also found that, even with thegrowing acceptance of fire features inwatershape and landscape settings, thisis still a major way to bring uniquenessto a project: It’s human nature to wantto have something different from whateveryone else has, and in that sense we’rein the business of making that perceivedexclusivity a reality.

Material ChoicesIn developing our systems, we’ve en-countered a range of materials that canbe used in effectively containing fire. Chief among these when it comes toproviding flexibility in terms of appear-ance is glass-fiber-reinforced concrete(GFRC), which is both relatively light-weight and extremely durable. As thoseof you who work with decorative con-crete or artificial rockwork already know,it’s a medium that works across stylesand in an almost limitless range of colorsand textures. At our company, we achieve differentlooks with GFRC using various combi-nations of stains and washes. We’ll pourthe concrete in a base color and engage

in processes that can take up to a week inwhich we’ll treat the concrete with layersof stains and washes to create colors andtextures that are integral, not just on thesurface. (Paint is out of the question forcoloring these items: It will invariablycrack and chip when exposed to fire,treated water and the elements.)We also use lots of copper – anothermaterial that holds up very well in thepresence of both water and fire. Ours issourced from a place in Mexico where ar-tisans use a traditional method of pound-ing and firing the copper in a uniquecombination of flames and smoke – theresult being a beautiful and incrediblydurable material. (As a rule, it’s morepractical to do purely custom work incopper than in concrete because of thecosts associated with preparing concretemolds.)As suggested in passing above, a num-ber of our systems involve placing waterright in the fixture with the fire elements– mainly in the form of water spillingout of fire bowls, either through scuppersor over the bowl’s rim. In the latter case,the water and fire appear to emerge fromthe same surface, although in our sys-tems they’re never in contact with eachother. (Some companies offer these di-rect-contact systems, but we never have.)Once the effect and the form are select-ed, a big dose of design flexibility comes


with the choices of materials used to fillthe fire containers. We provide traditionallava rock, which is prized for its chunky,porous, dark-brown/red appearance; wealso change things up with an “accented”lava rock (featuring a prismatic blue look),lava spheres (a beautiful architecturallook); tempered fire glass (available in var-ious colors); and a material made frombasalt, a beautiful natural stone. Even staying with our off-the-shelfproduct list, the options available withmaterials, finishes, sizes, shapes and ac-cessories give designers plenty of leewayin striving for the unique as well as thepractical.

Technical ResponsibilityAt a certain point in all of this comesthe recognition that, after all, we are insome sense playing with fire: Aestheticflexibility is one thing, but when it comesto installing and living with these sys-tems, reliability, safety and sheer practi-cality take over and assume paramountimportance. Let’s face it, if systems thatcontain fire are not made to high stan-dards, failure is a distinct possibility –and danger a reasonable one.The upshot is that we allow no roomfor compromise on the fundamentaltechnical features of our products. Thisis why we deal primarily in turnkey sys-tems that require little or no on-site as-

sembly: At this point in these products’developmental history, it’s simply un-reasonable to expect those with expertisein setting equipment pads, pouring decksor planting trees to become proficientovernight in installing fire features byreading a manual. This is why we keep things as simpleas possible with respect to installationand reserve tasks related to engineering,testing and assembly to ourselves. Our systems all come in one of two ba-sic formats: user-started (meaning theuser inserts an ignition key of the sort usedwith indoor fireplaces and lights the firehimself or herself) or fully automatic.We offer user-started systems basicallyto keep system costs down: There’s a realpremium when it comes to the fully auto-mated option in which the fire is ignitedat the touch of a button. These devices op-erate on any auxiliary circuit in a pool- orfountain-control system and are housedin their own weatherproof boxes.In our case, these automatic systemsuse what is known as flame-rectificationtechnology. This includes a monitoringunit that detects and will shut downwhen it notices any disruption in theflame’s status. If, for example, the fire ef-fect is on and it starts to rain or the windkicks up to such an extent that the flameis extinguished, the system turns off theflow of natural gas or propane. Later,

when it’s safe to do so, the system willautomatically turn on the gas and relightthe flame. As was just mentioned, our systems canwork with either natural gas or propane.Propane is two-and-a-half times heavierthan natural gas, so in both user-startedand automatic systems, we deploy addi-tional safety equipment in the form of avalve upstream of the feature that cuts offthe gas flow in the event of a leak or a loos-ened connection at the feature itself.

Safety ConcernsWhen dealing with fire (or water, forthat matter), safety is always a para-mount concern – and we who are in thebusiness of supplying fire features makeit a priority in everything we do. In our case, we subject every system wedevelop to extensive testing and submitall components to a range of agencies forapprovals. Our control panel (mentionedjust above) is approved by UnderwritersLaboratories (UL). Our actual fire systemsare tested and approved by both theCanadian Standards Association (CSA)and the American Gas Association (AGA).In addition, we adhere to guidelines man-dated by the National Fire ProtectionAgency (NFPA). We don’t want to take even the re-motest chance that a problem will arise– and we see it as our responsibility to


Through the years, the materials used in firepits and bowls have come a long way in designterms. From lava rocks and sculpted concreteto various colors of glass, these options enabledesigners to fit their fiery ideas into a numberof styles, from classic to contemporary.

assure those who specify and ultimatelyuse our systems that they can feel com-pletely confident that the effects will per-form properly and safely. Such testing and approvals are re-quired in most commercial applications,but fire effects are so new in residentialsettings that the regulations haven’t quitecaught up. (There are a few notable ex-ceptions, including Clark County andthe city of Las Vegas in Nevada; PalmSprings, Calif., and Mesa, Ariz.) As wesee it, this is a temporary blind spot inthe rules, and we wouldn’t consider tak-ing advantage of the situation – there’ssimply too much at stake.Here and elsewhere, we simply applycommon sense to what we do, operatingwithin basic principles that we know willenhance the safety and increase the enjoy-ment of our fire features. Similarly, we’vecome up with a basic set of guidelines weoffer to designers and installers to helpthem come through the process withoutconcern for either performance or safety.We recommend, for example, main-taining buffering, non-flame zones around

each feature. With a fire pit in a commer-cial application, that means we suggest aminimum 15-inch buffer zone – or moredepending on the situation. We alsostrongly recommend that the features bekept at a reasonable distance from com-bustible material, including plants thatmight drop debris into the feature. Some people find this surprising, butwe also recommend againstputting mostfire features on timers: We want thesesystems to be activated only when thehomeowner or property manager is

around to be certain that conditions aresafe. We also advise against placing firefeatures within or immediately adjacentto pathways or other high traffic zones.And we certainly recommend in thestrongest possible terms that they beplaced in such a way that they are wellbeyond the reach of children! We also pitch in with some aestheticsuggestions. Through experience, forexample, we’ve learned that elevated fireelements make an incredibly strong im-pression by creating compelling visuals


Photos courtesy Island Projects, Turks & Calcos Islands

Photo courtesy Bella Vista Pools

Photo courtesy Aqua Construction, Florid

a

that can be seen from multiple points ina given space. We also know that fire pitsand fireplaces become prime gatheringlocations, so we always recommendplanning for ample seating areas inwhich people can watch the flames andrelax comfortably in the warmth. Our ambition here is not to call theshots, but to open designers’ and builders’eyes to the potential of these features andsee to it that they’re put to the best pos-sible use. It’s a two-way street: We’re con-stantly learning from our clients and hap-

pily pass ideas along as we see how thingswork out and our products continue tobe used in the field. And truth be told,we are constantly amazed at the designsolutions we see. That’s the great fun of this business:By making reliable, flexible, safe systems,we’ve put ourselves in the wonderful sit-uation of working with designers andinstallers who have confidence in whatwe do and share our conviction that firebrings real drama to their projects. Whatcould be better than that?


With increasing frequency, designers are find-ing ways to use fire to spectacular effect – par-ticularly in commercial settings where callingattention to a restaurant, nightclub or hotel en-trance is much to be desired. But that doesn’tmean residential applications are far behind:The effects in these contexts range from thesurprising to the surprisingly subtle, frequentlywith beautiful results.

Photo courtesy Richard Tuil Designs, Los Angeles


Inside Maneuvers

By Kevin Ruddy


It seems counterintuitive, but indoorswimming pool environments are whol-ly and entirely distinct from their out-door cousins. The differences are mostly contained

in the fact that, indoors, the designerneeds to consider not only the pool andits hydraulic performance, but also theenclosure and the air-handling and de-humidification systems that makes thesespaces comfortable and enjoyable forclients and their guests. Through years of designing and in-

stalling indoor pools, we at Omega PoolStructures (Toms River, N.J.) have learned– sometimes the hard way – what worksand what doesn’t. Now, supported bymore than two decades’ experience, we’veexpanded our business and have starteddesigning projects for others to build. This has been an education in itself

and has taught us what we need to do tosimplify the process for those who don’thave the track record we do.

EVOLVING APPROACHESOne of the first things we learned

was where and when to exercise somerestraint. When writing specifications, for ex-

ample, we no longer call out particularproducts; instead, we provide perfor-mance specifications that contractorscan meet while making their own prod-uct selections. We’re certainly willing tomake recommendations if asked, but byand large we’ve found value in steppingback here and giving contractors optionsto consider. And we’ll also listen to eval-uate whether they have good reason torequest a variance.

If the water is maintained without acover at the typically desired level of 82degrees Fahrenheit, massive evaporationoccurs and what happens is that the air-handling system actually works againstthe heating system, essentially wastingenergy on both sides of the equation.Covers virtually eliminate that problemwhile also dramatically reducing theodors associated with indoor pools – asignificant concern for many clients. With automatic pool covers – which

we install with about 90 percent of ourprojects – we recognize that they tend toplace limits on design possibilities, basi-cally because it’s easiest to work with cov-ers on rectangular pools. Although we’lloccasionally run into clients who havetheir hearts set on freeform pools of onetype or another, most of the interiorspaces we work in are themselves rectan-gular or at least rectilinear, so rectangularpools look right at home and our clientsare satisfied with simple designs. We know, of course, that covers can be

made to work with pools of just about anyshape, but even our most affluent clientswill balk at the costs of such creativity andtend to settle easily on basic rectangularshapes.

LUXURY RESTOREDIn a typical project, we’re called in by

an architect who has come up with ageneral design that meets the clients’needs and desires and is looking to us todefine structural and functional detailsthat will make the entire environmentcomfortable, serviceable and, ultimately,as enjoyable as possible. In this role, we deal primarily with

By contrast, one area where we stickto our own programs is with energy ef-ficiency. We’ve gone green in importantways, but what we run into with relativefrequency is a contrary attitude amongsome manufacturers (and others whoserve our market segment) that anyonewho can afford an indoor swimmingpool can also afford the elevated energycosts associated with ongoing operationof these systems. We’ve never believed in this philoso-

phy, knowing well that even wealthyclients are sensitive when it comes to out-lays for operating expenses. This is whywe avoid designing systems in which thepool water is heated using the dehumid-ification system but instead rely on fos-sil-fuel heaters that we supplement whenpossible with solar or geothermal heatingsystems. We do, however, recycle the heatgenerated by the dehumidification sys-tem, sending it back to the room to sup-plement the air-heating system.We’ve explored just about every con-

ceivable green option in recent years andhave watched as renewable energy sources(solar and geothermal among them) havebecome more and more commonplacein our work. To date, however, the greatestenergy-saver we’ve found comes in theform of an automatic cover. Indeed, we’ve found that solid covers

reduce energy consumption of indoorpools by 60 to 70 percent, on the onehand by cutting costs associated withheating the water, and on the other byminimizing evaporation and slashingthe work the dehumidification systemmust do to maintain low levels of indoorhumidity.

With vast experience in both the residential and commercial markets, Kevin Ruddy is one of the watershaping in-dustry’s foremost experts on the design and construction of indoor swimming pools and their surrounding en-vironments. Here, in this first of two features covering a complicated residential project, he discusses thepainstaking process of designing a pool and the systems that integrate it with the surrounding structure.

air-handling, dehumidification and swimming pool operation,but experience has also led us to contribute in other areas(sound absorption, lighting and vapor barriers, for example)– so much so that we now see these as typical inclusions inour design work on indoor pool environments. All of these factors (and more) come into play in the project

covered on these pages. We were tapped to participate in the mass-scale remodeling of an upscale home in a rural Connecticut neigh-borhood for clients who knew what they wanted and had thewherewithal to get it all. Larson and Paul Architects (New York,N.Y.) ran the project, and we worked directly with them as wellas the clients in developing the plans and specifications for thepool and the pool area’s systems. In our office, Jeff Bova led thearchitectural and design department in performing all tasks in-volved in seamlessly integrating our design solutions into theoverall plan. Once our plans were complete, we were then to hand a con-

tract to a local pool construction firm, after which we were tofunction in project management and oversight. Fortunately,we knew the builder who won the bid quite well: WilliamDrakeley of Drakeley Pools (Woodbury, Conn.), who will bewriting the second of the pair of articles WaterShapeswill pub-lish about this project. Back to the design: The home itself displays a subtle mixture

of both contemporary and country architecture and was beingcompletely rebuilt while maintaining some of the original struc-ture. The swimming pool was to be included in a new wingthat extended well beyond the home’s original footprint. Onceall the spaces were finished, the house was to be 10,000 squarefeet larger than it had originally been. The remodeled home was to be outfitted with a new driveway,

garage, kitchen, slate roof and floor plan; completely new interiorfinishes, fixtures and appliances; and a brand-new heating, ven-tilating and air-conditioning system. Materials for the floors,fireplaces, doors and other architectural features came fromChina and other exotic locales – and as the project progressed,the clients requested numerous changes and revisions that mostdefinitely expanded the original budget. The pool addition also includes a bar area, a maid-service fa-

cility, men’s and women’s dressing rooms, a spacious verandaoverlooking the property and a host of other amenities. Thepool space features beautiful limestone floors with a crisplycontemporary grid pattern, skylights, elegantly appointed ceil-ings, floor-to-ceiling windows and doors that pivot to open,thereby creating a refreshing indoor/outdoor ambiance. As a rule, surfaces in indoor pool spaces may be made to appear

as regular interiors, but they have much more in common withexterior finishes. In this case, for example, the ceiling appearsto be ordinary plaster, but it’s actually backed by a vapor barrierto prevent moisture from migrating into the structure. In addition – and considering the abundance of glass – we

had to design the air-handling system with both floor and ceilingsupply and return grills – which brings up a major point aboutthese environments: One of the most important design detailsis making certain the air-handling system delivers proper airflow to all glass surfaces to keep them from fogging!

Developing plans for indoor pools is a complicated matterbecause, in addition to the usual structural and hydraulicissues related to shells and moving water, we also tackle air-conditioning/dehumidification systems and place everythingwithin completely encapsulating shelters. It’s complicatedenough that we provide builders with performance specifica-tions rather than component lists, giving them the ability towork with their preferred vendors – and some creative optionswhen it comes to getting the job done.


A COMFORTABLE RETREATBacking up once again, it’s important

to point out that this design was the re-sult of a wonderful team effort. In somecases, architects are reluctant to allowanyone else to have direct client access –and that’s especially true with clients ofgreat affluence. In this project, however,we were able to work with the clientsourselves, and it proved extremely helpfulto us in understanding exactly what theywanted and why. For starters, we learned in our conver-

sations with the clients that this was tobe a second home and to be occupied onoccasions throughout the year. For thisreason, they wanted the pool system tobe relatively inexpensive to operate andmaintain while they were away – but tobe ready to go upon their arrival. Just being aware of this was a help, be-

cause it gave us design parameters for therequested water and air temperatures wehad to achieve without creating a muggyindoor room. The pool cover truly was the key here:

With the pool covered during their ab-sences, the water temperature could beaffordably maintained. Also, the lack ofevaporation resulting from the cover min-imized the need for rapid turnover in theair-handling/dehumidification system. The pool itself is a simple, easy-to-

cover, 20-by-50-foot rectangle rangingin depth from three-and-a-half to sixfeet. They requested no railings or lad-ders and wanted nothing more than aslightly cantilevered coping treatment.It was all straightforward, except for

one complication: The clients did notwant to see the lead rail or tubing at thefront of the cover when it was stored inits vault. That issue was among thosesolved not in the design phase, but inthe construction phase when Drakeleyand his staff figured out a clever detailin which they extended the L bracketsover the vault so that the bar would beconcealed. The clients were also concerned about

water quality, expressing a desire for theclearest, cleanest water possible wheneverthey might want to use the pool. This isone of those cases where their resourcesmade it possible to reach beyond the or-dinary to something truly special.

What we settled on was a saltwaterchlorination system combined with anozone system – not an unusual con-clusion, but one with some twists to itrelative to a low-use, covered pool:Even at minimal operating levels, it wasalmost impossible to keep chlorine lev-els within the one-to-two-parts-per-million range because there was reallynothing there by way of organic com-pounds or microorganisms to depletethe supply. This situation was also of some con-

cern because a salt system makes the wa-ter slightly corrosive. This left Drakeleyand his crew to make some adjustmentshe’ll discuss in the second article on thisproject.

AIR PLAYThe importance of good air-handling

systems can’t be overstated with indoorpool environments – and the project athand is a classic case in point. In this instance, both the pool and the

air were heated using a heat exchangertied into the home’s propane-poweredheating system. The calculations requiredto size both the air-handling and dehu-midification systems are fairly complexto the uninitiated, but it basically breaksdown to balancing the total volume ofthe space with the desired turnover rate(measured in cubic feet per minute) – allrelative to the surface area of the refrig-erant coils in the heat exchanger. The American Society of Heating,

Refrigeration, and Air-ConditioningEngineers (ASHRAE) sets standards forthese systems, and as is the case with thepool industry, offers bare minimums thatmust generally be surpassed to achievequality results. As a consequence, we al-ways design our systems to exceed thosestandards by a good measure: Where,for example, ASHRAE recommends de-signing systems to maintain 55-to-60-percent relative humidity, in our workwe typically aim for and hit 50 percent– a much more comfortable level in anindoor-pool area. (The sheer inadequacy of minimum

standards in settings as challenging asindoor-pool rooms become even clear-er when you consider the large numberof remodeling jobs we’ve had to tackle


Tough GroundWhen our firm gets involved in de-

sign tasks for any indoor pool – whethercommercial or residential – we requirea complete, comprehensive set of plansfrom the architect or general contractor.We want to know all there is to knowabout the foundation and, perhapsmost important of all, the condition ofthe soil in which we are to work so ourengineer will be fully informed in creat-ing structural details. It’s important that we see the con-

struction documents early on, becausewe’re also designing air-handling anddehumidification systems and need toplace equipment, ductwork, buildingpenetrations and more in addition toour basic work on the pool – which isalso helped by early access to the plans.Likewise with the soils and geology

reports: We need to know what the siterequires so we can exceed the mini-mums and eliminate any prospect ofthe pool failing and taking the surround-ing structure down with it. We areamong those firms that believe no poolshould ever be designed without infor-mation about soil conditions in hand.As we see it, moving forward withoutsuch reports is both unprofessional andridiculously and unnecessarily risky. In the project described in the accom-

panying text, the soil was rock-solidshale, meaning we had no concernsand would be building atop fully com-petent, load-bearing material. We alsoknew that explosives would be neededto clear the site and get the contractorready to build the pool with free-stand-ing forms.All of this information was, of course,

provided to all bidders so they knew ex-actly what they faced.

– K.R.

in which nobody seemed to appreciatethe special needs of indoor pools. Itprobably doesn’t help that ASHRAEstarts with recommendations againstincluding windows, skylights and bod-ies of water in conditioned spaces: Thishas left us to develop and adhere to ourown best-practice approaches for theseenvironments.)As mentioned previously, once we

completed the plan, we participated un-der contract in the process of putting thepool out for bid and stayed on board assupervising consultant. This involvedus in interviewing both pool and HVACcontractors and providing them withthe technical specifics they needed to de-velop their estimates. Three contractors placed bids on the

pool and had full confidence they coulddo the job. All seemed pleased that weoffered performance specifications in-

stead of calling out specific products:This gave them some room to maneuver,and we were always there to let themknow if variances they wanted to pro-pose would be allowed. In this case, the bids were all relatively

close, which we like to see but oftendon’t. Usually, there will be at least onebidder whose proposal will come in at adramatically lower level than others, leav-ing us to worry about what was left outor what corner might be cut. With all the bids in, we met with each

contractor again to discuss specific issues.We want to make certain they knowwhat’s entailed by indoor work, includ-ing the necessity of working with andaround other trades (carpenters, electri-cians, finish carpenters, plumbers andmore). We also talk about schedulingand how their work must fit within theproject’s overall work flow.


It’s a bit out of most contractors’ comfort zones, but experience has taught us how to deal with issuessuch as keeping even skylight windows defogged above indoor pools and developing spaces whereour clients’ desires for comfort are met with efficiency and style. Partly, what we do is treat theseindoor spaces as though they were exteriors, using materials and applying finishes that can withstandthe unique challenges posed by indoor-pool environments.

MAKING THE CHOICEOnce this process is complete, we

make a recommendation to the architectand homeowner, based not only on pricebut also in the context of answers to spe-cific questions we ask each bidding party.We also point out that we will be onhand as project consultants and that weknow what it takes to achieve excellencewith projects of this sort – and that weknow the sorts of things builders will doto increase their margins.This position of knowledge and insight

helps inject a great deal of confidence intothe decision-making process: We letclients and the project’s general managerknow that we are familiar, wall to wall,with all of the complexities and idiosyn-crasies of indoor pools and assure themthat we will leave no room for compro-mise. With that much on the line, we as-sure them, our only aim is to work withfirms that are dedicated to excellence. As you’ll see in the next installment of

this series, that’s exactly what happened.


The Warm BlanketManaging temperature and relative humidity in any indoor pool environment is arguably the

most important aspect of the facility’s design. Within that task, one of the most important elementsof the system’s operation is to keep a warm blanket of air flowing across any glass surface. As an example, if you have water that’s 82 degrees and an indoor air temperature of 84

degrees, it’s critical to keep air flowing over the glass because the outdoor temperature willdetermine the dew point from which condensation will occur. By supplying a warm dryair blanket over the glass, you prevent the risk of condensation. For the project described in the accompanying feature, the space included floor-to-ceiling

window and door treatments as well as nine skylights. This meant that we had to specifyboth a ceiling system to blanket the skylights and a floor system to take care of the doorsand windows. The doors and windows required placement of a continuous grate around the perimeter

of the building. For its part, the skylight system featured a loop in which each of the ventsdelivered an equal amount of air flow and pressure (in much the way you balance flowwith spa jets by using a plumbing loop).In this case, we also had to design the system to suit four separate scenarios: unoccupied

in winter, occupied in the winter, unoccupied in summer and occupied in summer. Asmentioned elsewhere, the presence of a cover made a huge difference – a key designelement in both the occupied and unoccupied modes.

– K.R

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

At a key point in this process, we turned our plans over to a pool companythat prepared the watershape (seen here in finished form) for our clients.An upcoming article in this magazine will walk through this constructionprocess step by step, defining in detail what it takes to install a high-endindoor pool.


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

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

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

8 BioNova Natural Pools • (908) 818-8135 www.bionovanaturalpools.com

33 Bobé Water & Fire Features • (888) 388-2623 www.bobescuppers.com

13 Cover-Pools • (800) 447-2838 www.coverpools.com

48 Ebac Industrial Products • (800) 433-9011 www.ebacusa.com

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

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

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

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

55 InCord • (800) 596-1066 www.incord.com

7 International Pool I Spa I Patio Expo • (888) 869-8522 www.poolspapatio.com

60 Jandy • (800) 822-7933 www.jandy.com

59 Lightstreams Glass Tile • (650) 966-8375 www.LightstreamsGlassTile.com

11 PB Marketing • (212) 564-0404 www.piscine-expo.com

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



48 S.R. Smith • (800) 577-4424 www.poollifts.com

Page

52 Aqua Design Group

52 Hayward Pool Products

52 EvoOrganic

52 Roman Fountains

52 Whitewater West

52 Zodiac Pool Systems

52 Paddock Pool Equipment Co.

52 Deck-O-Seal

54 Pentair Water Commercial Pool & Aquatics

54 Asahi/America

54 Tetra Pond

54 Frank Wall Enterprises

54 Bobcat

54 Anchor Wall Systems

55 EasyPro Pond Products

55 Quaker Plastics

55 Orbit/Evergreen

55 Paramount Pool & Spa Systems

56 TimberTech

56 Atlantic Water Gardens

56 Allan Block Corp.

56 Vyn-All Pool Products

56 Emperor Aquatics

56 Pentair Water Pool & Spa

Page

Advertiser Index

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AQUA DESIGN GROUP (Brooklyn, NY) of-fers underwater acrylic windows for pools.Designed not only to allow interesting lightto filter into the pool but also so peopleoutside the water can interact with swim-

mers and bathers, the units are designed with high-quality acrylicthat is both UV- and chemical-resistant and come framed in FRP ormarine-grade stainless steel – or bare for concrete applications.

EVOORGANIC (Lexington, KY) offers theWonderWall Vertical Garden System. Designedto turn any wall into lush greenspace, the self-contained, space-saving modules fit in smallor large spaces, from balconies to the entire

sides of buildings. They accommodate a wide variety of plants –flowers, vegetables and fruits – while cleaning the air and even re-ducing heating and air conditioning costs.

In the SpotlightUnderwater Windows

Garden Walls

WHITEWATER WEST (Richmond, BritishColumbia, Canada) has introduced theMEGAtube series of waterslides/raft rides.Engineered to include more twists, turnsand surprises than any other raft ride, rid-ers enter a 20-foot-diameter cylinder by

way of a steep downward ramp, and then oscillate up and downits inner walls, climbing up to 10 feet as the raft works its way throughthe cylinder and down the waterslide.

Waterpark Ride

PADDOCK POOL EQUIPMENT CO. (RockHill, SC) has introduced the Evacuator, asystem that reduces the risk of asthma re-actions among users of indoor pools bydrawing off chloramines and other irritantsinto a deck-level venting system. Clearingaway these airborne contaminants also im-

proves HVAC performance and extends the working lives of metal-lic building components.

Air-Cleaning System

The information seen here has been provided to WaterShapes by product suppliers.

To contact these companies for details, please use the live links at www.watershapes.com/spotlight.


HAYWARD POOL PRODUCTS (Elizabeth,NJ) offers high-flow drain covers and framesthat comply with the Virginia Graeme BakerPool & Spa Safety Act. These anti-entrap-ment devices are intended for use in bothnew installations and retrofits, are designedfor fast, easy installation and come in multiple square sizes toaccommodate requirements of both commercial and residen-tial projects.

Drain Covers

ROMAN FOUNTAINS (Albuquerque, NM)has introduced an advanced line of su-per-bright LED/RGB submersible light-ing fixtures for use in decorative fountainapplications. Designed with high-output,magnified LED diodes in a 12-volt DC con-figuration, the fixtures are made of bronze and brass and comeready for use in either recessed, freestanding or low- profile/sur-face-mount applications.

LED Fountain Fixtures

ZODIAC POOL SYSTEMS (Vista, CA) has in-troduced the Jandy Legacy line of pool heaters.Designed specifically as a replacement prod-uct for the renovation market, the reliable, easy-to-install units come in two versions: ModelLRZE Electronic is equipped with a feature-rich digital control panel, while Model LRZMMillivolt operates with an on/off switch and includes simpletemperature controls.

Pool Heaters

DECK-O-SEAL (Hampshire, IL) offers Deck-O-Seal, a two-part, polysulfide-based jointsealant that is pourable, self-leveling, non-stain-ing and cures at ambient temperatures to forma firm, flexible, tear-resistant rubber. The re-silient material has excellent recovery charac-teristics after extended periods of compres-sion or elongation as well as resistance to most chemicals,weather, aging, and shrinkage.

Deck-Joint Sealant

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


‘The course transforms a regularperson with a pencil into someonewho knows what they are doing.’

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‘Very knowledgeable and verygood communicators. Helpful andwilling to impart knowledge on anyquestion.’

‘Knowledgeable instructors who go over high points multiple times toincrease understanding.’

Joshua StansberryHamlin PoolsPharr, TX

Tim LongPools of Living WaterGarland, TX

Laurie WalkerSwim Pure PoolsAustin, TX

Sherman WilliamsKona Susnet Pools & SpasKailua, HI

Jamie LiddellPristine Pool & SpaBoise, ID

For more than a decade, Genesis 3’seducational programs have influencedthe professional lives of hundreds ofwatershapers.

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General Track Seminars• The Beauty of Glass Tile• Pool Project Sales and Designs: The Interview

Genesis 3 Family Reunion/Winemaker Dinner

TETRA POND (Blacksburg, VA) offers an in-pond skimmer that acts as a prefilter for thepond’s filtration system. Easy to install withno liner-cutting necessary, the unit operateswith a floating weir to maximize surface clean-ing; a large debris-collecting basket; and afilter pad. It can handle a pond holding up to

1,000 gallons and is held in place simply, using four corner pock-ets filled with gravel or sand.

Pond Skimmer

www.watershapes.com

BOBCAT (West Fargo, ND) has introducedthe model 324 compact excavator. Designedto reach farther, dig deeper and dump high-er, the tail-swing unit’s boom cylinder is at-tached to the top of the boom instead of the

bottom, giving it more protection from damage while digging andresulting in a maximum dig depth of 8 feet, 6 inches; a reach atground level of 14 feet; and a dump height of 8 feet, 8 inches.

Compact Excavators

FRANK WALL ENTERPRISES (Columbus,MS) now offers the Power Pole Finisher,an innovative concrete power trowel thatis ideal for leveling and finishing pool decks,patios, walkways and flatwork. Designedto start finishing on wet concrete – thereby reducing time andlabor costs – the unit is controlled from the side of the concretefield using snap-together poles that allow for a 30-foot reach.

Concrete Finisher

ANCHOR WALL SYSTEMS (Minneapolis, MN)has introduced LedgeWall, a retaining wallsystem with a decorative face that offers theappearance of stacked stone. Made using thecompany’s rear-lip locator system for fast,easy installation, the system complements landscape featuresand includes five separate four-by-12-inch modules, each witha different face pattern, as well as five matching cap stones.

Decorative Wall System

PENTAIR WATER COMMERCIAL POOL &AQUATICS (Sanford, NC) has introducedStarGuard, a complete line of main drains,frames and grates for commercial aquaticswimming pools and facilities. All main drainscomply with the Virginia Graeme Baker Pool& Spa Safety Act, are available in black or whiteand come in nine-by-nine-, 12-by-12-, 18-

by-18- and 24-by-24-inch versions.

Commercial Drains

ASAHI/AMERICA (Malden, MA) has introducedthe Series 83A Electromni actuator for ball valvesas a successor to the original Series 83 quarter-turn actuators. The new units maintain the origi-nal units’ compactness and reliability while offer-ing improved quality, design and performance withNema 4X type enclosures, flanged covers and base-plates and full-gasket Nitrile seals to keep out external water.

Ball-Valve Actuators

In the Spotlight

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54 • watershapes july/august 2 0 10


EASYPRO POND PRODUCTS (Grant, MI)offers a new Fire & Water Kit that includeseverything else needed to build a 48-by-43-by-11-inch-deep vessel with a 22-inch-square firebox in the center: a customvinyl liner, a firebox with 12-inch-diame-

ter natural-gas burner, lava rock, a pump, a waterfall diffuser witha copper flange, a copper sleeve for the firebox and all fittings, tub-ing and valves.

ORBIT/EVERGREEN (Los Angeles, CA) now offers the5010 series of low-voltage well lights with adjustablegimbals. Available in a range of finishes including castaluminum, cast brass, stainless steel, marine-grade316 stainless steel and fiberglass, the new adjustablegimbals allow the light to be precisely directed for op-timum illumination of architectural details, landscape

features or watershapes.

Water/Fire Kit

Low-Voltage Well Lights

QUAKER PLASTICS (Schuylkill Haven, PA)now offers its paver drain in both tan andgray colors in addition to standard white.Designed to match the latest in deck treat-ments – and specifically made to work withpavers that are the standard 2-3/8-inches deep – the drainshave clips to secure them to adjacent pavers. Those clipscan be alternated from side to side or all placed on one sideto fit flush against walls.

Paver Drains

PARAMOUNT POOL & SPA SYSTEMS (Chan-dler, AZ) has introduced MVFuse, a magneticsafety vacuum-release system (SVRS) de-signed for use with the company’s in-floorcleaning devices and other suction-based de-vices. The compact anti-entrapment systemfits within the debris-collecting canisters ofthe company’s cleaning systems – or in-line with a variety ofother pool-suction applications.

Anti-Entrapment Device




Go to www.watershapes.comand click on the

INFORMATION EXPRESS tab.

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In the Spotlight


TIMBERTECH (Wilmington, OH) has ex-panded its line of DeckLites to include mod-els in Coastal White. Made for use with thecompany’s rail and fence systems, some ofthe products can be used on any decking orrailing system. The low-voltage line includes

post-cap lights, baluster-mounted accent lights, post-mountedaccent fixtures, stair-riser lights – and all units come with bulbsand installation hardware.

ALLAN BLOCK CORP. (Minneapolis,MN) has introduced the AB FieldstoneCollection, an eco-friendly, mortar-less retaining wall system. Made us-ing recycled concrete materials andavailable with different face textures,

the lightweight units have the appearance of natural stone andlock together securely for construction of everything from smalllandscape walls to large commercial retaining walls.

Deck Lighting

Mortar-less Retaining Walls

EMPEROR AQUATICS (Pottstown,PA) offers SafeGuard CLP UV Sys-tems. Designed to deliver reliableprotection against the microorgan-isms responsible for recreational-

water-related illnesses, the units feature non-corroding, long-lasting,inexpensive plastic construction, remote power-supply enclosuresand low-pressure ultraviolet lamps with high UV-C output.

UV Systems

ATLANTIC WATER GARDENS (Mantua,OH) has introduced the Pro Series Foun-tain Basins. Designed for use with every-thing from bubbling urns or rock columnsto disappearing fountains, the one-piecebasins have channels for easy plumbingat the top; include seven molded cones that support the toppanel; and offer the features, strength and ease of use preferredby professionals.

Fountain Basins

VYN-ALL POOL PRODUCTS (Newmarket,NH) has introduced a textured materialfor the stairs of inground vinyl-liner poolsthat offers greater slip-resistance thanstandard vinyl material. The new PosiTracunits are made of 26-mil fabric and comein white, blue, powder blue, aqua and dove-gray colors to matchmany liner patterns. In addition to steps, the material can be ap-plied to swimouts and benches.

Vinyl-Step Safety

PENTAIR WATER POOL & SPA (Sanford,NC) has introduced IntelliBrite White LEDSpa Lights – energy-efficient lights that con-sume only 26 watts while providing illumi-nation equivalent to a 100-watt incandes-cent bulb. Designed with superior lensgeometry and an exclusive reflector design,the long-life, solid-state units deliver more uniform light distri-bution and come in both low-voltage and 120-volt versions.

LED Spa Lights


ne of the most common things I hear from my clientsis that they’ve been inspired by experiences they’vehad at vacation resorts and want to recapture those

good times in their own backyards. I’ve heard this often enough that I keep an eye out for vol-

umes on resort design as I wander through bookstores andhunt for material online. It’s a narrow subject, of course, soI don’t run across too many relevant titles. That’s why I wasimmediately pleased to find Paradise by Designby Bill Bensley(Periplus Edition, 2008). My pleasure quickly turned to delight: The book is cer-

tainly about designing resorts – but it goes so far beyond ex-pectations that I believe Bensley’s work will have an invalu-able influence on the rest of my career. He’s an American architect/landscape architect who, since

graduating from the Harvard School of Design in 1984, hasspent his entire career working in southern Asia through a prac-tice based in Thailand. In 2007, Architectural Digest honoredhim as one of the world’s 100 top designers, citing a body ofwork that includes designs for more than 100 resorts in 20 coun-tries from India and China to Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand. To begin with, I was stunned that someone who graduated

just a year before I did had amassed such a large and beautifulbody of work. True, he has a staff of 45 designers, engineers,sculptors and artists who work with him, but to perform soconsistently and persistently at so high a level is truly remark-able – and the results are nothing short of spellbinding.Bensley has become famous for wildly eclectic, daring de-

signs that take cues from the local culture and environment.He’s particularly acclaimed for lush, intricate planting plansthat are obviously influenced by his observation of tropicalflora. And although he defies labeling, his “style” is clearlyinfluenced by Asian traditions. In reviewing his work, I’m now inspired to learn more –

much more – about Asian design history. As he points outin the text, those cultures are rich with artisanal traditions ofall types, and the resulting objects play significant roles inthe lives of huge numbers of people living in these societies,few of which are very well known in the West. With all that as a backdrop, Bensley’s work is both vast and

incredibly focused. In fact, the majority of the images andtext in this book are dedicated to an endless array of details

he folds into his projects: As is true of Frank Lloyd Wrightand a handful of other great designers, Bensley and his associ-ates design every aspect of a property, from the structures andthe landscapes to the sculptures, textiles, furnishings, railings,floors and waterfeatures. What impresses me most (and I’m obviously becoming a

big fan) is that he applies this level of control over resort-scalespaces. Some of these are huge: Hundreds of acres, hundredsof rooms all rendered down to the finest details, all beautiful-ly integrated and internally consistent in ways that create richenvironments overflowing with romance, ambiance, eleganceand even spirituality. Working at that scale is clearly a team effort, and another of

the things I admire is that Bensley consistently credits his as-sociates and various collaborators and is generous in discussingthose who have influenced him. As I marveled at this epic body of work, it occurred to me

that a great many of my clients these days are Americans ofAsian descent or recent immigrants – and that Bensley hadexpanded my sense of the importance of the rich design tra-ditions of their cultures. I can only think this book has startedme on a path that will enable me to do a better job of meetingtheir needs and desires. On top of that, I can’t wait to see what Bensley achieves in

the future. If you’re unfamiliar with the great artist and have ataste for integrated design at its best, you’re in for a treat thatcomes from deep in the shade of paradise.

By Mike Farley

WS

Shades of Paradise

Mike Farley is a landscape architect 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.

O


ook NotesB

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


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INSIDE: Practical Passion • Outdoor Kitchens • Indoor-Pool ... · dining and entertaining....

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