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  • Inside: David Tisherman on Placing Boulders

    D e s i g n E n g i n e e r i n g C o n s t r u c t i o n

    PLUS:A look at the functions

    and selection of backwash valves

    PLUS:A look at the functions

    and selection of backwash valves

    Mattersof Import

    Mattersof Import

    Making a place for theexotic in watershape design

    Making a place for theexotic in watershape design

    Volume 7Number 2February 2005$6.00

    CallCurtain

    CallCurtain

    The ups and downsof great rain effectsThe ups and downsof great rain effects

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  • 4 WATERsHAPES FEBRUARY 2005

    February

    Shapingthe RainBy Jon MitovichAn insiders look atmaking water curtains flow

    40

    Objects of DesireBy Daryl Toby

    Putting the old, exoticand authentic to good use

    32

    BackwashingBasicsBy Steve GutaiFunctions and selection criteria for backwash valves

    46ContemporarySensibilitiesBy Martha & Randy BeardExploring the watershapes of architect Mark Singer

    52

    contents

    features

  • WATERsHAPES FEBRUARY 2005 5

    In This Issue

    Advertiser Index

    Of Interest Index

    Of Interest

    6

    8

    58

    58

    62

    10

    18

    24

    66

    WATERSHAPES (ISSN 1522-6581) is published monthly by McCloskey Communications, Inc. 6119 Lockhurst Dr.,Woodland Hills, CA 91367. A controlled circulation publication, WaterShapes is distributed without charge to qualifiedsubscribers. Non-qualified subscription rates in the U.S., $30 per year; Canada and Mexico $48 per year; all other coun-tries $64 per year, payable in U.S. funds. Single copies $10 per issue in the U.S. and Canada. All other countries $15per issue. Subscription requests must include name, job title, business location, address information and a signatureand 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 7 Number 2 February 2005

    StructuresBy Eric Herman

    Something old,something new

    Aqua CultureBy Brian Van Bower

    Give-and-take inthe design process

    Natural CompanionsBy Stephanie Rose

    Finding real valuein trade shows

    Detail #48By David Tisherman

    The fine art ofrock wrangling

    Book NotesBy Mike Farley

    Learning aboutour aging clientele

    66

    columns

    departments

    24

    10

    On the cover:Photo courtesy Jon Mitovich, Roman Fountains, Albuquerque, N.M.

  • EditorEric Herman 714.449-1905

    Associate EditorMelissa Anderson Burress 818.715-9776

    Contributing EditorsBrian Van Bower David TishermanStephanie Rose Mike Farley

    Art DirectorRick Leddy

    Production ManagerRobin Wilzbach 818.783-3821

    Circulation ManagerSimone Sanoian 818.715-9776

    National Sales ManagerCamma Barsily 310.979-0335

    PublisherJames McCloskey 818.715-9776

    Publishing OfficeMcCloskey Communications, Inc.P.O. Box 306Woodland Hills, CA 91365Tel: 818.715-9776 Fax: 818.715-9059e-mail: [email protected]: www.watershapes.com

    Entire contents copyright 2005. No portion of this publi-cation may be reproduced in any form without written per-mission of the publisher. Views expressed by the bylinedcontributors should not be construed as reflecting the opin-ion of this publication. Publication of product/service infor-mation should not be deemed as a recommendation by thepublisher.

    Printed in the U.S.A.

    Watershaping is one of the few art forms possessed of the ability to bridge thegaps between the very old and the very new.

    From the classic looks of Roman baths and the reflecting pools of ancient Islamto the brisk modernity of slot-overflow details and fountains that dance to mu-sic, watershaping is fully capable of embracing cultural artifacts and design prece-dent as well as the most dazzling elements of modern design and technology.

    Perhaps the most significant unifying factor between old and new (beyond thewater itself) is that many of todays clients want it both ways in their projects,whethercommercial or residential, public or private. Working with that theme, were serv-ing up a pair of articles that explore not only the extremes of antiquity and moder-nity, but the accessibility of both as well.

    Beginning on page 32 in Objects of Desireby Daryl Toby youll find a uniquediscussion and dazzling set of images offered by an equally unique designer. Tobyis founder and president of AguaFina,a landscape-design firm that has built its rep-utation on including elements of the past in its work,mostly in the form of rescuedbuilding materials and art objects from Asia as well as modern reproductions ofantique originals.

    In using pieces that are sometimes hundreds of years old, Toby gives his clientsdesigns that embody and express a character of artistry and craftsmanship thatcannot be replicated by contemporary means. In many cases, these are small touch-es that lend focal points to otherwise contemporary spaces; in others, the use of an-tique materials defines almost every square inch of the work.

    In sharp contrast,on page 52 youll find Contemporary Sensibilitiesby Marthaand Randy Beard. This piece is a continuation of a series of articles about their on-going work in executing the designs of top architects, landscape architects and de-signers in Southern California and adapting and molding their construction skillsto suit a broad range of styles and design philosophies. In this case, they guide usthrough two projects by Mark Singer, a well-known Orange County architect.

    This is contemporary residential exterior design at its finest, and the combi-nation of the Beardsexpert installation and Singers transcendent skill with clean,rectilinear designs yields contemporary spaces filled with beautiful materials,clever use of elevations and razor-sharp lines that are at once accessible and vi-sually compelling.

    To be sure, the two approaches celebrated in these beautiful articles are not mu-tually exclusive. Its easy, for example, to think of modern designs that incorporateold garden ornaments or statues as well as Asian-influenced designs that featuremodern sculpture or dramatic linear forms. Fact is, the design sensibilities appliedto watershaping are as fluid, flexible and dynamic as can be, and the possibilitiesare limited only by the imagination and your clientswillingness to try somethingnew and different.

    ttt

    Please note: In our December issues Platinum Standard coverage, page 62, wemisidentified George Fornis firm. He operates Aquatic Environments in Alamo,Calif.

    WATERsHAPES FEBRUARY 20056

    By Eric Herman

    structures

    Old and New

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  • WATERsHAPES FEBRUARY 200588

    Daryl Toby is president and principal ofAguaFina Gardens & Imports, a landscape/ar-chitectural design and construction firm inSylvan Lake, Mich. He first entered the land-scape trades while in high school in 1987, whenhe established AFM Landscape to focus on con-struction and maintenance. He studied envi-ronmental management and natural resourcesat Michigan State University, earning his bache-lor of science degree in 1992. Adopting thename AquaFina in 1997, Tobys firm moved inthe direction of Asian-style gardens and water-features. Now a passionate world traveler, hefirst toured Asia in 1998 and became interestedin importing and using authentic art objectsand architectural materials. This became abusiness function of its own in 1998, and thefirm now supplies materials to watershapingand landscape firms throughout the country.

    Jon Mitovich is president and general manag-er of Roman Fountains, a designer and manu-facturer of fountain-system packages and com-ponents based in Albuquerque, N.M. Hegraduated in 1976 from Southern MethodistUniversitys Cox School of Business in Dallasand has participated in seminars on fountainand pool design at UCLA and HarvardsGraduate School of Design. Mitovich is a mem-ber of the American Society of LandscapeArchitects, the Construction SpecificationsInstitute and the National Spa & Pool Institute.He has conducted classes and seminars on thefountain business and fountain design for vari-ous ASLA and NSPI chapters to help water-shapers understand the origin, history and ap-plication of water in architectural environments.He also has written for a variety of trade publi-cations, including WaterShapes.

    Februarys Writersin this issue

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  • Steve Gutai is product manager for pumps,filters and valves with Jandy/Laars Products,a division of WaterPik Technologies ofPetaluma, Calif. Gutai is a veteran of theswimming pool industry, having spent morethan 13 years as an independent service andrepair technician and subcontractor in the LosAngeles area. He spent three more years as atechnical service manager and outside salesrepresentative for Waterway Plastics inOxnard, Calif. Gutai joined Laars & Jandy in2000 and now works directly with contractorsand engineers in designing circulation systemsfor pools, spas and other watershapes. Heteaches hydraulics at trade shows throughoutthe United States and is the featured hydraulicsinstructor for Genesis 3s Level 1 schools.

    Martha and Randy Beard own Pure Water

    WATERsHAPES FEBRUARY 2005 99

    Interested in writing for WaterShapes on design, engineering or construction topics? Contact Eric Herman at (714) 449-1905!

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    Pools, a construction/service firm in CostaMesa, Calif. They met in 1981 while both wereworking behind the scenes in the entertainmentunit at Knotts Berry Farm. At the time, Randyalso had a small pool-service business and con-vinced Martha (Marti) to invest in expandingthe route. They purchased Pure Water Poolsfrom another technician and have operated inthe Costa Mesa/Newport Beach area ever since.As the route grew, both dropped their otherjobs and focused entirely on the pool businessas small repairs led to big repairs, big repairs toremodels, and remodels to new construction.Each year, theyve seen their projects becomemore creative and technically challenging.Today, the firm works with many of the areasleading architects and landscape architects tocreate a range of custom watershapes for up-scale commercial and residential clients.

  • 10 WATERsHAPES FEBRUARY 2005

    onderful projects often proceed at their own paces.More often than not,high-end clients on either the commercial or

    residential side will require us to spend a great deal of time and effort in de-veloping,adjusting and revisiting designs so they wind up with exactly the wa-tershapes and spaces that best suit their needs and desires.

    Sometimes that process is tremendously involved,as has been the case witha project I discussed in a previous Aqua Cultureinstallment (May 2004,page10). The clients are creating what theyre calling a world-class pamperingspaas a major expansion of an existing facility in Jacksonville, Fla.

    Our work on the project includes a broad range of decorative and recre-ational watershapes,all aimed at providing the firms customers with the high-est possible levels of relaxation and enjoyment. As weve moved through theinitial design phase and into the plan/document stage in preparation for con-struction bids, the clients and their project team have made a cluster of key ad-justments that in most cases have improved the overall design.

    at the entryIn one small instance,however, I think theyve

    compromised the overall watershape program.We had originally designed an entry feature in

    the driveway that would have included a beautifulabsolute-granite finish with a perimeter overflowand a fire feature at its center. Ultimately,howev-er, the owners decided to go in a more conserva-tive, traditional direction,and were now workingon a basic circular fountain with a high-plume jetin the center and a circle of smaller spray jets sur-rounding it along with some tasteful lighting anda small landscaped area. The material will now besimple cast stone around the outside, with tile onthe inside.

    Ive told the project team what I think, be-cause I thought the original scheme wouldhave gone further in grabbing attention andsetting the mood for visitors accessing the fa-cility. And frankly, Im still puzzled by the de-cision, because the owners had made a bigpush about wanting to draw attention to thefacility from all major exterior focal points.Ultimately, however, its their facility and thisis one of those concessions designers are some-times forced to make.

    Inside, by contrast, the design is much morein keeping with our original thinking. Once vis-itors enter the building, they pass through thelobby and move into a short corridor that leadsto the main sections of the spa. On either sideof this space which we know people will bepassing through quickly weve set up an inter-esting (yet subtle) mood-setting feature.

    What they see are two narrow,seat-level vesselsten feet long by 18 inches wide that are finishedon three sides by glass tile and on the fourth by

    By Brian Van Bower

    aqua culture

    High-end clients on the commercial or residential

    side often require us to spenda great deal of time and effort

    in developing, adjusting and revisiting designs so they wind

    up with exactly the watershapesand spaces that best suit their

    needs and desires.

    ComfortableAdjustments

    W

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  • an annealed acrylic material. Bench seatshave been placed atop these transparentwalls. Inside each of the vessels, five smallbubbler jets create water movement andthere are lights on both ends of each benchto accent the disrupted surface.

    The idea was for a simple, dancingglow to emanate from beneath thebenches and wash the surrounding floorwith light deflected by the movement ofthe water. The glass-tile further influ-ences the path of the light and enhancesthe overall effect. Theres nothing boldor forceful or noisy here just a ripplingsurface transferred by the lighting to thefloor between the benches.

    One minor adjustment we made herewas at the waterline on the non-tiled sides:There were concerns that scale mightbuild up on the acrylic and become amaintenance issue, so we added a narrowband of tile at the waterline.

    once insideMoving from the corridor into an area

    known as the Great Room,visitors en-counter a much more significant featurethat includes dual-sided glass cabinetsthat contain rows of gas-operated, elec-tronic-ignition candles.

    Two identical cabinets essentiallyframe a fountain area in the center anornate watershape with contoured edgesand benches. The ceiling has been low-ered a bit above the fountain and even-tually (we hope) will have rain jets thatwill drop a curtain of water between thecabinets a heavy flow in the middlewith gradually diminishing flows towardthe edges.

    The idea here is to establish a uniquevisual and aural barrier to separate a din-ing area on one side from the area whereguests prepare themselves for variousmessage and therapy services on the oth-er. As I discussed last May, there are con-cerns about the noise level in this space,and the current plan is to mock up theentire setting so the owners can see andhear for themselves just how strong the

    effect will be once installed.Our original plan had called for a glass

    water wall with the name of the facilityetched into it with a two-sided fireplaceon one end. In this case, the owners likedthe idea of the water and the fire butpushed us to develop the design further.The creative give and take here has led toa truly unique design that will make anextremely strong statement while servingas an effective barrier.

    Our work continues at the back of thebuilding, with a pair of couples mas-sage areas with four-foot-diameter, five-foot-deep, Japanese-style soak tubs instainless steel. These vessels are to befilled with water set at a desired tem-perature and then drained at the com-pletion of each massage session. Small,wall-mounted drip effects will lend asense of water in motion as well as a soft,soothing sound.

    The idea here is that after couples haveenjoyed their massages, they can rinseoff in a nearby shower and then con-

    12 WATERsHAPES FEBRUARY 2005

    aqua culture

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  • clude their treatment with a warm dipin these tubs. To me as a huge propo-nent of massages, this seems a particu-larly brilliant plan.

    Moving into the mens and womenslocker rooms,we had originally designedan angled wall feature with water and tilethat would separate the two areas an-

    other space calling for a subtle,mood-set-ting effect. This space is a current focusof discussion and refinement, and werenow thinking of increasing the visual ap-peal of this feature by recessing a decora-tive, hammered-metal panel to be back-lit with water running over it.

    This will be much more artistic than

    14 WATERsHAPES FEBRUARY 2005

    aqua culture

    This view shows the array of hydrotherapy features organized into the pool and spa, includ-ing the four alcoves (each with a distinct purpose), the stand-up area in the spa and, again,the shallow lounging area in the pool.

    This section shows the relationship of the exterior spa and the pool below along with someother key details, including the custom handrails leading into both vessels, the vanishingedge flowing from spa to pool and the shallow lounging area in the pool.

  • the simple water wall wed proposed,andI really like the idea. Heres hoping theowners will buy into it.

    hot and coldInside the locker roomswet areas,

    we went through several revisions onsets of hot-spa/cold-plunge vessels. Theoriginal concept was for floor-flushperimeter-overflow vessels great visu-ally and perfect with respect to easy en-try and egress.

    The facilitys staff, however, was con-cerned that in cleaning the floors aroundthe tubs, rinse water would slosh into thevessels and cause problems. To meet thatconcern, weve slightly amended theperimeter overflow so the stone grateswed been considering will present aslightly raised bullnose edge as a barrierto water flowing in from outside the ves-sels. (We worked through this detail withHarris Brothers of Marina, Calif. theU.S. distributors for Sofikitis, a Greekstone supplier.)

    We also adjusted the size of the hotspas slightly so that the womens is larg-er than the mens: Experience has taughtthe facilitys managers that more womenuse the locker-room spas than do men.Each of these vessels has its own circu-lation system.

    Right next to the spas in the samerooms are small cold-plunge vessels thathold no more than one or two people. Inorder to conserve space for equipmentand knowing that these systems will re-ceive far less use than the hot-water spas,we combined the circulation systems forthe two chilled vessels.

    Outside the locker rooms is a largeexterior spa that includes a broad van-ishing edge that spills into a large swim-ming pool below. This design wasmodified to include a stand-up areawith arrays of jets that massage guestsfrom their upper bodies to their lowerlegs. Weve configured the vessel so thepeople in the stand-up area will havea view over the vanishing edge to thepool below. On either side are twobenches at different levels and deck-ing with lounge chairs also offeringviews of the vanishing edge.

    The big pool has expanded through thedesign phase and now includes a large,

    shallow area that will accommodate 16lounges set up in pairs with umbrellas be-tween each pair. Originally, the designcalled for small platforms that would serveas small tables between paired lounges,but that was abandoned to maximize thepossible number of lounges and givemore flexibility to the space.

    We used the same limestone grate sys-

    tem here that was designed for the lock-er-room spas, but in this case thestonework will be flush with the deck.The surrounding deck and the shallowlounging area will be finished with lime-stone material that will match the grates.

    The pool also includes a stainlesssteel rail that leads down a broad set ofsteps to the central deep area of the

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    15WATERsHAPES FEBRUARY 2005

  • pool. It has a sculptural quality andlends a graceful sweep to the composi-tion that complements the arched van-ishing edge above.

    completing the sceneIn another neat twist, the pool also in-

    cludes four therapy alcoves recessed intothe wall of the pool opposite the perime-

    ter-overflow edge. The alcoves are con-toured like small, semi-circular bandshells, each offering a different type ofhydrotherapy treatment.

    One alcove, for example, will be out-fitted with a swim jet that can be usedfor swimming in place or resistance ex-ercise. Another will be set up with a sub-merged lounge constructed with stain-

    less steel tubing. This will enable a guestto recline in the lounge above streamsof water and air from jets below. (Animportant adjustment was made hereto allay the clients concern that some-one could trap a hand or foot under thetubing. We added solid sides to thelounge to prevent such an accident.)Another alcove will include a multiple-impact waterfall-therapy feature forneck, shoulder and upper-back massageaction.

    The clients may (and probably will)come up with additional alterations andnew wrinkles as we move forward, butat this point Im reasonably confidentthat the vast majority of the design de-cisions have been made. Even thoughthe clients havent accepted all of theideas weve presented during the longprocess, theyve let us know how muchthey appreciate the range of ideas wevepresented and seem satisfied that theyregoing to get just the world-class pam-pering spa theyve been seeking.

    Ultimately, providing comfort and en-joyment is what watershaping is all about,and I remain excited by this design because,eventually, that is exactly what this pro-ject will offer anyone who visits for a day ofpampering and relaxation.

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    16 WATERsHAPES FEBRUARY 2005

    Brian Van Bower runs Aquatic Consultants,a design firm based in Miami, Fla., and is a co-founder of Genesis 3, A Design Group; ded-icated to top-of-the-line performance in aquat-ic design and construction, this organizationconducts schools for like-minded pool de-signers and builders. He can be reached [email protected].

    WS

    aqua cultureThe clients may come

    up with additional alterations and new

    wrinkles, but at this pointIm reasonably confident

    that the vast majorityof the design decisions

    have been made.

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  • WATERsHAPES FEBRUARY 200518

    ve never been big on trade shows and conferences. For years I have resist-ed them in the belief that they were mostly for those who had time to at-

    tend them and craved the camaraderie and social opportunities they offered.Ive always looked at the programs and have seen that theres usually been

    something to learn during these events, but I brushed off the possibility ofattending because I always thought I could get most of what I needed byworking and paying attention to books and magazines. Also, there was al-ways the issue that, as the sole provider in a one-person operation, spend-ing so many days away from my clients and prospects would prove costly.

    I know now that its time to change my tune.For a variety of reasons, I broke down and decided to attend the Aqua Show

    in Las Vegas last November. The main attraction for me was the fact that Icould get a day-long dose of David Tishermans drawing course at a fractionof the cost of Genesis 3s week-long school.

    on the roadEver since I was a kid,one of my passions has always been drawing. I thought

    Tishermans course would give me a push toward integrating more of my artisticskill into my everyday work. This, I thought,would make the work more enjoy-able for me while at the same time it might improve my presentations.

    What I didnt anticipate is the wealth ofknowledge,networking, information exchangeand other peripheral benefits Id gain by beinga landscape designer in the midst of a bunch ofpool guys.

    Writing for WaterShapes for six years has giv-en me some insight into the world of watershap-ing, but my sense now is that I hadnt truly inte-grated what Id learned or fully comprehendedhow much my familiarity with the magazine hadinfluenced my work as a landscape designer. Itsurprised me,but thats the strong effect the showhad on the way I now think about what I do.

    I came to the show and the drawing class withsome relevant background: For the past few years,in fact, I have been honing my skills in botanicalillustration. But running my own design business,supervising jobs and dealing with the multitudeof other activities of daily living has made it diffi-cult to explore my capabilities in this arena andI have always been slightly frustrated that I haventhad time to paint or draw as much as I would likeand instead do little more than draft blueprintsthat dont fully engage my artistic impulses.

    Ive incorporated color into my drawings forsome time, but Ill concede that I havent beenconfident enough to develop fully detailed per-spective drawings or elevations for my clientsand tend to stick to quick sketches. What Ilearned at the show and have been applyingsince is the real value of developing (and using)these skills as part of my presentations.

    So I get to use my artistic skills to elevate mybusiness. What more could I ask?

    As Tisherman says, he doesnt sell projects;rather,and as anyone who has seen his drawingsand designs knows, they sell themselves. Beforethe long day was through, I saw that the sameprinciple applies to the landscape realm and thatthe bottom line is that we cannot snap a pictureof how a finished design will look. With sometraining and practice and a little talent, howev-er,a good designer can draw pictures for clients

    By Stephanie Rose

    natural companions

    Forget about the fear of spending the time and

    money: Finding a good coursein perspective drawing and

    presentation skills will pay off.

    IntegratedPerspectives

    I

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  • that will enable them to visualize the ba-sic look of the finished product.

    Tisherman has said this very thingcountless times in his columns and arti-cles in WaterShapes, but in his classroomhe brought the thought home in a mostcompelling way.

    applying knowledgeIn thinking about the course since I

    came back home,Ive come to see the roleof presentation drawings in a new light.

    I know that changes will occur from thatinitial drawing,but I also see how the firstimpression a drawing makes will work inmy favor on several levels at once. First,clients see what they will be getting andcan either buy into the design as is or sug-gest changes; no matter what specificallyhappens, this process reveals and/or gen-erates a design direction. Second, clientssee that you have artistic talent and can ex-press and communicate your ideas effec-tively a big confidence booster for them.Third, if the first two points work in your

    favor, clients will be inclined to hire you.As a result of all this, I have a stronger

    view of how art can work for me andIll also rid my life of at least one sourceof frustration by working on my drawingand coloring skills while doing what I lovein designing landscapes.

    Even if your passion for the work does-nt extend to drawing, I would highly rec-ommend to any landscape professional (orpool professional,for that matter) who does-nt already have drawing skills finding a goodcourse in perspective drawing and presen-tation skills. Forget about that fear of spend-ing the time and money: It will pay off.

    I was so impressed by the drawingclass that I developed a keener interestin attending the other seminars stagedduring the Aqua Show by the Genesis 3team. In addition to talks by Messrs.Brian Van Bower,Skip Phillips and DavidTisherman, I also sat in on Janet LennoxMoyers presentation on landscape light-ing, Anthony Archer-Wills discussionof pond design and James van Swedens

    talk on the use of water in landscape.I went to these seminars believing I was

    familiar enough for my purposes with thesubject matter and, in James van Swedenscase, with the specifics of his approachesthat I could have stayed away from any orall of them,but what I found in attendingand listening to audience questions anddiscussing specifics with colleagues after-wards is that I picked up much more thanId expected particularly from my per-spective as a landscape designer.

    One of the most interesting points thatcame up in the presentations and dis-cussions is that landscape designers andarchitects have a distinct advantage overpool professionals because we come toclients tables with defined levels of de-sign expertise.

    Thats not to say a pool guycant de-sign just as beautiful a watershape as cana talented landscape designer or archi-tect. Its just that by integrating our yearsof design experience with the technicalaspects of watershaping, we have some-

    WATERsHAPES FEBRUARY 200520

    natural companions

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  • thing of an edge in developing a more in-tegrated final product if, of course,weve taken the time before embarkingon these projects to learn about and workwith others in the watershaping trades tothe betterment of our efforts.

    back in the fieldAs in all things, its how you use your

    knowledge (new or old) that makes thedifference. I wouldnt even begin to ap-proach a project that included a water-shape, for instance,without first consult-ing with a qualified installer to discoverjust what will be involved in taking theproject to completion.

    For a project in which Im currently en-gaged, Im working with two poolbuilders,a general contractor,a landscapecontractor, an arborist, an artist, a light-ing designer and various other peripher-al tradespeople. My job at this point isproject management that is, facilitatingcommunication and solving problems onthe job site and making certain that every-one, including the clients, knows exactlyhow the project is progressing.

    Were working with my design, but Irecognized even before putting pen to pa-per that this would be a collaborative ef-fort and that all of these trades and effortswould have to be coordinated to completethe project successfully.

    What surprised me is the enhanced ap-preciation I have of my role in the aftermathof my experience at the trade show. In talk-ing with watershapers and hearing the kindsof things they think about through the ques-tions they asked,I have since found it easi-er to communicate with them in the field.To be sure, attending a conference is a bitlike speed reading,but it gave me a clear un-derstanding of some things Id never reallyconsidered and showed me a whole rangeof things I still need to learn.

    The most profound insight I pickedup at the show is that, after six years ofwriting for watershapers and repeatedlydiscussing the importance of integrat-ed design, collaborative effort, clear con-struction planning and all the other el-ements of good watershaping, Ive beenpretty much on the right track all along.What seems funny to me,however, is howmuch more strongly I feel that way nowthan I did before I went to Las Vegas.

    WATERsHAPES FEBRUARY 2005 21Circle 100 on Postage Free Card

  • working the processThese steps were all part of what Ive been

    doing for all these years,of course,but Imnow conscious of the process in a way thatenables me to communicate more clearly,effectively,and right up front with my clientsand collaborators about whats coming.

    Im more comfortable now meetingwith clients to let them know that blue-prints and technical and perspectivedrawings are tools that get a project mov-ing but that the project may evolve anddevelop as the process unfolds and thatflexibility may be required to create aquality result. Any client who does notunderstand or accept this point, I nowknow, is probably a client to avoid.

    By contrast, clients who comprehendthe overall process are likely to be thoseyoull enjoy working with and will end upwith great watershapes and landscapes. Itsour job to educate them and to providethem with enough information (written,expressed or drawn) to make good deci-sions about their projects as they develop.

    Thats a lot of insight flowing from aquick, four-day experience at a trade showthat seemed on its surface to be com-pletely out of my line as a landscape de-signer, but there you have it. My adviceto others in the design trades is to lookfor these opportunities: A trade showsfocus may seem peripheral to your skillsor scope of work,but I found that this oneworked for me on a number of levels.And I suspect there are other events outthere that may be similarly useful.

    I guess you could view this as a way ofthinking outside the boxand steppingout of our pigeon-holes. In my case, theAqua Show was a jolt and a breath offresh air that helped me see the opportu-nities open to design professionals whowork skillfully with water.

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    WATERsHAPES FEBRUARY 200522

    I think its because we all tend to oper-ate in isolated arenas,coming out as need-ed to work with others in completing aninstallation. Well design and then watchour designs being built. Whether its land-scaping, watershaping or construction,however, I now believe as never beforethat theres more to it than that.

    Through recent experience at the show

    and back in the field, I see that what hasbeen missing from my projects is the fullunderstanding that, although were en-gaged in designing and building some-thing, theres a bigger process involvedthat includes changes and dealing withthe unexpected and managing client ex-pectations in ways Id never understoodso clearly before.

    Stephanie Rose runs Stephanie RoseLandscape Design in Encino, Calif. A special-ist in residential garden design, her projects of-ten include collaboration with custom poolbuilders. If you have a specific question aboutlandscaping (or simply want to exchangeideas), e-mail her at [email protected]. Shealso can be seen on episodes of The SurpriseGardener on HGTV.

    WS

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  • o me, setting natural stone has always seemed something like assem-bling a very large jigsaw puzzle: All the pieces have to fit together, and

    theres definitely a right way and a wrong way to make it happen.I start the process systematically by laying stones out in an adequately large

    area and then just looking at them. As I go, I visualize how each will work aspart of the overall composition and identify stones with either convex or con-cave contours that might fit together in some visual way. Im constantlyasking myself,If I put this stone here and this other one right next to it, howwill it work? Should I pick another stone and use a different combination?

    Nature helps me in coming up with the answers, because the boulderspulled from the ground have broken off larger formations. I dont try tomatch things up and reassemble them the way they were before they wereharvested,but stones of certain types tend to break up in similar ways, mak-ing it much easier to find workable pairs in creating naturalistic arrange-ments. Working with these contours and fractures makes it possible to as-semble them in ways that avoid having one big stone next to another with

    24 WATERsHAPES FEBRUARY 2005

    a foot and a half of grout between them.Its a big job,but not a huge challenge: Its really

    just a matter of seeing how it all fits together.

    careful movesWe faced this sort of puzzle-piecing task in

    the project in Hanover, Pa., we started cover-ing again in the January issue (page 34) after along hiatus. The distinction, of course, is thatthe immense scale of this project had bouldersarrayed across a huge field rather than in acompact area.

    This is the first project in which KevinFleming and I have selected and set stones to-gether on such a large scale, and we were keen-ly aware of the fact that this was a setting inwhich the rockwork was to play a central vi-sual role. In this case, in fact, the stoneworkwas to be one of the absolute defining featuresof the overall project.

    Kevin graduated from college with a degree inlandscape architecture and understands the is-sues of balance,proportion and scale involved inselecting and placing big stones. Even thoughthis was his first huge project,he came up to speedquickly and that was critical, because hes ouron-site supervisor and sees things develop on aday-to-day basis in ways my own travel scheduledoesnt permit.

    As Ive pointed out in previous columns on thisand other projects, reliable supervision is ab-solutely essential in projects on this level. Kevinsdaily passion and dedication to the work havekept things rolling and are what makes our uniquepartnership work so well.

    One of our first rock-related decisions on thisproject had to do with deciding how big a cranewed need. Cranes come in many sizes,obviously,

    By David Tisherman

    tisherman: detail 48

    Im constantly asking myself,

    If I put this stone here and

    this other one right next to it,

    how will it work? Should I

    pick another stone and use a

    different combination?

    The Perfect Fit

    T

  • Well Done!Congratulations to the advertisers in our September 2004 issue whose advertisements

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    Thank You!Special thanks to the readers who helped us by participating in the study. Your

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  • Circle 76 on Postage Free Card Circle 74 on Postage Free Card

    26 WATERsHAPES FEBRUARY 2005

    and the choice is made based on access,boulder size and the span of the workingplacement area.

    In this case, we needed to set the cranein a space just beyond the top of the largewaterfall structure. From there, wed setboulders as big as eight or nine feet acrossat distances up to 30 feet away from thecab, which led us to settle on a 120-tonmonster crane with huge outriggers andan enormous boom.

    Once the crane was on site, we wereready to go.

    on the groundKnowing which stones we wanted to

    place in which positions, we had to pre-pare each spot to support its boulder sothe stone would be seen in the way andat the angle we wanted it to be seen. Thismeans having shims at the ready to fixthe stones in place, which in this case en-tailed making solid concrete modulesmeasuring anywhere from six to 12 inch-

    tisherman: detail 48

    Once each boulder has been selected and picked up by the crane, it is vigorously washed toclear away any debris that might interfere with subsequent bonding to the mortar bed. In lift-ing, we use nylon straps to avoid scarring the rocks surfaces.

  • es square (mostly sixes and eights).We poured our own blocks and let

    them cure for as long as two weeks toget them way up there with respect topsi level. With stones this heavy, the lastthing you want is to set the stone inplace only to have the shims collapsefrom the weight, which in this casecould be in excess of six tons.

    With the shims at hand, wed crane inthe boulder and ease it into place, mak-ing small adjustments to get the anglesand exposures just right and also con-sidering the grossly practical matter ofhow to get the straps off once the rock wasmaneuvered into position.

    I dont mean to give the impressionthat this is an automatic process oncestones are selected. In fact, stone-settingis a remarkably intuitive process basedon an appreciation of visual weight, scale,proportion, dimensionality and the dy-namics of line all of which come intoplay as each and every stone moves into

    place among all the others.In thinking all of this through, we de-

    cide which side is going to be the top andwhich is to be mortared into place, howeach is going to lay, how each will relateto those around it, and how each addi-tional stone is going to be slung andknotted so that it will be lowered intojust the right place with the correct phys-ical orientation. At this point, the for-merly static jigsaw puzzle becomes anoutsized juggling act.

    With stones this large, the process ofsimply getting them off the ground isan issue. Sometimes you have to slingone side of the stone, lift it partially offthe ground, then slide another strap inunderneath. Its not unusual to take 20or 30 minutes just to make ready forlifting.

    We always use nylon-strap rigging tosling the stones: Ive never liked cables,because the weight of the stone pressingagainst cabling will leave marks that are

    both obvious and unattractive.Occasionally, youll run into what hap-

    pens when a rock drops. Fortunately,that happened just once on this project:Wed set the rock on a ledge in a precar-ious way and it fell, shattering a bunchof plumbing lines and forcing us to stop,make repairs, conduct new pressure testsand clean up the mess. Suffice it to saywe were not happy campers when it hap-pened.

    into placeOnce a stone has been lifted, we use a

    power washer to clean the entire stone particularly the bottomsurface that willbe placed in contact with the mortar thatwill hold it in place.

    After we get the boulder cleaned up andare satisfied that its absorbing some mois-ture, the stone is swung slowly to the areain which it will be placed. Once in thevicinity, it is carefully lowered, twisted,nudged and basically finessed into final

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    27WATERsHAPES FEBRUARY 2005

  • position. We might put it down then liftthe whole thing back up to place addi-tional shims. We might raise just one sideand insert yet another shim to adjust itsposition just a bit.

    All of this finessing has to be coupledwith consideration of the position of thestraps on the stones, always making surethey can be removed once the stone is fi-nally in the desired position. Every stonesselection and placement is a little bit dif-ferent, which forces us to think severalsteps ahead in each case, starting with se-lection of the stone itself.

    Most of the big boulders in this pro-ject will be set in and around the big wa-terfall structure that rises above theswimming pool. With this placement,they need to show well from two keyviewpoints.

    First, theres the view from below onthe pool deck, then theres the view fromthe large, cantilevered footbridge thatwill span the bottom of the waterfallover the edge of the pool. From below,we had to be conscious of the way thatstones looked and how the water wouldbe moving over and around them in thecascade. The view is entirely differentfrom above: In addition to the rushingwater, those on the footbridge will seeplanters and a set of ponds flowing intothe falls.

    Working around the planters andwithin the ponds was a critical elementfor both major focal points. In creat-ing the concrete substructure, we setup the basic scheme of the feature, butit wasnt until the stones were actuallyplaced that the true aesthetics of thedesign emerged.

    The interiors of these stilling ponds arelined with Pebble Tec (supplied by Pebble

    28 WATERsHAPES FEBRUARY 2005

    Circle 81 on Postage Free Card

    tisherman: detail 48

    In supervising the work,you need to watch, think,consider, re-consider and

    in the end stand backand ask yourself, Does

    it really look good?

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  • 29WATERsHAPES FEBRUARY 2005

    Circle 63 on Postage Free Card

    Clear communication between the crane operator and the placement crew isessential to the success of this three-dimensional, multi-ton juggling act. In all,it took us four weeks to finesse all the boulders into place for the waterfall andsurrounding structures.

  • Technology of Scottsdale, Ariz.) and ac-cented by larger stones. In placing thelarger stones, we were making final deci-sions about how the water would flow upto and break over the various weirs. Frombeginning to end, it was a matter of plan-ning, on-site visualizing and extendedcrane sessions in which we fine-tunedand adjusted stone placements.

    bottom upAs the work proceeded, we set stones

    in the waterfall as well as on several keypoints on ledges, on the pools bondbeam, alongside the beach entry, at thebase of the grotto area and on the spa is-land. From start to finish, it took aboutfour long weeks and Kevins constantsupervision was the key to success.

    The masons were on hand through theentire process and had learned what wewere after by way of aesthetics from jobstheyd done with us in the past. Theyknew how we wanted the rocks to look

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    30 WATERsHAPES FEBRUARY 2005

    tisherman: detail 48

    We shim the boulders to balance them and gain just the right visual exposures. As the workprogresses and more and more pieces of the puzzle are placed, we can all see how the over-all composition is taking shape and visualize how the water will flow.

  • with respect to the mortar and the finishmaterial we applied between the stonesand shot gunite behind the stones to fillin the voids or, in other places, put cutledger stone in gaps between larger pieces.

    A big point here is that we chose not torely on steel dowels to hold the stones inplace. These pieces were so big that grav-ity and the way they fit together was theprimary means of locking them where wewanted. Yes,the mortar and gunite will of-fer some support,but if youve got physicsworking against you, no steel or mason-ry will keep multi-ton boulders from shift-ing or even falling completely out of place.

    It was very important from the time weselected the stone at the quarry to final po-sitioning on site that we had a backgroundin this kind of work and could couple itwith our knowledge of principles of nat-uralistic design the abovementioned is-sues of balance, visual weight, scale, pro-portion,dimensionality and the dynamicsof line as well as a clear sense of what we

    were pursuing aesthetically. Working innatural stone on such a large scale cant besaid to be a precise or even predictableprocess, but it is anything but random.

    Variations in color of the stone, for ex-ample,came into play as a guiding princi-ple throughout the selection and place-ment processes. For this project, we usedmaterial that was multi-colored withcreams,greens,grays and blacks. Keepingthat palette in balance as we worked was asubtext for all we did in selecting and plac-ing stones based on their sizes and shapes.

    Ultimately, this all folds back to the is-sue of supervision. Ive seen projectswhere a field supervisor walks onto a jobsite, spends an hour or so consulting withthe masons and then takes off, leaving itto the craftspeople to make key design de-cisions. Thats not fair to anyone, as themasons and other laborers have theirhands and minds full enough with sim-ply doing the work correctly. I respectwhat they do, but to leave aesthetic deci-

    sions about stone selection and placementup to them is to compromise the integri-ty of the project at exactly the worst time.

    In supervising the work, you need towatch, think,consider, re-consider and inthe end stand back and ask yourself,Doesit really look good? If it doesnt,you haveto have the strength of will to back up andtry something different something thatsimply isnt possible once the stones areset and mortared into place. If it does lookgood, however, its time to pick up andmove the project forward to a new stage,as well see next time.

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    31WATERsHAPES FEBRUARY 2005

    David Tisherman is the principal in twodesign/construction firms: David TishermansVisuals of Manhattan Beach, Calif., andLiquid Design of Cherry Hill, N.J. He is alsoco-founder and principal instructor forGenesis 3, A Design Group, which offers ed-ucation aimed at top-of-the-line performancein aquatic design and construction.

    WS

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    When you execute com-plex projects for sophisticat-

    ed clients, your ability to satis-fy them and their tastes by bringing

    something different or interesting orunique to the table can make all the dif-

    ference. As our firm has evolved, weve increas-ingly come to focus on identifying these compelling touches, whichfor us most often center on old-world influences that resonate, some-times deeply, with our clients.

    Ive always loved to travel and have spent extended periods in Asia,Latin America and Europe. At some point, it occurred to me that byworking not only with the principles of classical European and Asiangarden design, but also with authentic, imported materials and artobjects, the work would take on greater meaning and interest for me and for my clients as well.

    To that point, our firm had followed a path of influence that stillreflects itself in our replication of ancient stone-setting techniques.While traveling in China and Japan, I began spotting stone pieces andother objects we could use directly in our watershapes and gardensand started acquiring pieces for that purpose.

    This step beyond evoking not only the style but actually using ele-ments of authentic design quickly turned into a powerful elementin our work. As we moved further in this direction, the channelsopened wider, the creative possibilities blossomed and we soon beganincorporating more and more of the materials and ideas that Id en-countered in my travels.

    Passion PlaysGetting involved in the importation of architectural elements, an-

    cient materials and artifacts quickly became more than a diversionand in fact takes a tremendous amount of patience and persistence.On balance, however, its been worth the effort simply because it hasenabled us to meet our clients needs and desires more fully and,selfishly, has allowed us to take our art to another level.

    At this point, we bring in vast quantities and varieties of objects everything from antique stone pavers, sculptured stone and othermasonry materials to metal and wooden art objects so much, infact, that warehousing, keeping track of and selling what we have isnow a big part of our business.

    Very quickly, in fact,our business effectively had two parts: On theone hand, we continued to design and install projects of our own

    Daryl Toby has built his career on twopassions one for world travel, theother for landscape design. Indeed,he spends months at a time overseas,seeking out fresh sources for antiqueconstruction materials and art objectsfor use in his firms own designs whileimporting them for others. Here, heshares in words and images the appeal of turning to the past to stokethe creative fires of contemporary watershape and landscape projects.

    Objects ofDesireBy Daryl Toby

  • 333WATERsHAPES FEBRUARY 2005

  • Balinese Visuals I discovered belongs on my first trip to

    Indonesia wonderful architectural pieces thatare found in various forms throughout Asia andother cultures. We often use these pieces fora symbolic connection to the importance of wa-ter in Asian gardening traditions. These objectscan be generations old and are often passeddown through families for water or food storage,but the advent of modern plumbing in parts of

    around pieces of artwork or other inter-esting specimenswed imported; on theother,wed consult on other designerspro-jects and assist them in finding pieces tofit into their plans.

    On both sides, the key is listening welland using the resources we have at handto deliver results that clients really love.

    In doing so, weve learned never toforce the issue meaning not all of ourprojects include imported antiquities orarchitectural elements. In some cases,cost is an object in that importing stone

    WATERsHAPES FEBRUARY 200534

    These granite pavers originated in an area ofChina inundated not long ago by the con-struction of the Three Gorges Dam. As seenreinstalled in this U.S. project, the material is stilltruly beautiful centuries after being quarried.

    A Key PointNot all of the materials and objects

    we cultivate in our travels are ancientor antique. As weve emphasized atseveral points, often the simple fact thata material or object comes from faraway is enough to give it the cachetand mystique our clients crave.

    Where old objects and materials arenot available, we commission the craft-ing of new versions.

    The antiquities we collect are pur-chased on the open market, and manyof the oldest materials are salvagedfrom areas under new development as is the case in that part of Chinawhere the flooding of the valley be-hind the Three Gorges Dam made aspectacular volume of old materialsand objects available to us.

    D.T.

    Indonesia in particular has led families to stopusing these pieces as originally intended.

    For several years, belongs were client fa-vorites, but that has changed lately a primeexample of how designs trends come andgo for no apparent reason.

    But theres something intangible aboutthese pieces that keeps me interested.They work brilliantly, for example, as ac-

    cents along secluded pathways, in con-junction with other stone pieces or sculp-tures or as focal points in serenity gardenswhen surrounded by fragrant plants or or-namental grasses that rustle in the slight-est breeze.

    Continued on page 36

  • WATERsHAPES FEBRUARY 2005 35

    mported AccentsIn this Asian-influenced water gar-

    den, one of the key pieces is a gran-ite mortar that once was used togrind rice and other grains. We usedit to evoke the spirit of the basins andladles found in traditional Asian gar-dens in this case as a sculptural

    element that makes a specific cul-tural statement.

    The project also includes a Kasuga-style Japanese lantern located near asmall waterfall as well as a white-gran-ite pagoda. (Not all of our pieces are an-tique, this pagoda being an example.)

    These lantern and pagodas are cer-tainly familiar to us here in the NewWorld, but the authenticity and, manytimes, the age of these pieces takesthem beyond the status of clich andturns them into powerful visual and cul-tural statements for our clients.

    I

  • materials from Asia to the United Statesmay be prohibitively expensive.

    Even more important, however, is thefact that not every design calls for suchtouches, nor is every client right forthem. Instead,we let our clients know thatimported authentic pieces are availableand discuss the possibilities if theyre in-terested. The most essential aspect is thatthe piece must naturally fit and neither beimposed upon the client nor the site. In

    other words,any piece we use has to work.Fortunately for us, its amazing how

    many do gravitate toward the idea: Agreat many become quite passionateabout the concept and see our pieces asdefining characteristics of their gardens.

    In most situations,clients will see some-thing weve already imported and decideto use it. There are also times when clientshave distinct ideas about what they wantand well take the time to go hunting for

    them. Thats an expensive proposition,of course,and typically happens with larg-er-scale projects.

    Reaching for AuthenticityDespite the tremendous variety of ma-

    terials we can (and do) make available onthe supply side of the equation and amultifarious supply of clients and pro-jects on the demand side, weve found acouple of unifying themes that work

    WATERsHAPES FEBRUARY 200536

    We installed lots of very old granite paverson this driveway and were surprised to finda single stone that had been carved withmarvelous natural imagery. Its now a con-versation point for the owners and a focalpoint in their love for the work we did.

  • WATERsHAPES FEBRUARY 2005 37

    ranslated InfluenceEven in projects where we arent using an-

    cient or imported materials, we see that theinfluence of those objects inevitably extendsinto everything we do. Weve also learnedthat pieces dont have to be old to be specialand can instead get the job done simply byevoking the classics.

    In traditional Asian stonework, youll oftensee artists sculpt and place stones in waysthat make architectural statements while re-taining the timeless quality of the stone ma-terial itself. In this case, our gifted designerJeff White designed this set of basalt stonesto accent a quiescent reflecting pond. Thematerial is from China and was producedthere from our design.

    Reminiscent of the works of the greatsculptor/designer Isamu Noguchi, the threepieces are imbued with a modernistic senseof asymmetrical balance yet still retain theessence of the original stone forms. The ma-terial has been polished to an almost mir-ror finish to reflect the water and surround-ing greenery in complex, ever-changing andquite dramatic ways.

    T

  • across the spectrum.First, antique pieces have qualities that

    cannot be reproduced at will. Most ma-terials age and develop subtle patinas overtime and clearly show signs of wear andweathering. As talented as capable pro-ducers of faux materials may be thesedays, it is simply impossible to reproducethe random and subtle effects visible withnatural materials as a result of the passageof time.

    Second and perhaps more significant,theres something intangible yet com-pelling that comes with owning some-thing from a foreign land, particularly ifit has history to it or a story to tell. Eachobject we import,new or old,has its ownprovenance and tends to become a sourceof conversation and ongoing interest.

    Thus, its not surprising that many ofour clients are already art and antiquecollectors. What we do is give them theopportunity to extend their interest toexterior spaces a fact that brings themto design meetings with extraordinaryinterest and passion.

    Sometimes,both we and our clients runinto real surprises. This past year, for ex-ample,we completed a major project thatincluded large quantities of antique paversfrom China. After installing the drivewaywe discovered a single paver that had beenplaced in the drive and had been etchedcenturies ago with images of waves, ser-pents and other animals. Its now a cen-terpiece for the clients,who regale visitorswith tales of an anonymous craftspersonof an era long gone and a place far away.

    A third component in the mix is thefact that, with their timelessness and of-ten antiquity, these objects inspire an ir-resistible sense of serenity and relaxation.Especially among clients with spiritualinclinations, this presence of authenticmaterials and objects in the garden trig-gers deep feelings of comfort and satis-faction that no reproduction ever could.

    When combined with watershapesand their ability to lend aural delicacyand refinement to a serene setting, theeffects of these materials and objects areonly magnified and deepened as theprojects highlighted on these pagesdemonstrate.

    WATERsHAPES FEBRUARY 200538

    n the ChaseThis Michigan garden was developed for Gildas Club, an organization named for co-

    median Gilda Radner and dedicated to assisting cancer patients and their families.We were asked to create a serenity garden and used a belong as a source for the

    water and a stream that features jet-black river stone from Indonesia. Below the small fallis a bamboo deer chaser and a granite tetsubachi basin a small waterfeature foundin many Japanese gardens that provides the soothing sound of moving water in addi-tion to intriguing visuals as the bamboo spout fills and empties.

    In this case, the use of antique materials, the sounds of running water and calming pres-ence of the plantings creates a beautiful space for healing, relaxation and reflection.

    I

  • Circle 90 on Postage Free Card

  • 40 WATERsHAPES FEBRUARY 2005

    Ideal for tall spaces with precious little floor space, rain curtains offerwatershapers a striking design option perfectly suited to a variety of retail,office and assorted other commercial spaces. As with any specializedeffect, says fountain designer and supplier Jon Mitovich, working with raincurtains calls for a good understanding of just what makes the systems tick and what it takes to set them up to achieve the best possible results.

    For many of us in the watershaping business, the de-sign and creation of fountains and water displays followsa predictable set of functional patterns. Given the tradi-tional tools of the trade and our repertoire of nozzles andspray apparatus, for example, we tend to fashion effectsand shapes from the ground up, literally throwing waterin the air in a more or less uncontrolled manner.

    From a design standpoint, the problem with this tra-dition is that it eats up space like nobodys business: Thepools needed to catch free-falling flows of any notewor-thy height must be large enough to capture water sub-ject to the effects of splash, wind-drift and overspray.The higher the spray, the larger must be the footprint ofthe pool to contain it adequately.

    As a rule, these pools need to have diameters of twicethe height of the spray by any measure a significantcontribution of expensive commercial real estate to thecreative effort at a time when property owners are mo-tivated to make every available square foot an incomeproducer.

    As an alternative in this space race, watershapers havefound dry-deck or curbless fountains to be a great way tobring water effects into smaller settings with footprints thatcan serve multiple purposes. Another option that bearsconsideration is the rain curtain a great addition to thewatershapers creative arsenal and a system that flows fromthe top down rather than from the ground up.

    By Jon Mitovich

  • 41

  • Foot PrintingRain curtains are a unique manipula-

    tion of water based on the ancient Asianpractice of capturing falling rainwater byusing surface tension to run the waterdown chains, ropes and bamboo slits intosmall collecting pools, holding vessels orcisterns below.

    Beyond being a great and convenientway for moving water from an uncon-trolled to a controlled state, perhaps thegreatest asset of the rain-curtain effect isthe minimal amount of space it takes upon a floor. Indeed, the traditional rulesof sizing fountain pools in proportion tospray height do not apply here: Curtainsin excess of 50 feet tall can be containedwithin a pool six feet wide or even less,leaving much more floor space availableto generate revenue.

    In todays commercial-property mar-kets, having this option available can beinvaluable. In just a small space, rain cur-tains offer all the aesthetic and psycho-logical benefits of water in motion, in-crease pedestrian and tenant interest,establish a facilitys visual identity andlend the property a competitive edge thatspace constraints might not otherwisepermit.

    Rain curtains are particularly strikingwhere ceiling heights are substantial as in the entryways of most office build-ings and a great many hotel/resort lob-bies, shopping malls and open stairwells.They are also best suited to indoor appli-cations, where wind currents arent ableto distort the delicate effect.

    That delicacy is conjured with a rangeof products and hardware starting withthe material along which the water flows.This can be laced or stranded nylon orMylar the former a heavy-gaugemonofilament fishing line, the latter athin, flat shoelacematerial. As the wa-ter flows onto the material, surface ten-sion forms it into beads that appear totravel as if in slow motion as a resultof friction down the length of the ma-terial to the collection pool below.

    The key to the effect is introducing thewater onto the material in a controlledmanner. This requires a precision distri-bution manifold, usually fabricated ofbrass or stainless steel tube or pipe andoutfitted with a series of emitter nozzles

    WATERsHAPES FEBRUARY 200542

    SMALL FOOTPRINTS:Although they can attain spec-tacular heights, the physicalspaces required to contain raincurtains can actually be quitesmall a fact that makes thema welcome design option incommercial spaces whereevery square foot is precious.

  • (also in brass or stainless steel) fitted withgrippers that hold onto the strands.Emitter precision is of paramount im-portance: The orifice controls the amountof water flowing onto the strand whileguidingit into position.

    Down BelowThe other critical component of the

    distribution system is the counterweightattached to the pool end of the strand. Itmust be heavy enough to pull the strandtaut and keep it from moving and pos-sibly twisting or tangling with its neigh-bors; at the same time, it cant be so mas-sive that it puts a strain on either thestrand itself or on the grippers in the man-ifold.

    Typically, these tensioning weights aretied or fastened together in series after in-stallation and strand adjustment to keepthe strands from becoming twisted. Theemitters themselves are generally spacedon 1- to 1-1/2-inch centers: Any closerand static electricity will make the strandstend to stick together when theyre dry,while surface tension will impart the sameclumping urge when theyre wet.

    Beyond those basic performance re-quirements, rain curtains are a model offlexibility: Heights, shapes and spans arelimited only by available space, while themanifolds can take on virtually anygeometry, from circles, arcs or ovals tosquares, rectangles, crosses, tees or trian-gles. Multiple manifolds can be used as

    WATERsHAPES FEBRUARY 2005 43

    SCULPTURAL SENSE: The fact that rain-curtain manifolds can be fabricated into just aboutany imaginable shape with just about any sort of support structure can make them a com-pelling, contemporary design accent all on their own all ready for enhancement by a slytrickle of water.

  • well, and emitter placements can be stag-gered to add depth and dimension to thecurtain effect. In addition, strand anglescan be set up to 20 degrees off the verti-cal before gravity overcomes surface ten-sion and the water beads will begin drop-ping off the strands.

    Modern strand emitters are also moreefficient than were those available in thepast. In fact, there were so many prob-lems with early emitters that the first raincurtains were set up to use glycerin, asweet, syrupy hygroscopic tri-hydroxy al-cohol used as a solvent and plasticizer, asthe liquid medium in motion.

    This high-viscosity material flowedmore slowly than water and had the vi-sual advantage of forming larger droplets,but it also had a nasty tendency to stainsurrounding surfaces, was slightly toxicand had mild corrosive properties.Furthermore, liquid traveling through theatmosphere is something of a magnet forairborne particles, and glycerin tended tobecome a sticky mess after a while as wellas a maintenance headache.

    Pure, clean water poses none of thesedrawbacks and has therefore claimed itsrightful place as the medium of choice forrain curtains. The main treatment ne-cessity is a high-quality filtration system,which helps by minimizing the risk ofclogging the emitters and preventing hit-or-miss operation of the rain curtain.

    The actual water flow is relatively slight,depending upon the number of strands.The rule of thumb is allowance of a flowrate of 0.33 gallons per minute per strandvia an appropriately sized pump and filter thus,a rain curtain with 100 strands willrequire a flow rate of 33 gpm. The heightof the rain curtain (that is,the length of thestrands) does not change the flow re-quirement, although it does increase thetotal volume of water in the system.

    Going with the FlowThe sight of water flowing down a rain

    curtain is remarkably compelling on itsown, but the effect can be enhanced stillfurther through use of submersible foun-tain lighting aimed up from the collec-tion pool.

    The light reflects off the water beadsand wet strand material to create a shim-mering effect and multiplies the observ-

    WATERsHAPES FEBRUARY 200544

    Variations on a ThemeThe use of nylon or Mylar line or lace to run water from the top to the bottom of a

    water curtain is just one option available to watershapers working in tight spaces.Other options include panes or sheets of glass, acrylic or plexiglass, either smooth ortextured, to handle the water flow from top-mounted emitters.

    As water flows down these sheets, the influences of surface tension and friction tendto cause the water to gather or scallop on its way to the collection pool. Combinedwith submersible lighting (placed to backlight the sheet), the design possibilities arelimited only by the watershapers imagination.

    J.M.

    OUTDOORS, TOO: Although outdoor applications for rain curtains are less common than areindoor installations, they can be used with wonderful results under the right conditions as in this sheltered entryway, where the short rain curtain lends a sense of motion and soundto its setting.

    Acrylic and glass panels can be used to set up variations on the rain-curtain effect as seenhere, where surface tension and friction make the water scallop and flow irregularly down sur-faces that show well by day and, backlit, by night.

  • ers ability to enjoy the kinetics of the wa-tershape. A combination of spot andflood lights spaced at three-foot intervalsworks best in most applications,with themix and wattage depending upon theheight of the curtain.

    Beyond aesthetics and installation, ofcourse, operation and maintenance areimportant to the impression the systemmakes, particularly with its owners. Theusual rules apply: Before start-up, thepool must be clean and filled with freshwater, with all pipelines flushed clean of

    any construction debris. Water qualityneeds to be monitored and managed tomaintain that cleanliness.

    The main challenge to rain-curtain sys-tems comes in the form of hard-waterscaling that can take its toll on emittersand strands over time. As a result, min-eral de-scaling devices may need to be in-corporated into the system or, in extremecases, water softeners or reverse-osmosispurifiers. To promote long strand life, theuse of sanitizing chemicals should beavoided; instead, ozone or ultra-violet

    light systems should be used.Modern technology and precision fab-

    rication have made an ancient and emi-nently practical design idea accessible intodays design marketplace and allow thedesigner to bring a strikingly contempo-rary feel to any setting. The greatest post-installation pleasure comes in watchingvisitors as they experience the grace andbeauty of the effect from vantage pointsjust a few feet removed from the effect a reaction appreciated by watershapersand property owners alike.

    WATERsHAPES FEBRUARY 2005 45

    SUBLIME ELEGANCE:Theres a definite visual

    appeal to rain curtains ofall heights, shapes and

    configurations a differ-ent sort of drama from

    that of a bottom-up foun-tain, but certainly a

    source of pleasing soundsand an arresting sense

    of motion.

  • WATERsHAPES FEBRUARY 200546

    ackwash valves are simple in con-cept: They reverse the flow of water

    through a filter and, in so doing,dislodgedirt and debris that has built up on thesurface of and in the filter medium.

    This procedure has a couple of key ben-efits in both sand and diatomaceous-earthfilters: First, it improves filter performanceby breaking up and flushing out the near-solid cakes of dirt and oil particles that buildup in the media over time. Second,it pro-longs filter cycles and extends the time be-tween major (and messy) cleanings. Third,because they minimize those invasive clean-ings,backwashing helps to extend the ser-vice lives of a filters internal components.

    For all that, I keep seeing systems in thefield in which backwash valves are notproperly specified or no provisions havebeen made for routine backwashing thatis, systems in which theres no backwashvalve to divert the flow and initiate thecleaning process. And these devices arentparticularly complex or expensive,whichleads me to believe theres a lack of infor-

    mation about the value of these valves, agap well begin to fill here.

    REVERSING THE FLOW Some watershape systems are set up

    with cartridge filters that dont requirebackwashing, but a good portion of fil-tration systems especially those forswimming pools, spas,and waterfeatures use either sand or diatomaceous earth(D.E.) to rid the water of particulates.

    Setting up these systems for properbackwashing isnt the most complicatedprocedure or the sexiest topic going, butit really does cut to the heart of proper fil-tration and water quality. In fact, Id saythe presence of backwashing capability iscrucial to the long-term enjoyment andsustainability of any watershape system.

    As is the case with most simple-seem-ing topics, there is, of course, more tobackwashing and backwash valves thanmeets the eye.

    Consider what happens inside a filterwhen the system is in backwash mode.

    In a D.E. filter, the water flows backwardsthrough the filter grids, thereby blowingthe caked filter medium and all the de-bris imbedded in it from the polyester-fiber/nylon-mesh grids. The water con-taining all the dirt particles, oil, debris,and caked diatomaceous earth flows towaste via a P-trap, a drain system or areclamation/backwash tank.

    In a sand filter, the flow is similarly re-versed: Instead of the water flowing down-ward through the sand bed, it comes upfrom the bottom of the filter and effectivelychurns the top few inches of the sand bedup into solution. Dirt is removed whenthe water flows up and out of the filter bodythrough the diffuser at the top of the tank.The water is disposed of via the optionsdescribed just above for a D.E filter.

    Again, thats elegant and simple, butthere are a couple of key points that bearconsideration in greater detail.

    For starters, backwashing lengthens fil-ter cycles, that is, the time between seri-ous cleanings. As we all should know,emp-

    Backwash valves are the unsung he-roes of many a fine hydraulic system.Seldom considered other than whenin use, these handy devices simplify fil-ter maintenance, significantly extendfilter cycles and even serve to stretchthe service lives of a filters internal com-ponents. Ensuring that level of reli-able performance, says hydraulics ex-pert Steve Gutai, is a matter ofunderstanding the role these valvesplay and selecting the right one forthe given application.

    BackwashingBasics

    By Steve Gutai

    H y d r a u l i c F u n d a m e n t a l s

    B

  • WATERsHAPES FEBRUARY 2005 47

    tying and recharging D.E. filters is a laborious anddirty job that involves opening the tank, removingand cleaning the grids then reassembling andrecharging the system with D.E. Removing sandfrom a sand filter is even worse,a nasty task that re-quires not only disassembling the filter but also scoop-ing out the muck and sand by hand in most cases.

    In addition, backwashing not only enables themedia in a D.E. filter to last longer, it also lengthensthe service life of the grids and internal componentssimply by reducing handling and allowing the fil-ter to operate at lower pressures. For sand filters,backwashing also helps prevent the solidification ofthe surface of the sand bed and can thereby length-en the span between major cleanings by several years.

    The ultimate benefit in both cases is proper fil-tration and proper flow throughout the system,which can have a huge impact on a range of oth-er issues such as the proper functioning of heatersand sanitization systems as well as the overall per-formance of spa jets, fountains, waterfalls or in-teractive waterfeatures.

    NAMING NAMESThere are several types of backwash valves on

    the market these days, and each has its own set ofcharacteristics,advantages,disadvantages and prop-er applications. For all of their differences, how-ever, all backwash valves have at a minimum thesame five-port setup: filter inlet and outlet; pumpdischarge to valve inlet; valve outlet port to returncirculation; and port to waste.

    As youll see in the summary of options below,the way those five connections are accommodat-ed differs widely from valve to valve.w Slide or push-pull valves: These are the least

    expensive and most often used backwash valveson the market. Sometimes referred to as piston-style valves, they are essentially two-position de-vices that run in either filtration mode or back-wash mode.

    Slide valves feature a simple cylinder a shaftwith two plungers that move through the internalpart of the valve body. The plumbing ports in andout of the valve are positioned so that sliding theshaft will redirect the flow of the water.

    In a typical D.E. system application, pushing theshaft all the way down makes the water flow in fil-tration mode. Pulling it back shifts the flow into back-wash mode,sending the water coming out of the fil-ter to waste. In a sand filter,where the flow pattern isthe exact opposite of a D.E. filters, the positions arereversed. (Helpfully,most slide valves are marked toindicate which positions work for which filter type.)

    Slide backwash valves are typically made of PVCor ABS plastic material. Most are glued to a set

    D.E. filter in filtration mode

    D.E. filter in backwash mode

    Heater

    Heater

    Waste

    Waste

    Pump

    Pump

    Pool

    Handle down

    Handle up

    Pool

    Filter

    Filter

  • of unions that are ultimately mountedonto the side of the filter tank,which makesthem easy to service and replace as need-ed. They cannot be automated.

    These valves are in common use in theSunbelt (other than Florida,where cartridgefilters dominate),but they are seldom usedin regions where watershapes must be win-terized. In these places, multi-port back-wash valves are generally used because ofthe additional benefits they can provide.w Multi-port valves: These valves of-

    fer a range of functions and configura-tions that go well beyond backwashing,offering a versatility that is highly desir-able for many applications. In addition,multi-port valves are self-draining, whichmakes them suited for use in cold climates.

    Typically made of ABS plastic and fittedwith threaded socket connections thatmake installation, removal, repair and re-placement convenient, multi-port valvesare also commonly referred to as dial valvesbecause they look like sundials on the in-side, with compartments divided into sixor seven wedge-shaped slices. Water is sentin various,distinct directions through thesecompartments by a rotating diverter as-sembly that moves into different positionsover a spider gasket.

    Multi-port valves offer more possiblevalve positions than do slide valves, in-cluding positions for filtration and back-washing; a waste mode that enables waterto be pumped directly to waste withoutpassing through the filter; a closed modethat cuts off all flow through the valve; anda rinse mode, which allows water to flowto waste while the system is in the filtra-tion mode thereby keeping cloudy wa-ter inside the filter from re-entering a wa-tershape after backwashing.

    Multi-port valves also have a re-circula-tion mode,which is basically a bypass thatallows for water circulation without anyflow through the filter. In addition, somehave a winterization mode that allows thevalve to drain itself.

    These valves come in two basic types: Thefirst is a top-mounted style most often seenon smaller sand filters (30 inches or less).The second is a side-mounted style used onlarger systems (30 inches and up). The keydifference between the two is the way the fil-ters internal plumbing interfaces with thebackwash valve connections.

    WATERsHAPES FEBRUARY 200548

    Sand filter in filtration mode

    Sand filter in backwash mode

    Heater

    Heater

    Waste

    Waste

    Pump

    Pump

    Pool

    Handle up

    Handle down

    Pool

    Filter

    Filter

  • With a top-mounted valve the filter dif-fuser is part of the valve and the water en-ters the valve and is distributed from thevalve itself. By contrast, with a side-mounted multi-port valve, the valve sendswater to a diffuser that is integrated intothe sand filters tank. Despite these phys-ical differences, water flows to the sandbed in exactly the same way with bothvalve types.

    For the most part,side-mounted multi-port valves provide a second option to slidevalves because the former are more versa-tile and have the benefit of being sidemounted. Moreover, multi-port valves especially of the side-mounted variety areeasily automated using specialized valve-actuator mechanisms.

    w Full-flow valves: These valves havecompletely different designs than mul-ti-port and slide valves.They have two di-verter gates that are attached to one com-mon shaft.When the shaft is rotated,bothdiverter gates are rotated.They direct wa-ter through the same sets of ports as doother backwash valves,but with much lesspressure drop as the water flows throughthe valve.

    When water flows through a slide ormulti-port valve, it must make at least two90-degree turns or travel through differ-ent chambers, resulting in additional fric-tion loss within the system. By contrast,full-flow valves divert the water flow whileadding virtually no extra resistance something they accomplish because the

    water flows straight through the valve andthere are no bends or turns to contendwith in the filtration mode of operation.

    This makes these valves particularlyvaluable in systems that require preciseflows and higher pressures, such as is thecase with in-floor cleaning systems. Thesevalves are always side-mounted on filtertanks and may be used with either sandor D.E. systems. They can be automated,but only one company currently offersfull-flow valves with this capability.w Rotary valves: Valves in this fourth

    category are used only with D.E. filtersand, unlike the valves discussed above,are mounted on the bottoms of the tanksand can be used for the purpose of back-washing.

    WATERsHAPES FEBRUARY 2005 49

    Outlet

    D.E. filter in filtration mode

    D.E