APSP Quarterly - Spring 2008 - (Page 20)

in a million dollar landscaping masterpiece. It all proceeded according to plan – Carter’s plan – realized over a seven-year period. The propert y features a Federal-st yle house fashioned from Bucks County stone perched on a slope at the back of the 14 acres. A serpentine driveway leads to the main house and guest cottage, past a CVDA-inspired barn, sheep shed and the caretaker’s house on one side, farm fields and the owner’s personal vineyard on the other. And then there are the gardens. The main house is awash in a sea of wondrous, mature, colonial revival gardens. The entire project is a study in how architecture and gardens evolved in this region during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. One signature feature of the property is the grotto that provides an outdoor room and entrée to the pool off the media room on the lowest level of the house. The grotto also supports the grass-covered terrace off the sunroom on the fi rst floor. CVDA introduced the grotto concept because the Tarp Farm owners do a lot of philanthropicallyfocused, warm-weather entertaining. The grotto is constructed of formed concrete with a one-percent black stain antiqued with sandblasting. The walls and steps that create the boundaries and access to and from the grass-covered terrace underwent the same black staining and antiquing process. The use of concrete was a way of subtly paying homage to local genius Henry Chapman Mercer, known primarily for his Moravian Tile Works and the Mercer Museum in Doylestown, Pennsylvania, and for building his own mansion entirely of concrete. Another Tarp Farm signature feature is the 160-foot water rill with a koi pond and conservatory at the far end and gardens on both sides - including a trellised rose garden - that provides a breathtaking panorama from the grass terrace. CVDA actually sub-contracted the construction of the rill to a pool contractor. It’s made of sixteen 10foot, pre-cast sections that are designed to fail individually, if damaged, so that the balance of the rill can operate uninterrupted. The Tarp Farm environment took shape in phases, with the grotto and the pool area completed along with the main residence in 1997. The water rill and conservatory were erected in 1998. There’s also a rose garden, crab apple allée, and woodland azalea walk. The fi nal touch, a massive vegetable garden, was added in 2003. At the other end of the backyard renaissance spectrum is the approximately one-acre property on the Delaware River (photo, page 18). This project illustrates what Carter explains as his fi rm’s knack for “accessorizing pools and creating a spa environment in the backyard to enhance lifestyle.” CVDA became involved in this project through the owners after the pool was installed. Van Dyke recommended re-coping the pool and creating a series of outdoor rooms. Van Dyke enjoys working with pool contractors. “We work together to make each other look good,” he says. “We look to the pool contractor for technical expertise with pools, spas, and water features, as well as for installation. The payback is a satisfied, long-term client.” Van Dyke advises pool contractors that the backyard renaissance has begun. Pool contractors need to figure out how to take advantage of the situation, he says, and landscape architects make strong allies in this effort. There are about 30,000 of us in the U.S., so fi nding a partner or partners should not be difficult.” To fi nd members of the ASLA in your area, do what the public does – visit www.asla.org and click on Firm Finder. To learn more about CVDA, visit www.cvda.com. A Q 2 0 | AQ A P S P Q UA R T E R LY PARTNERING WITH OTHER TRADES BY BRUCE Z ARE TSK Y HOW CAN YOU benefit from the backyard renaissance? How can you provide your customers with the backyard of their dreams? Move “beyond the coping” and partner with other trades who can help you sell and deliver a vision. While many pool builders/ installers have gone the distance and now have on-staff landscape designers or architects and install these projects as well, in my experience the vast majority do the pool only. In many cases they have no interest beyond installing the pool and moving on to the next site. I believe this is very short-sighted. Not only are there tremendous business opportunities being wasted, but, more importantly, there are creative aspects of the project being left to others. I have a great interest in seeing my vision of a site realized, whether it is done by my firm or someone else. If you haven’t worked with complementary firms when installing your pools, you may want to consider doing so. While it’s a bit nerve-wracking trying to find someone who shares your vision, work ethic, and business practices, it’s not impossible. Begin to forge relationships with the more reputable landscape firms in your area. Speak to their clients. Were they happy with the work performed? Were they treated with the highest professionalism, including timely return of phone calls and emails? Did they start in a reasonable amount of time and stay on the site until the project was complete? Were their employees courteous? Did they clean up after themselves? Once you have found the right landscaping partner and have made a formal commitment to work with them on a project, include them in every phase of the design and presentation. Ask questions of them while you are designing the pool. Will this work? How will the surrounding terraces and planting be affected by this layout? Is our pool design realistic? You’ll want them to be on hand to answer questions that you can’t regarding the surrounding landscape, like where the fencing will go, how privacy screening will be handled, shade considerations, lighting, etc., and to make sure that there are no miscommunications between what a client asks of all of you. Have pre-construction meetings on site to clarify everyone’s scope of work. Make everyone involved feel like they are part of a team, not just another contractor coming and going, because then you’ll have a smooth-running work site and a superior project upon completion. After all, we all want to be proud of our work. And partnering with other trades is a AQ vital step in realizing that superior project. Bruce Zaretsky, Zaretsky and Associates, Inc., Macedon, NY, www.ZaretskyAssociates.com http://www.ZaretskyAssociates.com http://www.asla.org http://www.cvda.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of APSP Quarterly - Spring 2008

APSP Quarterly - Spring 2008 Contents President's Message Chairman's Message International Awards of Excellence Spotlight Quality and Innovation If You're Still in the Pool Business, You're Leaving Money on the Table Gunslingers for Sale-s Can Pool Builders Hedge a Tough Year With... Hedges? Creating a Shared Vision: An Interview with PoolCorp CEO Manny Perez de la Mesa Grow Boating Initiative Helps Industry Imagine a Better Tomorrow First Ever CBP of the Year Award Presented at Inaugural CBP Recognition Dinner Safety Department News & Resources Advertiser's Index

APSP Quarterly - Spring 2008

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