In the hot days of summer what can be better than making a splash! Water cools, cleanses and provides instant relaxation and stress relief. It perhaps reminds us of our primordial home, the ocean. It is life giving, transformative. We are mostly water. It erodes rock gently over millennia and cuts it forcefully in a laser beam at the stoneyard. It is nourishing and healing and can destroy entire cities instantly in a tsunami or by sinking it over centuries like Venice. It is elusive and will run through your fingers. It will wipe you out is you are a surfer. You can float on it endlessly.
Water has many effects - it flows, glistens, murmurs and glows when illuminated from within and is one of the most abundant resources in nature. Many cultures give it special meaning and use it as a symbol. In dreams water can stand for emotion itself. We’re getting metaphysical here…
When used as a design element water has a tremendous impact on our wellbeing. In our Encino Hills project we used water to separate an art pavilion from the rest of an internal private court. In doing so we used water as a special boundary to another realm of creativity, play and contemplation. Water features integrated into the pool and spa provide pleasant white noise suitable for relaxation. LEDs illuminate the pool from within added color therapy and party effects. Simple materials such as smooth plaster, concrete pavers, stone and white gravel and native plants integrated into the surrounding hillside create an oasis and retreat from the Los Angeles bustle.