Water Crawl: Chicago Series

There are few sites in this world more mesmerizing than a masterfully crafted fountain. Onlookers are immediately taken in by its display of light, color, and perfectly designed aquatic movement. What most viewers of these beautiful structures forget to take into consideration is how complex these water features are to function. Since every fountain is unique, each mechanical setup is custom designed and engineered for each specific project. Most large-scale fountains operate with custom mechanical equipment located either in a mechanical room or in a subterranean vault. Underground or Subterranean vaults save valuable square footage in more expensive real estate locations where a separate above-ground pump room or building may not fit. These subterranean vaults are constructed and whenever possible pre-plumbed with everything needed to operate a fully functioning water feature, including Controls, filtration systems, pumps and a tangled web of intricate plumbing. Subterranean vaults are also perfect for parks and more remote outdoor areas where buildings or structures impede the water feature’s environment. Mechanical rooms for fountains are convenient when the feature is within the building limits. Building Engineers and fountain technicians can easily access all of the fountain equipment for service. These mechanical rooms tend to be common in office buildings or larger campuses and are especially advantageous in colder environments where temperatures can fluctuate.

Each and every night, thousands of fountains all over the world light up, illuminating their majestic surroundings into a dreamy elegance. They encapsulate their onlookers with a magical wonder that creates a feeling all its own. It lets the designer highlight subtle nuances of the landscape, creating mystery while maintaining safety and comfort. Fountain lighting technology has improved leaps and bounds over the last decade, making room for an even more cinematic and eye-catching display. Designing proper lighting around a water feature allows its viewers to take advantage of its beauty even after the sunsets. Let’s bask in the glow of Fountain Lighting with some helpful tips and tricks for multiple applications. One of the key elements of lighting water is maintaining a brightness level consistent with the light of its surrounding environment. Indoor water features need to be lit with equal or higher brightness levels for optimal visibility in the setting. When lighting multiple focal points, the light should generally range in brightness within a 3:1 to 5:1 ratio with the main feature at no more than a 10:1 brightness relationship. It is essential to vary your brightness scale of more significant landscapes to accentuate more focal features as well as provide fill light to larger structures.

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The Masters of The Future Are Inspired by The Work of Masters from The Past.

Maine’s Mount Desert Island’s Northeast Harbor holds a hidden Gem. When world famous landscape gardener Beatrix Farrand dismantled Reef Point Estate due to financial issues, Inn Keeper and Renaissance Man Charles Savage stepped in to rescue Farrand’s beloved Azalea collection, with financial help of John D. Rockefeller, and incorporated it into one of America’s premier water gardens.