From a purely design perspective, water is the most fluid and flexible substance we have. Visually, water can be tall and thin or it can be short and massive. It can take on geometric forms such as a pyramid or a cylinder, or it can appear solid, translucent or transparent. For a Landscape Architect, designing with water offers unlimited creative opportunities for incorporating excitement and drama into a public space. A newly completed project in California showcases the value of adding unique water features to a public plaza. Located just off the Ventura highway in Northern Los Angeles County, the architecture of The Commons at Calabasas is patterned after an ?EUR??,,????'??Old World village?EUR??,,????'??? concept. ?EUR??,,????'??Often times our water features are designed as a natural part of a landscape feature. In these instances, we marry naturally occurring water movements such as weirs, waterfalls and running streams, as well as manmade effects such as dancing waters choreographed to music,?EUR??,,????'?? said David Williams, AIA, Senior Vice President of Architecture for Caruso Affiliated Holdings, owners of The Commons. Williams was responsible for the design and implementation of the project and worked with my firm on the design of the water features based on owner Rick Caruso's vision. ?EUR??,,????'??We use bio-filtration to allow a variety of wildlife to inhabit and survive in the feature,?EUR??,,????'?? said Williams. ?EUR??,,????'??It?EUR??,,????'???s an amazing phenomenon to witness a manmade mechanically operated water feature become it?EUR??,,????'???s own little microenvironment.?EUR??,,????'?? Caruso Affiliated Holdings puts a lot of energy into the design, construction and maintenance of the water features in their public entertainment centers because their success depends on the ability to attract customers and give them a reason to stay longer. Since water is basic to all life forms, people tend to have a fundamental attraction to it as water soothes and quiets the human spirit. The sound and motion of moving water contributes energy to architectural spaces. Utilizing water features within these public spaces has value-added benefits, such as being able to mask the sound of traffic by installing a rushing waterfall or cascading fountain. Many of the Caruso water features are interwoven with playful bronze sculptures of children and animals playing. De L?EUR??,,????'???Esprie of Westlake Village, California created all of the bronze sculptures for The Commons. All of her pieces are designed with whimsy and fantasy to stimulate the imagination. She begins by topping steel armature with clay. The sculpture is then cast into bronze by David Spellerberg at The National Heritage Collector?EUR??,,????'???s Society. Each major piece takes six months to sculpt and six months to cast. The sculptures are especially popular with children, who often liked to be photographed with the statues. ?EUR??,,????'??When a water attraction is geared toward children it is key as to how a child engages the water. We encourage children to get their hands wet, or to feed the fish and waterfowl or to interact with playful sculptural elements that are a part of the feature,?EUR??,,????'?? said owner, Rick Caruso. ?EUR??,,????'??At the same time our focus is to design conditions so that they are safe to the child.?EUR??,,????'?? Creating Dimensions of Water There are three water features placed within the 22-acre project area at The Commons, the largest of which is a running brook that evolves into a major waterfall and pond. The dark brown colored boulders are natural moss-rock, imported from Redding, California. Some areas of the waterfall contain faux rock boulders that were specially constructed by Living Waters. They matched the composition of the natural boulders so well, it?EUR??,,????'???s hard to differentiate between the two types. The sculpted weir surfaces provide a sharp background to contrast with the falling water. Two pedestrian bridges pass over the flow allowing visitors to get closer to the water. This water feature covers approximately 4,150 square feet at the site. The largest fall is 11 vertical feet with more falls descending at lower heights. Four thousand gallons of water per minute cascade down the spectacular falls. A separate source begins near the entries of the bordering restaurants and continues in a 135-foot stream to the main water body. At the same time, this water setting portrays a beautiful, energetic and pastoral landmark since it is located at the corner of two major thoroughfares. The Importance of Containment The second water feature is the Summer Fountain, which is centrally located and surrounded by a courtyard and formal Rose garden. The courtyard hosts open air dining exclusively for the guests of the nearby restaurant Purple Basil. The Summer Fountain provides a base for an authentic 200-year-old hand carved Vincenza stone sculpture by an unknown artist. Three additional statues from the Bordeaux region of France and representing the three other seasons are placed throughout the center. The fountain itself is a subtle presentation of six small vertical streams of water. The containment walls are richly embellished with different colored tumbled marble cobbles. In this case, the containment of the water feature is of major importance. To match the hue of the aged Italian Vincenza sandstone, a limestone from Texas was selected. The containment is oval and proportionate to the sculpture. A concrete shell was formed to hold the water. We designed large tumbled cubes out of the limestone, each in the shape of an ?EUR??,,????'??L?EUR??,,????'??. Each stone abuts the adjacent stones, covering the concrete shell without grout. The cubes follow the outer rim of the oval to create a unique design. The design presented a challenging problem in geometry in that we had to precisely fit the outer concrete ring of the oval with individual 15"x15"x15" cubes. If any piece was not precise in construction, our design would not work at the site. Therefore, we employed a surveyor to accurately plot the oval and had the pieces arranged at the quarry prior to shipping so the components would fit perfectly at installation. How a water feature is contained is as important to the planning process as the performance design of the water. We believe that when the water is in a static state with the fountain turned off, the containment becomes a sculptural element within its surroundings. When the water feature is operating, the dynamic of the water display has to meld with the containment to complete the overall design concept. Pirates Cove The third water feature is concentrated amongst numerous restaurants that form the main outdoor food service area. This feature is comprised of a 2,700 square foot pond with low-level waterfalls and streams, one of which is fifty feet in length, flowing from two different directions. Here, the bridge bodes a vista of a bronzed boy pirate and his dog. With one foot on his treasure chest and a parrot on his shoulder, he is actively searching for land. His boat has sprung a leak and is being hauled ashore by his friend. Another boy, swinging from a rope, is about to get into the water the old-fashioned way. On the banks you can find two bronze sculpted turtles and a frog, each approximately 40" in height, playfully spouting water out of their mouths into the brook. Their eyes are lit with fiber optics to increase the intrigue for children. These pieces were specifically designed for the kids to touch and climb on. At the opposite end of the water feature three large vertical fountains project upwards to heights of 12?EUR??,,????'???. Directly behind the jets is a belvedere, giving a first view of the water feature after climbing a main staircase. Wild ducks and their yearly offspring as well as the Koi fish provide an ever-changing and fun experience for the children. The landscape surrounding each of the water features was carefully planned to provide background, increase the visual perspective, develop the sense of scale and to beautify the plaza for the visitors. Our intention is always to enrich the community with a blend of art and architecture so that visitors to the site will enjoy the area for many years to come. About the author: James Dean, ASLA, is Landscape Architect and President of James Dean Associates located in Thousand Oaks, Calif.