Building Beauty: Three Concepts Every Architectural Water Feature Designer Must Consider

Since 1983, Vincent Helton & Associates has worked alongside countless developers, architects, and governments to produce natural and innovative water features that serve as focal points for the spaces they occupy.

As an organization that places emphasis on bringing value to our communities, our design team engages in a comprehensive process with our clients prior to finalizing any of our project details. Since many properties are defined by their water features, it is important to explore every logical crevasse in order to ensure the final product exceeds client expectations and enthralls its audience.

The subtle nuances that must be considered as part of the design process are extensive, and draw upon multiple disciplines. While every feature is fundamentally different and needs to align with the local infrastructure, our designers always consider the following during the initial planning stage:

Surroundings

Water is a beautiful resource that is deceptively simple, and can be altered in a myriad of ways that reflects or defines the ambiance of its environment. Thus, understanding how design meshes with the surrounding architecture and landscape is key. Lights, human traffic, greenery, and the color of the nearby buildings are all contextual contributors that help shape the final product.

Architectural water features are intended to align naturally with the spaces that surround them; therefore, understanding the spaces from a contextual perspective is a vital consideration within any designer’s arsenal.

Aesthetics

All water features have strong visual components; a successful water feature is one that incorporates other sensory aspects as well. For these pieces to fully engage with their surroundings and the people who pass through them, designers must find ways to tie feelings and senses into the overarching aesthetic of the feature. The compounded emotional response that water features produce can draw on diverse pieces of the sensory faculty: aural, touch, and sight.

Something as seemingly trivial as the sound of a stream connecting two pools can ultimately influence and alter a feature’s overall aesthetic. When these elements are ignored, the end product can ultimately seem disjointed or out of place.

Materials

When it comes to materials, the possibilities are endless. Not only do a water feature’s physical materials directly tie in with the aforementioned aesthetic and spatial considerations, but they also have a profound influence on the shape and movement of the water itself. Rough textures will lead to torrential flows, while smooth, stainless steel containers promote calming drifts.

Colour, of course, must also be assessed. Darker shades highlight water’s reflective properties, but variations in the colour palette can add a burst of energy to the overall ambiance. To further complicate matters, the interactions between the designer’s choice of tones and local light sources require careful deliberation. How does the structure look at night, as opposed to during the day?

At Vincent Helton, we design water features that are intended to go beyond rudimentary visual stimulus. Our projects are more than just fountains, pools, and streams; they are the building blocks of communities and define the spaces in which they stand. By tying these three basic design considerations within our drafts, we aspire to continue serving as a pillar within North America’s architectural community.