Century Link Featured in Landscape Architect & Specifier

Landscape Architect & Specifier’s June, 2017 issue features a Southern Aquatics project, Century Link Campus. Century Link is a S&P 500 telecommunications company with is headquarters located in Monroe, LA. The 2.2 acre courtyard serves to connect the office building and technology center with multiple spaces to provide dynamic character. Southern Aquatics was able to assist in bringing landscape architecture firm, EDGE’s vision to life.

 

 

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The courtyard makes a stunning visual appeal with its eleven pools, plume jet fountains located along the path, and low flow cascading jets. The visuals and calming noise of the fountains adds a serene quality that invites both employees and visitors.  Having this type of inviting workspace adds to Century Link’s amenities and amazing talent.

 

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You can view our fountains on pages 66-72. Landscape architecture by EDGETo read the full article please follow this link http://landscapearchitect.epubxp.com/i/835218-jun-2017/65?m4=

Scioto Peninsula Park and Garage Construction Underway

Construction is still underway as Southern Aquatics works hard to create a beautiful fountain for the new Scioto Peninsula Park and Garage, located in Columbus, OH.

 

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The park will have beautiful themed gardens including a plaza, an area for children to play and a large-scale fountain. This can be seen in the renderings below.

The park is in front of top-rated science museum, Center of Science and Industry (COSI). It is adjacent to Veteran’s Memorial Museum, which also includes another fountain constructed by Southern Aquatics.

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This will be a welcomed public space to add to COSI, and the over all Scioto Peninsula Plan. The Scioto Peninsula Plan is a huge undertaking to improve upon the neighborhood with additional cultural, residential, office and retail space.

Corna Kokosing is serving as the general contractor for Scioto Peninsula Park and Garage, and MKSK is serving as the architect. The estimated completion will be sometime in late fall.

Southern Aquatics is honored to be included on this innovative and impressive project, and we can’t wait to reveal the end product. Stay Tuned!

Newly Constructed Marcum Park in Hamilton, OH

Southern Aquatics recently completed Marcum Park in Hamilton, OH.

SAI Fountains constructed the river playscape and that can be seen below.

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Fun was had by all at the grand opening of Marcum Park in large part due to, “Joe and Sarah Marcum’s gift of $3.5 million to the Hamilton Community Foundation last year.”

According to the foundation this was the largest single private donation Hamilton has ever seen.

 

Hundreds turned out for the grand opening, which included Hamilton High School Jazz Band, which accompanied the fountains as they were turned on for the first time.

The new park was on the site of the old Mercy Hospital. It is a place where families and the community can come together and new memories can be created in the dynamic city of Hamilton.

 

“Jim Fitton, chairman of the board of the Hamilton Parks Conservancy, said, ‘This park was thought of decades ago by our forefathers … and it’s finally coming to fruition, and again, it happens because there are people committed to this community like the Marcums, like the community foundation, like the parks conservancy board, like the city council, like and like and like,” according to Mike Rutledge of the Journal-News.

 

SAI Fountains like so many others are proud to have had a hand in this project that serves to bring the community together, and continues to prompt development in Hamilton, Ohio.


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Park Van Ness Fountain Project in Washington D.C.

Southern Aquatics Inc is near the completion of project Park Van Ness in Washington D.C.

 

Park Van Ness is a 271-unit residential project with approximately 9,000 square feet of street-level retail, below street-level structured parking, and amenities including a community room, landscaped courtyards, a fitness room and a rooftop pool and deck.

 

Park Van Ness’s courtyard consists of two large architectural fountains constructed by Southern Aquatics, Inc accompanied by two large art fixtures with a patina effect anchored above creating a dramatic entry point to the complex.

 

Each black granite fountain has 2 jets, and16 bronze spout details creating the effect seen in the picture. The lighting consists of all LED white light, 6 free standing lights, and 10 niche lights in each fountain. Lining the inside of the fountain is 1 by 1 inch black tile to compliment the classic look of dark granite and white light.

 

The General Contractor for the entire complex was Clark Construction LLC. With the Park Van Ness turn-key fountains almost complete we would like to thank Clark and Park Van Ness for the opportunity to come together on this amazing project.

The Benefit of Great Fountain Design

Historically, fountains have largely been a symbol of wealth, power, grace and artistry. In retrospect, arguably the most iconic fountain of the past, the Latona Fountain in Versailles, adorned the majestic royal palace.

While fountains are much more accessible now, their role and significance has not diminished. Thankfully, with the advent of mass production and advanced manufacturing methods, royalty is no longer necessary to own fountain.

Fountain Design and Community

Fountains, whether new or old, all have a special magic to them. It could be the masterful fountain design, ranging from noble figures dramatically recreating the Metamorphoses, or a clean cut rectangle with ideal proportions – fountains capture a moment, and do it while moving.

They are not works of art you see everyday, and are able to attract people from all walks to life. Fountain design, then is important to enriching the community with unique designs that bring excitement and wonder to every spectator and encourage community.

An Environment that Creates Value

Like most fine art which has value because of the impression it leave on the viewer, the uniqueness of fountains enhances its value. Not only do fountains have a context of affluence, they also provide peace and wonderment. A well maintained fountain, whether indoor or out can increase the value of a property because of the art it creates.

Fountains also create value and environment by being environmentally friendly. Fountains create a sort of ‘white noise’ that is not distracting, but like the crashing of waves, fills the surrounding area with relaxing sounds.

Not only do fountains create sounds, they also create a beautiful visual display – especially if paired with lights. The beauty of fountains is that they are useful both during the day and the night, while spouting water or being completely dry.

Environmentally Friendly

Finally, fountains are environmentally responsible. They are not controversial like parks which might require the cutting down of trees, or the paving over of some local plains. Fountains actually help aerate ponds and promote life. Fountains are a beautiful and multifaceted method for enriching your community and business.

We install custom designed, cutting edge fountains for you to enjoy. We have an experienced staff that will help keep everything safe, and exceeding government standards. We have 10 years of experience and we’ve worked all throughout the United States. Contact us today!

“By George! That’s an Entertaining Fountain…” Washington Harbour In The Press

For over 13 years, SAI has strived to create exemplary fountains and water features by leading the industry in quality, innovation and teamwork.  With that being said, it is always nice for our work to be noticed, specifically by well-known media outlets like, “Landscape Architect and Specifier News” or “LandscapeOnline.com.”

 

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The article in “Landscape Architect and Specifer News” about Washington Harbour in Georgetown was a SAI project, with Crystal Fountains as a special consultant and designer.  Washington Harbour’s lower plaza featured a fountain pool, existing tower and overflow pool constructed by SAI. During the warm months you would see dancing jets reaching in excess of 60 feet with 42 sequencing LEDS for an entertaining aquatic color extravaganza, which is particularly captivating at night. During the winter months the fountain pool is transformed to a family friendly ice skating rink.

To read more about this article, please click the following link for the online version.

“By George! That’s an Entertaining Fountain…and Versatile, Too “ -Steve Kelly, editor

 

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Fountain Construction and Planning

Building a fountain from the bottom up
Fountains are a wonderful display of power, grace and engineering. Whether indoor or outdoor, a fountain emits a performance not many can resist watching. A well-designed fountain enriches the surrounding area and provides many benefits beyond just entertainment and serenity.

For over 10 years, Southern Aquatics has built hundreds of commercial water features all over the United States. With our strong focus on quality workmanship, professionalism and teamwork, we provide budget and fountain design to streamline the process of building a top of the line water feature.

Below is an excerpt into what it takes to build an award-winning fountain with top-notch design aspects and cutting edge technology.

Deciding to build a fountain for your business or property is a powerful way to enrich the surrounding community, draw attention to your building and add prestige to your company brand. However, building a commercial fountain is an extensive project that involves many different skills and talents. The process requires funding, plenty of time, property management – and if erected on public property, approval from city councils. Depending on the size of the project, some commercial fountain projects enlist the help of other specialized companies.

When building a fountain, Southern Aquatics offers custom, turn key solutions that manage all the detail of construction; from designing to plumbing, we streamline the process for our clients.

The Process
Water work projects are split up into different components depending on the type of work. Elements requiring different design and engineering process are outsourced to companies with specific specialties. A developer, for example, creates the preliminary design for the fountain and teams up with an architectural firm to plan out all the structural elements of the feature. After all the plans are made and approved, a construction team ordinarily handles all the construction operations and property management aspects of the fountain.

Putting it All Together
A fountain is made from many different components, let’s look at the major parts, and how having a vision will help dictate which components should be used.

Have a Vision
When considering a water feature, reflect on the effect you want your business or establishment to have. Visualize the area where it would be placed and how much square footage it would realistically require. Remember that the depth is just as important as the width and the height because it determines how the water streams collect in the basin and looks to viewers.

Select the Hardware
Next, determine the pump and piping required for the function of your fountain. This step is crucial because the piping that is chosen for your fountain determines how much pressure the fountain needs and how long the fountains runs. This is done by selecting the appropriate filter. Remember that the bigger the filter, the more powerful the pump you’ll need. Don’t forget to focus on the lighting of your fountain – as a rule of thumb, keep all fountain lights submerged at around 2 inches below the surface to ensure powerful illumination. Also, know that floods lights key in illuminating the entire fountain stage.

The Electrical System
To maintain long-lasting, and efficient operation, your pump should be equipped with sensors that maintain the appropriate water level and can shut down the system if water levels are insufficient. Wind sensors are additional sensors which are helpful because they reduce the amount of water used by a fountain when affected by strong winds. Other important electrical components include microprocessors, timers, controls and motor starters.

Now that you have all these elements in place, it’s time to Contact SAI Fountains and talk to an experienced aquatic specialist who can help bring your fountain dreams to life!

MEP Construction

Fountains are our calling. So if you’re looking to feature a fountain in your space, give us a call. We’ll help you build the water feature you’ve been dreaming about.

At SAI Fountains, we provide full-service, quality fountain design, construction and management for any sized project.

MEP Focused

Our team focuses on the mechanical, electrical and plumbing aspects (MEP) of each project – providing a collaboration of skills and experience to design your entire fountain from the drawing board to the completion.

There are two types of MEP services – those that focus on design, and those that focus on installation. At Southern Aquatics, Inc., we provide you with both. Our award-winning fountain design and installation team create, execute and manage fountain projects on scale.

Experience

For over a decade, Southern Aquatics, Inc has designed, built and helped manage over 100 commercial water features across the United States. We focus on quality workmanship and professionalism. We are an American team and we work to provide the experienced, professional and attentive service that sets us apart, and defines the standard.

Reputation is Everything

We at SAI Fountains have earned a reputation for creating organized, creative and efficient fountain design and construction – which has distinguished us for over 10 years. Each fountain we build is uniquely tailored to individual client needs and wishes. We provide mechanical, electric and plumbing service, as well as  fountain design and budgeting to make certain your vision become a reality.

Set up an appointment today with our team and find out how we can take your vision to the next level.

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Fort Benning Gateway

The Fort Benning Gateway in Columbus, Ga., was designed to honor the men and women serving at one of the largest military facilities in the nation, including members of the infantry, who have called Fort Benning their home since 1940, as well as the U.S. Army Armor School, which has been located at the base since 2010.

The project sits at the entrance to the base and the design draws extensively from military thematic elements, including replicas of famous statues. Honoring the infantry is an 8-ft-tall bronze replica of the “Follow Me” statue—depicting Iron Mike charging forward.

Also standing 8 ft tall, the 10,000-lb replica of Frederick Remington’s “Trooper of the Plains” salutes the U.S. Army Armor School. Sculpted out of bronze in Colorado, both statues were placed atop 50-ft-tall precast towers comprised of four columns and precast concrete banding.

As visitors exit Fort Benning, they are bid farewell by a pair of 8-ft-tall bald eagles, also sculpted of bronze.

The project was constructed within the interchange of Victory Drive and Interstate 185, and included a bridge enhancement and corresponding landscaping. Architectural elements were included to hide the existing bridges while four precast towers were located at each corner of the bridge.

Construction within the 56-acre project also included two grand fountain plazas that stretch along each side of the highway. The plazas feature 20 fountains that shoot water 20 ft into the air, surrounded by 20 illuminated American flags.

Despite being the largest project ever to be constructed over a major freeway in Georgia, crews never required traffic to stop completely throughout the duration of construction. Extensive traffic and safety planning guided the project to completion without a single injury or incident to any of the project’s workers or to the thousands of motorists passing by every day.

Crews even placed four heavy precast spandrel beams while a pace car slowed traffic just enough so installers could secure the beams before traffic was released back to full speed.

Washington Harbour Fountain

The new fountains at the Washington Harbour complex started flowing over Labor Day weekend. The renovated water feature will only flow until Oct. 1 this year to allow for construction of the ice rink in time for the winter season.

In addition to center fountain jets that can reach up to 65 feet, the new fountain design also features shows with lights and music.
According to Joshua Lynsen, a representative for the Washington Harbour, the hours are as follows:

“Fountain shows start at 5 p.m. and occur every 30 minutes until 10 p.m. Shows can also be seen throughout the day on the hour from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Shows done during the work week are done without music. Fountain shows last anywhere from five to 10 minutes and typically feature two songs.”

The fountains will run again in the spring, most likely in time for the Cherry Blossom Festival and next season they will run through mid-October. According to Lynsen,

“The fountain designs were a collaborative effort. The lower plaza renovation was done by Gensler, while Crystal Fountains designed the fountains, H2O Arts handled the programming and Southern Aquatics designed and built the infrastructure.”

In addition to the updated fountains and the incoming ice rink, the waterfront’s renovation also included updated restaurants for Tony & Joe’s and Nick’s Riverside Grill. Farmers Fishers Bakers should be coming online later this year.