Ridgewater

Journal

Field notes.

Occasional writing from the studio — on materials, craft, and the small decisions that quietly shape an Indiana outdoor environment.

Why we still hand-set every limestone coping.

Spring 2025

Why we still hand-set every limestone coping.

A factory line will give you a flatter stone. It won't give you a stone that sits right against the water.

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Designing for Indiana evenings.

Winter 2024

Designing for Indiana evenings.

The Midwest light at 8:30 in July is the most important hour of the year for an outdoor space. Here is how we plan for it.

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Closing the pool, properly.

Autumn 2024

Closing the pool, properly.

An octave more care at closing is worth a season of grief in April. Notes from our maintenance lead.

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Native planting for a Midwest pool.

Summer 2024

Native planting for a Midwest pool.

Switchgrass, oakleaf hydrangea, serviceberry — a regional palette that holds through August heat and February freeze.

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The case for a smaller pool, properly built.

Spring 2024

The case for a smaller pool, properly built.

A square of dark water, hand-set in bluestone, will outlive any sprawling resort installation. The smallest pool is often the most considered.

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Freeze–thaw is the only spec that matters.

Winter 2023

Freeze–thaw is the only spec that matters.

Every Ridgewater detail is drawn against Indiana's 90-cycle winter. Stones, joints, copings, equipment — engineered for the climate first, beauty second.

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