Our Process — From Design Investment to Finished Sculpture
Every Boulder Legacies project follows a disciplined six-step process. It begins with a physical clay maquette and ends with a monolithic concrete structure engineered to last decades. No guesswork. No surprises.
From Vision to Sculptural Reality
$2,000 Design Investment
Your project begins with a $2,000 Design Investment — applied in full to your total project cost. This initiates the design process, secures your place on our build calendar, and ensures we are working with clients who are serious about commissioning structural art. This is not a consultation fee — it is the first installment of your project.
Site Consultation & Measurement
We visit your property to measure the space, assess terrain and drainage, photograph existing structures, and listen to your vision. For national projects, we coordinate travel logistics in advance. This visit gives us every dimension and detail we need to begin the maquette.
1:12 Scale Physical Clay Maquette
Within 7–10 days of the site visit, we build a physical clay model of your project at 1:12 scale — one inch equals one foot. Every boulder, cascade, seating niche, and texture is represented in three dimensions. This is not a rendering or a digital mockup. It is a tangible sculpture you can hold, rotate, and study from every angle. The maquette is your project before construction begins.
Client Review & Revision
You review the maquette in person or through detailed photographs from every angle. Want the main cascade wider? A second tier added? The grotto opening repositioned? Revisions happen in clay — where changes cost hours, not thousands. We refine until the maquette matches your vision exactly. Only then do we move to construction.
Construction
Construction follows a precise engineering sequence. The foam core is sculpted to establish the artistic form. A 12,000 psi fiber-reinforced cementitious shell is applied over the core. Decorative Type S mortar — applied in 0.5 to 5 inch thickness variations — creates the naturalistic texture and depth. Basalt rebar (not steel) reinforces every structural element, eliminating the rust expansion that destroys conventional concrete from within. Waterproofing is applied at all water-contact zones. Densification is applied at waterlines and slide surfaces. A comprehensive seal completes the structure.
Final Walkthrough & Handoff
A comprehensive walkthrough covers every detail of your finished environment. We document the completed work, provide maintenance guidance for long-term care, and hand off a structure built to last decades. Your sculpted environment is complete — and it is unlike anything that came from a catalog.
Why We Build a Physical Clay Model
Most builders show you a 3D render or a catalog page. We hand you a physical sculpture of your project. The maquette is the single most important step in our process — and it is what separates commissioning structural art from shopping for pool accessories.
At 1:12 scale, one inch equals one foot. You can see exactly how the waterfall cascades, where the grotto opening faces the afternoon sun, how the slide integrates with the rockwork. You can request changes in clay — where a revision takes hours instead of weeks and costs nothing extra.
The maquette eliminates the "I thought it would look different" conversation entirely. When construction begins, both you and our team are building toward the same physical reference point. That is why our clients consistently report that the finished structure matches or exceeds their expectations.
Start With a Maquette
Construction Specifications
Every structure we build follows the same exacting protocol. These are not options or upgrades — they are standard on every project.
| Component | Specification |
|---|---|
| Core Structure | Foam core — sculpted to establish artistic form and reduce weight |
| Structural Shell | 12,000 psi fiber-reinforced cementitious shell |
| Decorative Mortar | Type S mortar — 0.5 to 5 inch thickness variation for naturalistic texture |
| Reinforcement | Basalt rebar — zero rust expansion (no steel) |
| Waterproofing | Applied at all water-contact zones |
| Densification | Applied at waterlines and slide surfaces for hardness and longevity |
| Sealing | Comprehensive seal for long-term durability across all climates |
| Design Model | 1:12 scale physical clay maquette (1 inch = 1 foot) |
| Design Timeline | Maquette delivered within 7–10 days of site visit |
Process FAQ
The Design Investment covers your site consultation, the creation of your 1:12 scale clay maquette, and all revision rounds until the design is approved. It is applied in full as a credit toward your total project cost — it is not an additional fee.
The maquette is typically delivered within 7–10 days of the site visit. Construction timelines vary by project scope — a standard waterfall may take 2–4 weeks on site, while a full grotto-waterfall-slide environment may take 6–10 weeks. We provide a detailed timeline after the maquette is approved.
Revisions are part of the process and included in the Design Investment. Changes happen in clay — where they take hours, not weeks. We refine the maquette until it matches your vision exactly. Construction does not begin until you approve.
Yes. We operate locally in Southern Missouri and travel nationally for projects. We have completed work across multiple states and coordinate all travel logistics as part of the project scope. Contact us with your location and we will confirm scheduling and logistics.
Steel rebar corrodes over time, and when it rusts it expands — cracking the concrete from within. This is the primary failure mode of conventional concrete construction. Basalt rebar is corrosion-proof, lighter than steel, and has comparable tensile strength. It eliminates the number one long-term risk to your structure.
Start With a $2,000 Design Investment
Applied in full to your project cost. We build the maquette, you approve the vision, and then we sculpt it into reality.