Best Collaborative Project

This award recognizes an exceptional water-feature project created through the meaningful collaboration of two or more independent pond-building companies.

Eligibility Requirements

• The project must involve at least two separate pond-building companies.
• Each company must have made a meaningful contribution to the water-feature project.
• The collaboration must extend beyond supplying products, equipment, materials, labor, or subcontracted services.
• Participating companies should share responsibility for significant elements such as:
  • Concept and design
  • Water-feature construction
  • Technical planning or system design
  • Artistic direction
  • Specialized installation
  • Project management
  • Problem-solving and execution
• The project must have been substantially completed within the award program’s eligible timeframe.
• All participating companies must approve the entry and agree to be identified.
• One company must serve as the lead entrant and submit the application on behalf of the collaboration.
• All participating pond-building companies must be identified, along with a description of each company’s responsibilities.
• Product manufacturers, distributors, material suppliers, photographers, and companies providing only equipment or products do not qualify as collaborating pond builders.
• Each qualifying pond-building company will receive equal recognition if the project wins.

Submission Materials

Applicants should provide:

• The names and contact information of all collaborating companies.
• A project narrative explaining:
  • Why the companies decided to collaborate.
  • The role and responsibilities of each company.
  • How the companies worked together.
  • Challenges the team encountered and resolved.
  • How the collaboration improved the completed project.
  • What makes the project award-worthy.
• Four to six high-quality photographs, including:
  • At least one image of the entire completed feature.
  • Detailed photographs demonstrating craftsmanship.
  • Optional before and construction photographs.
  • At least one photograph showing the collaborative work in progress, if available.
• One optional, unbranded video.
• A short confirmation from each participating company verifying its contribution and approving the submission.

Defining a Meaningful Collaboration

A qualifying collaboration must demonstrate shared professional involvement in creating the water feature. Hiring another company solely for excavation, hauling, landscaping, electrical work, equipment supply, or general labor would not qualify unless that company is also a pond builder with a significant creative, technical, or construction role in the water feature itself.

Best Collaborative Project Rubric

A central judging question could be:

Did the collaboration produce a stronger, more innovative, or more successful project than either company could reasonably have achieved alone?

Category	Points	What Judges Look For
Collaborative Vision & Integration. Meaningful Contribution	20	Evidence that the companies developed and executed a shared vision; how successfully their ideas, skills, and responsibilities came together in the finished project. Each participating pond builder made a substantial creative, technical, or construction contribution. Responsibilities are clearly identified and extend beyond labor or product supply.
Design & Creativity	20	Originality, artistic vision, innovation, layout, proportion, flow, and creative solutions resulting from the collaboration.
Craftsmanship	20	Stonework, edge treatment, liner concealment, finish quality, consistency, and attention to detail across work completed by multiple companies.
Landscape Integration	20	How well the does the project fit in with the intentional…. Natural… surroundings..
Overall Impact	20	Cohesiveness, visual impression, innovation, and the project’s overall “wow factor.”
Total	100