A runnel runs through it

When world-renowned Seattle glass artist Dale Chihuly discovered that a koi pond was planned for the floor of his art collector-client’s dining room in Indian Wells, he suggested an array of his colorful Sea Form sculptures instead. Now more than 150 of his handblown glass pieces lie atop a bed of white rocks and sand in a 21/2-by-55-foot runnel that bisects the dining room and connects two outdoor fountains. Illuminated at night by dozens of lights, the priceless art glass is just inches beneath the guests’ tootsies. Architect Guy Dreier, who designed the home and water features, says the 1-inch structural glass that sits atop the channel is “sturdy enough to drive a car over.” Twice a year the organic-shaped pieces are oh-so-carefully removed, the sand cleaned out, and the glass works returned to their watery world to shimmer and amaze.

*

Water Feature

ARTFUL RUNNEL

Architects: Guy Dreier Designs, Palm Desert, (760) 568-3670.

Conceit: Art glass trumps koi.

Sustainability: “It’s just beautiful.”--Guy Dreier

Water audio: “Channel water is quiet and contemplative; the nearby ‘Ice on the Rocks’ fountain [not shown] brings soft, trickling water sounds into the dining room when the doors are open.”--G.D.