#Product Trends
Friday Harbour – waterside recreation
Designer gratings and tree guards from Richard Brink embellish residential and recreation complexes along the harbour’s edge
The striking residential district Friday Harbour has been created beside Lake Simcoe in Ontario, Canada, with an adjoining water sports harbour, a golf course, tennis courts and lots of other recreational facilities. Luxurious homes in the form of high-quality townhouses, detached villas and residential complexes with exclusive freehold apartments line the sweeping shores of the harbour area. Red Dot Award-winning designer gratings Hydra Linearis from Richard Brink were chosen to protect this area from the effects of precipitation in a sustainable and visually appealing way.
The viewer cannot fail to notice the sheer quality and visual appeal that extends to all of the details of the properties and public areas located right beside the lake. The buildings, green spaces, squares, shore areas and jetties boast an attractive design and thus add to the district’s appeal as a recreation area for residents and guests alike. In addition to practical and convenient features such as jetties assigned to particular houses and several fuel dispensers distributed across the whole shore area for the use of boat owners, the aesthetics also play a key role in the overall concept behind Friday Harbour.
Aesthetically appealing drainage
This is also reflected in the drainage system used for the terraces and shore areas of the large promenade, complete with restaurants and shops, running all the way up to the port authority complex, known as the Harbour Master building. The open spaces around this building have been lined with high-quality Hydra Linearis longitudinal bar gratings “Made in Germany”. In total, over 185 metres of custom-made grating covers with an inlet width of 122 mm were installed in the first phase of construction alone. Seventy-six gully gratings in a matching design, positioned in the paved open areas such as the terraces along the promenade, provide specific drainage points. These were also custom-made and measure 292 mm × 292 mm.
Green edging
In order to create a uniform look across the ground surfaces, the tree guards for the maple trees planted along the promenade were also adapted to the design of the Hydra Linearis longitudinal bar gratings. These create a pleasing contrast both with the adjacent paving and with the terrace areas covered in artificial grass. A total of 39 trees were enclosed with tree guards measuring 1,240 mm × 1,240 mm.
The attractive mix of materials, comprising stainless steel, different coloured paving stones and concrete, really works and appears both timeless and modern at once.
Sustainability and environmental awareness
Friday Harbour, located in green surroundings beside Lake Simcoe, represents both a modern lifestyle and the idea of living amidst and in harmony with nature. It is only natural that the emphasis here is on sustainable and environmentally friendly building materials. From the houses, some of which consist of timber frame constructions, to the green open spaces, everything is shaped by future-oriented, environmentally-conscious design. This approach also applies to the high-quality designer gratings supplied by Richard Brink, which are made of imperishable stainless steel and thus save on resources in the long term. The high-quality, sustainable products manufactured by this company from Eastern Westphalia have also impressed the business associates of Northstar Industries Inc., a wholesaler of building materials from Cambridge, Canada. Ms Jan Pollock of Northstar’s management team has praised the outstanding design of the drainage systems provided by Richard Brink and is spreading the word about the manufacturer's high standard of metal goods, particularly to designers and architects. Specialists in these fields are blown away by the company’s design, quality and, last but not least, flexibility when it comes to customised production.
