LEFT:
The Salt Creek community logo, etched on this boulder, was the inspiration for the entrance gates.
1Design
Using the community’s corporate logo as a starting point, the final gate design incorporated two large arched gate leafs, each approximately 14 feet wide and 13 feet tall at the centerline of the entryway.
2 Materials
5186-F Longs Peak Road, Berthoud, CO 80513
In order to deal with the tropical marine environment, the gate would be fabricated from marine grade aluminum, the base and hinge sides of the frame consisting of 2” x 4” square tubing while the top and center frames where fabricated from 2” x 2” aluminum tubing. The decorative elements of the gate leafs, representing blades of grass gently blowing in the breeze and a center element representing a soaring bird were cut on a CNC plasma table from ¼” aluminum plate.
3 Environmental considerations
The island community is located within the hurricane belt; therefore, it was decided to increase the structural strength of the gates by incorporating 2” x 2” square tubing stringers formed to follow the shape of the grass elements and welded in between each opposing element and to the top and bottom frames.
Marine grade aluminum was chosen for its ability to withstand the salt air environment. 64
Fabricator
November/December 2007