GFRC
Creating custom interactive water features often involves not only understanding the needs of community stakeholders, but also the character and history of the place itself. That was certainly the case at Windjammer Park, a 28.5-acre waterfront recreational area located in the picturesque town of Oak Harbor on Whidbey Island in Washington State. Nestled on the shores of the majestic Puget Sound, locals take
{Multithumb} Artificial rockwork is hardly new. In fact, its roots stretch back more than 100 years to Germany, where it was used for the first time to enliven zoological exhibits. Those early examples of artificial rockwork were decidedly crude – nothing more, really, than solid mounds of dumped concrete – but they met a need that couldn’t be accommodated by natural stone and made it possible to display hoofed stock (including antelopes and gazelles) on raised, natural-seeming terrains. Those early efforts were far from beautiful, and it’s no stretch to say that things have come a long way in the century since those first attempts took shape. Indeed, those of us who’ve worked in artificial rock for any length of time are proud to have witnessed the product’s evolution to a point where materials and techniques are now applied that are capable of transforming otherwise mundane settings into scenes of striking, naturalistic beauty. Certainly, deploying natural rockwork is another means of achieving the same end, but success often involves
