At GOODLAND, raw aluminum is one of the materials we love to work with the most. Chosen by our in-house design team for both its subtle beauty and function, we use aluminum across our collection—from the shell in our Wood Burning Hot Tub to the feature material for our Wall Mounted Bird Feeder and our Ash Scoop.
OUR MARINE GRADE ALUMINUM
Not all aluminum is created equally. Much of the aluminum that we use at GOODLAND is heavy-duty, 5052 and 6061 grade marine grade aluminum, which our design team chose specifically for resistance to corrosion, workability, and strength. These types of aluminum are strong and durable enough that they’re often used in boats, automobiles, and means that they can easily stand up to the natural elements.
In our Wood Burning Hot Tub, we give our aluminum a satin hand-finish for a subtle, timeless beauty. Rather than an artificial or shiny surface, our aluminum was selected to both artfully catch the light while also hiding imperfections. Not shiny or matte, instead it’s something in between—we’ve created it in a specific way to give it its own unique look.
In our hot tub, we also laser cut the aluminum before it’s double-welded to be water-tight and hold up over time. Welding aluminum is truly an art form in itself, requiring deep attention and technical skill, since aluminum melts at a relatively low temperature which makes it more difficult to achieve a high precision result.
THE BENEFITS OF ALUMINUM
There are plenty of functional reasons why aluminum is such an exceptional material to work with in design.
It’s hygienic. Aluminum is naturally antimicrobial—something that comes in handy in our Wood Burning Hot Tub. Using aluminum helps the water stay clean for longer, and makes it easier to clean the liner.
It’s durable in all weather. Truly low maintenance, aluminum easily holds up in the rain, the snow, and the sun. When exposed to water, aluminum develops a natural protective layer on top. This helps make it exceedingly durable—even if it scratches, the aluminum won’t rust, and the scratches won’t damage the aluminum itself.
It’s lightweight and workable. Aluminum is simultaneously lightweight and strong. It can also be easily molded into different shapes, opening up the possibility of different, more creative forms. The workability of aluminum has allowed our design team to use it in objects like our Bathing Hand Shower or Floating Thermometer, which could otherwise be challenging to create with other metals.
It’s safe for bathing. Aluminum is non-toxic in our products, whether that’s soaking in the Wood Burning Hot Tub or using the Bathing Hand Shower. When you’re soaking in the Hot Tub, you aren’t actually touching raw aluminum—you’re touching the protective oxide layer on top. Additionally, according to Health Canada, aluminum won’t enter the body through the skin or by breathing in steam while bathing.
It can be coloured without sacrificing quality. Aluminum can be anodized—a type of colouring that isn’t possible with many materials. Rather than a coat of paint, anodization creates a coloured film that’s exceptionally durable.
ALUMINUM AND THE ENVIRONMENT
We also love working with aluminum since it’s a material that’s kinder to our planet. Aluminum can be recycled over and over without the quality decreasing, which helps prevent materials from winding up in landfills or simply being unusable.
Using recyclable and recycled material lessens the amount of new resources that we need to extract, creating a gentler impact on the earth. In fact, most of the aluminum produced since the late 1880s is still in use today.
Aluminum is the most common metal on the planet, and is one of the most abundant elements in the known universe. Our design team loved how it’s such a fundamental part of our planet—and how using it feels like being part of an ongoing conversation and interaction with the material.
Explore more about our materials at GOODLAND, such as a look at why we use western red cedar, or insights into our design process.
Charlotte Boates
Charlotte is a writer who heads up the Journal at GOODLAND. She’s written extensively for a range publications on slow living, design, architecture, and more. A frequent traveler, Charlotte is driven by sharing meaningful and impactful stories that encourage us to become more aware of the world around us.
