Finished Concrete....

            One of the most interesting generators for design I find are materials.  There’s the process of recognizing/finding/developing new materials, there’s learning how to work with them and developing a familiarity and confidence in designing with them- learning what boundaries can be pushed.   Each material has different qualities, calls for a different set of tools, even a different shop, and this is where the design process is fueled. 

Stone Soup, Florence, MA

            One of the materials that I have found particularly intriguing to have watched change over the years has been concrete and the evolution of concrete countertops.  Concrete as a finished material was first explored in 1988 with the use of plasticizers.  What was once considered only a structural material (foundations, sidewalks,…) was developed into a finish material for countertops, tile and other creative pieces.  It was an evolution of a material.  The process of using plasticizers to move the material from foundations to countertops- and actually getting the mix right- and developing a comfort ability in using the material (some of the early countertops had...ah…some of similarities to sidewalks).  Some of the countertops and tiles today are amazingly fluid, with sinks and functional pieces molded into them- the finishes are smoother than glass and a lot more interesting.  They’ve moved a long way from the concrete we know as a common structural material

Stone Soup, Florence, MA

 

            The type of work that’s being done with concrete now includes coloring, inlaid crushed glass, acid washing, polishing... and the list goes on.  The uses the material finds continues to expand as the familiarity with the material grows.  Concrete use to be simply an interesting countertop but has evolved into a surface that can be developed with soft curves and coordinating colors and textures that anticipate their purpose.   It’s a really remarkable material considering that for so many years it was passed over as simply a crude finish. 

             

Comments

[Andrea]

Thank you for this post! I love that concrete is continuing to be used with innovation.

I have always wondered though if it is safe, chemically, do you have any information on this?

[David Sears]

Concrete is a safe material to use around food. …a logical thought as we run up the dirty steps and put our groceries on the counter;) The plasticizers in the concrete are something that I was questioned initially too but , using both U.S and European standards, they appear to be very safe.

[tomas]

to David Sears
you are 100% right

[Glasgow Bathroom Fitters]

WoW I never never thought that concrete could be so versatile, thanks for the innovative insight!