why concrete? concrete press releases + articles
Concrete countertops? Blown fiberglass insulation? The payback may be quicker than you think.
By JIM CARLTON
The following is an excerpt from
Concrete Countertops
At least one green building technology costs less right out of the gate: concrete countertops. Inspired by "Concrete Countertops: Design, Forms and Finishes for the New Kitchen and Bath," a book by designer Fu-Tung Cheng of Berkeley, Calif., builders around the U.S. have taken to making countertops by mixing their own concrete on a home site. The technique is considered both greener and cheaper because the concrete doesn't have to be shipped like the more prevalent granite counters, says Mr. Chandler, who began building them last year. According to online calculators, it costs around $1,100 to make 50 square feet of concrete countertop, compared with $2,000 for granite. But the do-it-yourself approach has its drawbacks. "The challenge is getting the right training for your crew," Mr. Chandler says. "You have to know how to reinforce steel in the right way. It's not intuitive."
CHENG Concrete Circle of Distinction 2011 Design Award Winners Announced
NASHVILLE, TN (March 2011) — Fu-Tung Cheng announced the winners of CHENG Concrete’s 2011 Circle of Distinction Design Challenge, the longest running awards competition of its kind honoring design and craftsmanship in decorative concrete, at the Concrete Decor Show in Nashville. The Design Challenge featured 11 categories including Bath, Integral Sink, Outdoor Living, Decorative Finish, Water Feature, Furniture, Fireplace, Commercial/Retail, Sculpture, Interior Kitchen, New Member, and an overall Best of Show. New this year was the Presidents’ Award, chosen by the co-presidents of CHENG Concrete outside of the regular judging. Entries were submitted by CHENG Concrete Exchange Members, a group of skilled concrete artisans, many of whom trained under concrete pioneer Fu-Tung Cheng. Out of 97 entries and a long judging session, 40 awards were given to 22 individual winners: one Best of Category in each 11 categories, 26 Honorable Mentions, 2 Presidents’ Awards, and one Best of Show.
ANCUBA
Paella Esquer
Project Location: Baja California, Mexico
Total Retail Price: $12,000
Weight: Island base = 2,400 lbs; Service countertop in 2 pieces = 1,000 lbs; Wine bar countertop = 350 lbs; Burner countertop = 200 lbs
Concrete Mix: Sakrete 5000 Plus with CHENG Pro-Formula in Olive (countertops) and a mix of 85% Stone and 15% Charcoal (island base)
Other Materials: Amber glass, stainless steel strips and marbles
PAELLA PASSION
Dania Andrade Pelayo's Paella Esquer was awarded Best of Show in the 2011 CHENG Concrete Circle of Distinction Design Challenge by judges Fu-Tung Cheng, designer (Cheng Design, Cheng Products, CHENG Concrete), Robert Brunner, industrial designer (Ammunition Group, Fuego), and Dan Gregory, editor and author (Houseplans.com).
Fueled by a penchant for paella and the enjoyment of hosting gatherings, the owners of this project were seeking to enhance their outdoor entertaining experience. Calling upon her skill in custom concrete design, Dania Andrade Pelayo of ANCUBA rose to the challenge of integrating multiple concrete pieces that create a beckoning social centerpiece while providing a stage to showcase her clients' culinary skills.
Project Objective and Client Feedback
Andrade Pelayo's clients come from a Spanish family and love to cook paella, a traditional regional dish. They were looking for a way to incorporate this into an outdoor entertaining area that is not only functional, but easy to maintain in the coastal climate of Baja California. The challenge was to create a special place for both barbecuing and cooking paella where guests could access drinks and have ample space to socialize. The clients were extremely happy with the finished project and unveiled their new outdoor kitchen with a large family gathering at their home.
JM Lifestyles
Modern Country Farm House in the Delaware River Valley
Project Location: Carversville, PA
Total Retail Price: kitchen tops = $30,000; kitchen floor = $40,000
Weight: 1,000 lbs. including all pieces
Concrete Mix: GFRC
Turn-around time: 10 weeks with tile production
Designer: Reinboth & Co.
TAILOR-MADE
Jeff Kudrick’s Modern Country Farm House in the Delaware River Valley was awarded Best Interior Kitchen in the 2011 CHENG Concrete Circle of Distinction Design Challenge by judges Fu-Tung Cheng, designer (Cheng Design, Cheng Products, CHENG Concrete), Robert Brunner, industrial designer (Ammunition Group, Fuego), and Dan Gregory, editor and author (Houseplans.com).
Kudrick, Project Manager of JM Lifestyles of Randolph, NJ, utilized his twenty years of experience in decorative concrete to create an extraordinarily sleek kitchen showcasing the possibilities of large-scale interior concrete, creating a warm atmosphere and modern aesthetic in this Pennsylvania farm house.
Project Objective and Client Feedback
To enhance the minimalist style of their kitchen, the clients wanted the largest pieces of concrete possible without seams. To fulfill that requirement, JM Lifestyles built clean-lined countertops with integral sinks and monolithic, yet sleek island tops with integral legs. Concrete tiles replaced a more expensive, large format granite tile floor that was inconsistent with the overall design of the space. “The client was thrilled with the outcome and couldn’t say enough about how great it looked,” says Kudrick.
Concrete and Clay
Decorative Wall with Bench
Project Location: Pasadena, CA
Total Retail Price: $15,000
Weight: 4,000 lbs
Concrete Mix: CHENG Pro-Formula in Stone, Evergreen, and Sand
Other Materials: Hand-made tiles, stacked-glass sheets, cedar wood bench
Turn-around time: 4 months (including design, fabrication, and installation)
WALL ART
Gary Day’s Decorative Wall with Bench was awarded Best Outdoor Living in the 2011 CHENG Concrete Circle of Distinction Design Challenge by judges Fu-Tung Cheng, designer (Cheng Design, Cheng Products, CHENG Concrete), Robert Brunner, industrial designer (Ammunition Group, Fuego), and Dan Gregory, editor and author (Houseplans.com).
With a mastery of materials and a sense of fun, Day has created a playful garden show-stopper that is both beautiful and functional. Its strategic placement in the client’s yard not only delineates outdoor space, but invites the user to explore and interact with its sculptural form.
Project Objective and Client Feedback
The client was looking for a beyond-the-ordinary decorative wall that would create a private sitting space in their front yard. It had to simultaneously be elegant, quirky and fun, as well as a sculptural and visually appealing piece of art that provides a place from which to view the garden. The project was quite literally a “tall order,” yet Day expertly met the challenge.
Concrete Clarity
Brewer Bath
Project Location: Yawal, NSW, Australia
Total Retail Price: $13,000
Weight: 2 tons
Concrete Mix: Custom
Turn-around time: 3 weeks
Designer: Barbara Burton
Photographer: Ian Hobbs
BATH MASTER
Phillip Markham’s Brewer Bath was awarded Best Bath in the 2011 CHENG Concrete Circle of Distinction Design Challenge by judges Fu-Tung Cheng, designer (Cheng Design, Cheng Products, CHENG Concrete), Robert Brunner, industrial designer (Ammunition Group, Fuego), and Dan Gregory, editor and writer (Houseplans.com).
A perfect balance of design and materials, this modern bath is washed in natural light and yet bold and monumental in form. Large, superbly crafted pieces of concrete establish a dramatic presence of stately mass in this residence. The feather grey concrete tub surround, vanity counter, and shower bench all add to the cool and serene feel of the modern bath that help to focus on the real beauty of the space—lush, vibrant woods framed by the picture window behind the luxurious soaking tub.
Project Objective and Client Feedback
The clients were looking for large, monolithic pieces for the bath. They wanted a “chunky” look and love the nature of concrete. Naturally occurring pinholes and slight color variations in concrete are extremely appealing to them. “No other material would have done this project justice,” says Phillip Markham of Concrete Clarity, project fabricator and director of Concrete Clarity.
Concrete Zen
The Incline
Project Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Total Retail Price: $900
Weight: 100 lbs
Concrete Mix: CHENG Pro-Formula in Platinum (modified) with custom GFRC mix
Other Materials: Custom drain assembly
Turn-around time: 3 weeks
ARTFULLY INCLINED
Brian Sieffert’s The Incline was awarded Best Integral Sink in the 2011 CHENG Concrete Circle of Distinction Design Challenge by judges Fu-Tung Cheng, designer (Cheng Design, Cheng Products, CHENG Concrete), Robert Brunner, industrial designer (Ammunition Group, Fuego), and Dan Gregory, editor and author (Houseplans.com).
Transforming a gaudy wall-papered 1970’s powder room into a contemporary oasis, Sieffert of Concrete Zen delivered a spectacular vanity that is much more like a small interior water feature than a conventional sink. Water falls from a minimalistic faucet down the long, sloped Platinum-colored concrete sink into a narrow drain slot at the other end. Deceptively simple-looking, this concrete vanity is a technical and aesthetic accomplishment.
Project Objective and Client Feedback
Sieffert’s clients, two busy doctors with two small children, wanted to create a sense of peace and tranquility in a powder room used primarily by guests. Ample space for the new powder room vanity provided incentive to experiment with various creative solutions. The clients were very excited about the use of concrete in their home. Concrete Zen, based in Pittsburgh, PA, created concrete for other areas of the home renovation including: concrete overlays in the basement, kitchen, sunrooms, and bathrooms; concrete countertops in the sunroom; and concrete wall caps. Even the twelve-foot high fireplace’s brick surface was clad with concrete.
The family matriarch is an accomplished artist and her artwork is placed throughout the home. Though the clients themselves have often mentioned how much their guests enjoy the powder room vanity, “Our biggest compliment was from the Artist Grandmother who said she loved it!” says Sieffert.
THE RANCH DESIGN GROUP
Tyrell Water Feature
Project Location: Walnut Creek, California
Total Retail Price: $11,000
Weight: Center piece approx. 200 lbs; walls approx. 600 lbs
Concrete Mix: CHENG Pro-Formula in Stone (retaining walls), CHENG NeoMix D-FRC in Stone (center piece), basic sacked concrete (poured in place foundation)
Other Materials: Handmade ceramic tiles
Turn-around time: 2 months
CENTER STAGE
Darren Endo and Leah Sheely’s Tyrell Water Feature was awarded Best Water Feature in the 2011 CHENG Concrete Circle of Distinction Design Challenge by judges Fu-Tung Cheng, designer (Cheng Design, Cheng Products, CHENG Concrete), Robert Brunner, industrial designer (Ammunition Group, Fuego), and Dan Gregory, editor and author (Houseplans.com).
The challenge for Endo and Sheely of The Ranch Design Group was to create a water feature that would harmonize with their client’s existing sculpture collection and yet remain true to the their own aesthetic. The end result is a dynamic focal point of this Northern California landscape—the Tyrell Water Feature is both monumental in form and yet thoughtfully detailed to enhance the soothing flow of cascading water.
Project Objective and Client Feedback
The clients wanted the visually relaxing and sound-soothing experience of water in their backyard oasis without the costly and time-consuming maintenance of a pool. Sited outside their mostly glass house, the three-dimensional water feature called for a design that would allow being appreciated from multiple viewpoints. The Ranch Design Group, located in Concord, CA, wanted to create a water feature that echoed the sculptural and contemporary sensibility of the home’s architecture. The clients’ property showcases multiple sculptures, and Endo and Sheely considered those pieces when designing the concrete water feature. They also looked at sculpture garden fountains located in museums for inspiration, taking design cues from Art Deco, Art Nouveau and Mid-Century Brutal art movements. Endo and Sheely did their homework and it paid off, “They [the clients] are very happy with it. They are considering opening it up to the public for tours.”
Newbold Stone
Coffee and Cream
Project Location:Austin, Texas
Total Retail Price: $$1,250
Weight: 100lbs
Concrete Mix: Custom GFRC
Turn-around time: 6 weeks
Other Materials: Solid maple and solid walnut
Design team: Justin Cook and David Mosser
CAFÉ AU LAIT
John Newbold’s Coffee and Cream was awarded Best Furniture in the 2011 CHENG Concrete Circle of Distinction Design Challenge by judges Fu-Tung Cheng, designer (Cheng Design, Cheng Products, CHENG Concrete), Robert Brunner, industrial designer (Ammunition Group, Fuego), and Dan Gregory, editor and author (Houseplans.com).
Project Objective and Client Feedback
The clients are designers and were looking for a living room centerpiece that would simultaneously serve as a visual focal point and enhance social interactions. They were also interested in using the coffee table as a vehicle to explore innovative concrete techniques. The clients had functional requirements of the table as well, needing a space for a wireless keyboard and mouse and additional, integrated storage space.
The clients felt that their 60” x 20” finished table is both exquisitely beautiful and highly functional. “The clients were extremely pleased at our ability to creatively and successfully find solutions to each objective of the project,” says Newbold.
Sticks + Stones
Wrap-around Fireplace
Project Location: West Vancouver, BC
Total Retail Price: $7,800
Weight: 880 lbs
Concrete Mix: Custom
Turn-around time: 4 weeks
Designer: Gronlund Dare partnership
HEARTH THROB
Yves St. Hilaire’s Wrap-around Fireplace was awarded Best Fireplace in the 2011 CHENG Concrete Circle of Distinction Design Challenge by judges Fu-Tung Cheng, designer (Cheng Design, Cheng Products, CHENG Concrete), Robert Brunner, industrial designer (Ammunition Group, Fuego), and Dan Gregory, editor and author (Houseplans.com).
St. Hilaire has been working with decorative concrete for over four years and recently re-branded his company, creating Sticks + Stones Furniture, located in British Columbia, to better encompass the variety of work the studio creates, including countertops, fireplaces, sinks, and wood and concrete fusion furniture.
Project Objective and Client Feedback
The clients of the wrap-around concrete fireplace wanted to create a focal point for their living space that had a strong aesthetic presence without overwhelming the space. The fireplace is double-sided and they hoped it would bring a sense of grandeur and warmth to the space while staying in balance with the open plan and style of the house. Sticks + Stones Furniture believes that often times less is more, and, after consulting with the clients, it was decided to approach this project with a minimalistic attitude. Says St. Hilaire about the end result: “They [the clients] were ecstatic and stated that it turned out more beautifully than they ever imagined.”
DECKING AROUND, INC.
Picnic Pool Table
Project Location: Napa, California
Total Retail Price: $10,000
Weight: Table top = 420 lbs; benches = 120 lbs each; table & bench seat supports = 640 lbs
Concrete Mix: Table top is NeoMix D-FRC tinted green with color quartz sand. Table base is NeoMixD-FRC acid-stained to replicate wood texture. Bench seats are custom GFRC mix.
Turn-around time: approximately 3 weeks
Design + Fabrication Team: Jason Lund, Mike Phillips, Tommy T. Cook, David Jefferson
TAKING A CUE
David Jefferson’s Picnic Pool Table was awarded Best Commercial/Retail in the 2011 CHENG Concrete Circle of Distinction Design Challenge by judges Fu-Tung Cheng, designer (Cheng Design, Cheng Products, CHENG Concrete), Robert Brunner, industrial designer (Ammunition Group, Fuego), and Dan Gregory, editor and author (Houseplans.com).
Taking his cue from the business that commissioned the table, Jefferson, president of Decking Around, Inc. of Napa, California, created an outdoor picnic table that serves not only as a gathering place for customers, but also as a conversation piece. People who see the table marvel that, though it looks like a conventional billiard table it is, in fact, made entirely of concrete.
Project Objective and Client Feedback
The owners of a billiard establishment wanted to turn their patio area into a beer garden where customers could enjoy their favorite food and drink outdoors. The table created by Decking Around exactly fit the bill. “The owners of Billcos Billiards were really surprised and, now that it has been in service, they really like the easy maintenance and function of the table,” says Jefferson.
Newbold Stone
Retro Concrete Ellipse
Project Location: Austin, Texas
Total Retail Price: $250
Weight: 10 lbs.
Concrete Mix: Custom with recycled glass
Other Materials:Steel support
Turn-around time: 1 week
Design: John Newbold, Mark Lind
Fabrication:John Newbold, Justin Cook
FOR THE BIRDS
John Newbold’s Retro Concrete Ellipse was awarded Best Sculpture in the 2011 CHENG Concrete Circle of Distinction Design Challenge by judges Fu-Tung Cheng, designer (Cheng Design, Cheng Products, CHENG Concrete), Robert Brunner, industrial designer (Ammunition Group, Fuego), and Dan Gregory, editor and author (Houseplans.com).
Utilizing his years of experience with concrete, Newbold, owner of Newbold Stone in Austin, Texas, created a simple and modern object that showcases the beauty and versatility of the material. Enhanced with recycled glass, his concrete birdfeeder recalls a mid-20th Century aesthetic while declaring itself an object of contemporary sustainability.
Project Objective and Client Feedback
Newbold’s concrete birdfeeder was originally created for a gala and silent art auction featuring fifty sustainably-themed birdhouses benefitting UpLift Austin, an innovative educational program that introduces high school students to promising green careers as they design and implement projects to promote an environmentally sustainable campus. This is Newbold’s second year of participation in the charity event; his previous entry was also an award-winner, having won an Honorable Mention in Sculpture in the 2010 CHENG Concrete Circle of Distinction Design Challenge.
eleven39design
Hygeia Bench
Project Location:Encinitas, California
Total Retail Price: $3,300
Weight: 150lbs
Concrete Mix: CHENG Pro-Formula in Platinum
Turn-around time: 6 weeks including sourcing wood & completing renderings for final design decisions
BENCHMARK
Don Welsh’s Hygeia Bench was awarded Best New Member in the 2011 CHENG Concrete Circle of Distinction Design Challenge by judges Fu-Tung Cheng, designer (Cheng Design, Cheng Products, CHENG Concrete), Robert Brunner, industrial designer (Ammunition Group, Fuego), and Dan Gregory, editor and author (Houseplans.com).
Welsh received the first-ever award in the competition’s New Member category, an award created to showcase the efforts of artisans new to the field of concrete fabrication. He has been working with concrete for only about a year. His Hygeia Bench not only met and exceeded client expectations, it captured the attention of the competition’s judges for its dynamic use of materials and overall design excellence.
Project Objective and Client Feedback
The clients wanted an eight foot bench to complement an existing eight foot dining table. The table has a rustic reclaimed wood look with a zinc top. With key design decisions left in his hands, Welsh chose acacia wood, reclaimed teak, and a concrete base for the bench. The clients couldn’t have been more enthusiastic. “They loved it. They said, ‘It’s a work of art!’ ” says Welsh.
Concrete Gallery Design
Star Sink
Project Location: Le Mans, France
Total Retail Price: $4,300
Weight: 308 lbs
Concrete Mix: Custom White GFRC
Mold: Fabric and resin
Turn-around time: 4 weeks
STAR POWER
Caio Paagman’s Star Sink was awarded a Presidents’ Award in the 2011 CHENG Concrete Circle of Distinction Design Challenge by CHENG Concrete co-presidents Annalyn Chargualaf-Peluso and Mike Heidebrink. Judges Fu-Tung Cheng, designer (Cheng Design, Cheng Products, CHENG Concrete), Robert Brunner, industrial designer (Ammunition Group, Fuego), and Dan Gregory, editor and author (Houseplans.com), also awarded Paagman’s project an Honorable Mention in the Integral Sink category.
Using both nature and her own imagination as references, Paagman crafted an organic and timeless concrete piece that exemplifies her artistic motivation: “Planet earth awakened me and strengthened my belief that the sky is the limit and that one must go with the flow,” she explained.
Project Objective and Client Feedback
Paagman is inspired by nature and the forces that shape our environment, including wind and water. Her goal is to create timeless, beautiful, and functional pieces that bring the outside environment inside the home. The Star Sink is an example of such an extraordinary everyday object. “The clients love the celestial design that flows so naturally. It creates a wonderful focal point, adding enduring beauty to the room,” says Paagman.
Sticks + Stones
Down to Earth Firebowl
Project Location: West Vancouver, BC
Total Retail Price: $7,000
Weight: 453 lbs
Concrete Mix: Custom
Other Materials: None
Turn-around time: 4 weeks
Designer: Marcyn Ward, Down to Earth Landscapes
FIRE POWER
Yves St. Hilaire’s Down to Earth Firebowl was awarded a Presidents’ Award in the 2011 CHENG Concrete Circle of Distinction Design Challenge by CHENG Concrete co-presidents Annalyn Chargualaf-Peluso and Mike Heidebrink. Judges Fu-Tung Cheng, designer (Cheng Design, Cheng Products, CHENG Concrete), Robert Brunner, industrial designer (Ammunition Group, Fuego), and Dan Gregory, editor and author (Houseplans.com), also awarded St. Hilaire’s project an Honorable Mention in the Sculpture category.
Working with a tight deadline while taking on a uniquely creative project, St. Hilaire, owner of Sticks + Stones Furniture, created this award-winning sculpture with a little help and a lot of determination.
Project Objective and Client Feedback
The designer of the firebowl, Marcyn Ward of Down to Earth Landscapes, wanted to create an extraordinary sculptural centerpiece for her clients’ contemporary West Coast home. The firebowl needed to be fabricated and installed in an exterior atrium, wrapped on three sides by windows, in time for a wedding scheduled at the home. “Everyone that was involved with this project was blown away with the results and the clients could not have been happier, especially as it was ready it time for the wedding — just!” says St. Hilaire.
