Tag Archives: concrete

Building and Riding a 297-Pound Bike Made Entirely Out of Concrete

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Apparently firm believers that no ideas are bad ideas, the YouTube channel Play To DIY constructed a bicycle almost entirely out of concrete. The behemoth bike weighs an incredible 134.5 kg (~296 lb), and actually balances and rides pretty smoothly, all things considered. Those things to consider are it being made entirely out of concrete and weighing 296 lbs, just to be clear.

I like how it doesn’t have a brake. I feel like with the momentum you could gather on a 296 lb bike headed downhill, brakes might be important. I guess maybe that’s why they decided to construct a concrete bike helmet instead. Fight fire with fire! Or, in this case, concrete with concrete.

For reference, my street bike weighs 19 pounds, so this thing is almost 16 times heavier. Wow! And it’s already hard enough to get motivated to exercise on my bike; I can’t even imagine trying to convince myself to get on this thing. But you can rest assured it would 100% end with me easily talking myself out of it and taking a nap on the sofa instead.

[via TheAwesomer]

This concrete chair and table pair have their own charm despite their brutalist aesthetic

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We’ve come across many designs for tables and chairs, both for those inside the comfort of homes as well as those weather outdoor environments. Given the predominant design trends, many of these leaned toward minimalist styles that had refined forms, polished finishes, and often pleasing curves. While these are often made with different materials, the majority of minimalist furniture is made from wood, even some that are meant to stand in open spaces. Of course, that’s not the only way to make interesting products that catch the eye and provide functional benefits, and these modular pieces of outdoor furniture demonstrate how you can wrap design sense and ingenuity together in a very raw yet aesthetic package made of concrete.

Designer: Ramanna Shrinivas

Minimalism is actually a very broad term that doesn’t exactly dictate the specific style or even the construction of a design. Given its frequent use in product design, especially in furniture, it has almost become synonymous with wooden products that have smooth, often polished surfaces with only one or two colorways. That said, there is also some sense of minimalism in the brutalist movement, especially in architecture. Surfaces and structures are left raw and unpainted, stripping them even of the usual polish you’d see in minimalist products. It is minimalist in a brutal sense, but it can still be beautiful, functional, and even creative.

“Brute” is a concept for furniture that puts brutalist design in a place where it works best: outdoors. The chair and the table have the same basic shape, looking more like overgrown square brackets rather than furniture. The chair is naturally shorter, and a groove on the back where a thick piece of plywood is inserted to function as a backrest. That backrest also offers a visual contrast to the chair, pitting the warmth of wood against the coldness of concrete.

The table’s shape, while similar to the chair, serves a slightly different purpose. While its default position has two of its three surfaces facing forward and are parallel to the ground, it is also possible to set it up on its “legs” for a more traditional table appearance. In this position, however, the brutally minimal set loses its most unique feature.

The brute chair and table are meant to be together, and not just because of their similar aesthetics. There are holes facing outward at the base of each piece where milled still rods can be inserted to join the two in different configurations. While a brute chair can really connect only with a single table, the brute table can accommodate different combinations. It can, for example, be flanked by two chairs, or it can be a chair and another table. Different arrangements can be used to create seating for at most four people.

The brute chair and table system might not win awards in terms of prettiness or polish, but product design isn’t just about appearances anyway. That said, the furniture still manages to look attractive in its own way while offering a kind of flexibility you won’t find in many finished pieces. Granted, it might not be the most comfortable chair to sit on or the most convenient table to use. It still manages to hold one’s attention and provide a much-needed function outdoors, which is always a mark of good design.

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Concrete architectural designs that are giving us modern brutalism goals

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When we talk about modern architecture these days, you instantly get a vision of tall glass skyscrapers! Modern architecture is majorly characterized by skyscrapers and glass structures nowadays. However, there’s a growing trend that is slowly making its place in the world of architecture, and that is – Concrete architectural designs. Concrete structures have a unique appeal to them. Raw, rustic, and organic, these real and unfiltered architectural structures immediately catch your eye. And, we have been watching this rugged and rocky material slowly make a comeback. Concrete architecture is steadily becoming a norm again, and not simply a special sighting. In fact, unique concrete technologies are being created as well! From a sustainable waterfront infrastructure to the world’s first 3D-printed parkour playground – we’ve curated a collection of some of the most mesmerizing concrete structures we’ve seen. Enjoy!

1. Coastalock

ECOncrete’s patented technology is used to replace inorganic concrete rock ripraps with durable and sustainable infrastructure to provide long-lasting protection for vulnerable shorelines. Reinterpreting the conventional rock riprap through biomimicry to fit modern environmental needs, ECOncrete developed Coastalock, a new type of durable and sustainable infrastructure to replace rock ripraps. In San Diego, ECOncrete’s patented technology is being used to create a durable and sustainable infrastructure for the Port of San Diego. To replace traditional riprap, ECOncrete set out to create effective, efficient, and climate-adapted armor to protect the Port of San Diego for continued use.

2. 3D-printed parkour playground

We see 3D-printed architecture all the time now, but then Czech Republic-based organization Buřinka thought outside the box and literally took 3D printing outside to create a parkour playground! The 3D-printed parkour playground is the first of its kind constructed from recycled concrete and other eco-friendly construction materials. Parkour is the activity or sport of moving rapidly through an area, typically in an urban environment, negotiating obstacles by running, jumping, and climbing so the structure was made to be durable and resistant to urban climate.

3. The Cube

Henn, an architecture firm based in Germany, recently unveiled the concept for the world’s first building made from carbon-reinforced concrete in close collaboration with researchers at the Technical University of Dresden (TUD). The so-called Cube will primarily function as an exhibition space and research facility for the university’s students, and will also house a classroom and small kitchen. Formed from the dense carbon mesh and concrete cast, the Cube will comprise of two main components, a precast box that will make up the floor and walls, and a double-curved roof, twisted from the bendable carbon-reinforced concrete.

4. The Federal House

Australian studio Edition Office designed Federal House, a black concrete home, in a village called Federal, in New South Wales. Created from a combination of black concrete and black timber battens, the peaceful home is located on a gentle slope, surrounded by lush greenery. “At a distance the building is recessive, a shadow within the vast landscape. On closer inspection, a highly textural outer skin of thick timber battens contrasts the earlier sense of a machined tectonic, allowing organic materials gestures to drive the dialogue with physical human intimacy.”, says the architecture studio.

5. Playground

The new Playground Restaurant in the commercial hub of Chandigarh, India tries to do just that by incorporating familiar brutalist and modernist interior design elements and blending those with blooming plant life to give the recognizable concrete look playful, green energy. A cinder block wall forms an irregular building pattern and merges a concrete look with a vertical garden of potted plants. Overhead, a translucent glass ceiling disperses soft light, and the surrounding walls, plotted with concrete planters and greenery, aerate the restaurant’s open-air space.

6. Casa na Caniçada

Carvalho Araújo built a concrete holiday home in Vieira do Minho, in northern Portugal. Located in a 0.75-acre site, the monolithic structure is a three-story home with the bedrooms occupying the upper level, while the kitchen, living room, and dining area are housed on the lower levels. The house is flanked by floor-to-ceiling windows, providing stunning views of the surrounding hillside.” The landscape and the place are the essence of this project,”, said the architect Joana Nunes. “Simple solutions were sought in terms of spaces and materials to achieve what is difficult to define or explain… It’s something you live and feel.”

7. The Maadi Villa

The Maadi Villa combines elements of brutalism with materials such as wood and wide windows in order to create a home that is both timeless and modern. The angular arch over the main entrance complements the otherwise simple geometric form of the house. The wood and concrete naturally balance the cool and warm CMF of the exterior with black accents to tie it all together. The interiors also have the same modern and minimal vibe with a giant spiraling staircase that catches the eye (even from the outside!)

8. House in the Desert

This exceptional design by architect Amey Kandalgaonkar, titled ‘House in the desert’ imagines a shape carved out by the strong winds that relentlessly blow across the desert landscape. The design wraps around a natural rock formation, almost preserving the texture of the original formation. Almost embracing the rock, the design plays with the juxtaposition of the old against the new and how we see a future where they both could coexist in peace.

9. The Waterbench

Concrete jungle is not just something Alicia Keys sang once, cities are becoming more paved with every passing day leaving scarce patches of greenery. Having concrete structures everywhere is not appealing to the eye but at the same time makes it harder for cities to use rainwater because they don’t have surfaces to absorb it. This makes it harder for them to maintain natural public spaces and green starts turning to gray. To solve this problem, Barbara Standaert made the Waterbench – it is exactly what you think. The design combines a bench, a rainwater barrel, and a planter into one to restore some greenery into the urban landscape.

10. Respyre

Respyre is an advanced bio-receptive technology company that develops eco-concrete technology to allow moss to grow over any concrete casting. Over time, the researchers at Respyre say they’ve, “developed an innovative, patent-pending, bio-receptive concrete solution. After hardening, the bio-receptive concrete’s surface accommodates the growth of moss. Several unique characteristics of our concrete make it bio-receptive which include its porosity and water retainment, micropore texture, acidity, and nutrients that are included in the mixture.” This could be the future of architecture!

The post Concrete architectural designs that are giving us modern brutalism goals first appeared on Yanko Design.

Bio-receptive technology allows moss to grow on concrete and bring nature to city infrastructure

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Respyre is an advanced bio-receptive technology company that develops eco-concrete technology to allow moss to grow over any concrete casting.

As urbanization and climate change continue to change our cities, architects and designers are looking to biophilic design to help mitigate the harmful effects. The effects on our cities lead to decreased biodiversity, heat stress, high use of water and energy for cooling, a lack of water-retaining capacity, flooded streets, as well as severe air pollution.

Designer: Respyre

Aiming to provide a means to turn our concrete jungles into places where plants can thrive, Respyre, an advanced bio-receptive technology company, has created eco-concrete, a type of building material that covers any vertical surface in moss and low-maintenance plant life.

During the eco-concrete’s initial testing phases, Respyre found that when moss grows on concrete walls, it usually indicates a larger structural problem that needs to be addressed. So the team of researchers set out to create a means for moss to grow on concrete without harming the overall structure. From there, Respyre’s bio-receptive concrete could be cast into almost any object, from plant bins to vertical surfaces.

Over time, the researchers at Respyre say they’ve, “developed an innovative, patent-pending, bio-receptive concrete solution. After hardening, the bio-receptive concrete’s surface accommodates the growth of moss. Several unique characteristics of our concrete make it bio-receptive which include its porosity and water retainment, micropore texture, acidity, and nutrients that are included in the mixture.”

Respyre designed their eco-concrete in response to the sustainable solutions other designers have applied to urban infrastructures, such as green roofs and terrace gardens. Noting that both solutions are not future-proof and hardly produce any cooling effects, Respyre also suggests that green roofs are pricey and hard to maintain. With the aim of reintegrating greenery into cities in a lasting and effective way, Respyre’s eco-concrete is fully self-sustainable.

Explaining the benefits and purpose behind moss, Respyre describes, “Moss doesn’t have roots and gets its nutrients from the air. This means that it won’t grow into its substrate (and therefore not harm the underlying element) and that it purifies the air. The absence of roots also means it is not land-bound, as it can grow everywhere, at every height and orientation, without the need for bins to provide roots with nutrients and water.”

The post Bio-receptive technology allows moss to grow on concrete and bring nature to city infrastructure first appeared on Yanko Design.

Sustainable waterfront infrastructure uses unique concrete technology to replace traditional rock ripraps

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ECOncrete’s patented technology is used to replace inorganic concrete rock ripraps with durable and sustainable infrastructure to provide long-lasting protection for vulnerable shorelines.

While ripraps are familiar sights, their structural formation and the effects they have on the environment are largely left unknown by the general public. Used to armor, stabilize, and protect the shoreline of bodies of water, like lakes, rivers, and oceans, rock ripraps are human-placed revetments that form protective barriers along vulnerable shorelines.

Accounting for vegetation suppression, thermal pollution, and synthetic waste, it seems rock riprap has become an antiquated solution to a lasting problem. Reinterpreting the conventional rock riprap through biomimicry to fit modern environmental needs, ECOncrete developed Coastalock, a new type of durable and sustainable infrastructure to replace rock ripraps. In San Diego, ECOncrete’s patented technology is being used to create a durable and sustainable infrastructure for the Port of San Diego. To replace traditional riprap, ECOncrete set out to create effective, efficient, and climate-adapted armor to protect the Port of San Diego for continued use.

In addition to offering lasting protection for the port, ECOncrete’s patented technology creates sustainable pools for marine species to inhabit and rehabilitates those habitats for fish to enjoy cooler temperatures and organic living surfaces, while generating an expansive carbon sink in the process. Explaining the process behind the Port of San Diego’s new protective barrier, ECOncrete describes, “74 interlocking single-layer armor units were deployed in two pilot sections…The units were rotated to mimic tidepool and cave habitats for local marine life. After a successful 3-day installation, the Port is working with ECOncrete to install 1,000 additional feet of coastal protection.”

Co-founded by marine biologists and innovators, ECOncrete was started to help mitigate the harmful effects of concrete on marine life and ecosystems. Established in 2012, ECOncrete is an interdisciplinary science-backed company with a team made up of many different professionals, from creative designers to technology specialists. Developing a new standard for marine-centered concrete, ECOncrete’s patented technology helps build stronger marine infrastructure which can be used for various functions.

Designer: ECOncrete

The grooves of ECOncrete’s infrastructure provide safe inhabitation zones for marine life. 

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This concrete bench collects rainwater for plants that are a part of the seating!

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Concrete jungle is not just something Alicia Keys sang once, cities are becoming more paved with every passing day leaving scarce patches of greenery. Having concrete structures everywhere is not appealing to the eye but at the same time makes it harder for cities to use rainwater because they don’t have surfaces to absorb it. This makes it harder for them to maintain natural public spaces and green starts turning to gray. To solve this problem, Barbara Standaert made the Waterbench – it is exactly what you think. The design combines a bench, a rainwater barrel, and a planter into one to restore some greenery into the urban landscape.

Rainwater is used in public spaces to create self-sufficient green. The permanent water supply always guarantees a dry seat, even in rainy weather, requires hardly any maintenance, and ensures a permanent green touch in the city.

The rainwater naturally seeps through the porous concrete cover and is collected in a water-tight concrete reservoir where the plants find their water and food. The water is naturally absorbed and transported to the plants by a nylon cord. The Waterbench Rainwater buffer + water reservoir for plants Cover made of permeable concrete Collection trough in architectonic concrete water reservoir: +/- 280 liters.

Length 250 cm, Width 174 cm, Height 45 cm Weight: +/- 1,300 kg for the collection tray, +/- 1,100 kg for the cover. It is available in grey, other shades possible upon request. Overflow, allowing water to escape if the tank is full. The element rests on rubber stands, allowing excess water to run off. Another advantage of the Waterbench is the option to ‘plant’ the bench with little prior effort, in line with the particular needs of the environment.

Starting with the design question “How can we restore natural processes and give back some green to our urbanized landscape?” – I started researching what is being done today to direct rainwater to nature. Porous rainwater pipes were one example. The material fascinated me. I brought it to the surface to show what it did to the audience. After this, the function to combine the material and water storage with greenery was quickly made. During my studies I made the prototype all by myself. I carved out the some mold by using my football shoes. I filled the mold in cooperation with a concrete manufacturer and transported the (way too heavy) concrete block in a rented van. One day before the jury, I still had to apply the porous top layer… After I graduated I found a manufacturer who is now producing the market suitable Waterbench.

Designer: Barbara Standaert

This sustainable material made from shell waste is cheaper & eco-friendly alternative to concrete!

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Each year over 7 million tons of seashells are thrown away by the seafood industry into landfills. Shells are not biodegradable and have a very high disposal cost which harms the environment as well as the restaurant owners. So this innovative, women-run,  material lab called Newtab-22 created Sea Stone – a natural product made from seashell waste that was salvaged from the seafood and aquaculture industries. It is a sustainable alternative to using concrete – one of the biggest producers of carbon emissions – in the making of smaller products.

Sea Stone is made by grinding down shells that are destined for landfills before combining them with natural, non-toxic binders. This grants the material a terrazzo-like aesthetic. The aim is to make it a sustainable alternative to concrete in the design of small-scale products, as the two materials share similar properties. Seashells are rich in calcium carbonate aka limestone, which is used to make cement – a key ingredient of concrete.

The process involves grinding down the shells and mixing them with natural binders. They are then added to a mould and left to solidify into concrete-like tiles. This method is currently carried out manually to avoid the use of heat, electricity and chemical treatments and ensure the process is as sustainable and affordable as possible. It results in variations in the sizes, textures and colours of the shell fragments and means that each piece of Sea Stone is unique. You can get different textures by altering the number of shells, binders, or adding coloured dyes for aesthetics.

“Even though some of the seashells have been recycled and used as fertilisers, the majority of them are being thrown into landfills or by the seaside. The discarded seashells, which are uncleaned or rotten, have not been cleared away at all and they have been piling up near the beach for a long time, thus causing odour pollution and polluting the surrounding land in the long run. Sea Stone proposes the use of discarded seashells to create environmentally and economically sustainable material rather than contributing to the world’s rubbish problem,” explained Newtab-22.

Newtab-22 has experimented with an array of natural binders in the development of Sea Stone, including sugar and agar. It is now reliant on two undisclosed and patent-pending sources. The material is currently being developed for commercial purposes and has so far been used to make products such as decorative tiles, tabletops, plinths and vases.

While the properties of the concrete and Sea Stone are similar, to truly replicate the strength of traditional concrete required in large-scale projects like buildings, an energy-intensive heating process would be required. This would be comparable to the method used to make cement, which accounts for half of all the CO2 emissions that result from using concrete. “The power of the material is different, we do not want to harm the environment in the process or the outcome,” said Hyein Choi, co-founder of the studio.

Sea Stone is versatile, durable and a lightweight alternative to not only concrete but also plastic – it can be used to produce several objects while repurposing waste, reducing carbon emissions of the toxic counterpart materials and keeping the costs low. Time to find that girl who sells sea shells by the sea shore, eh?

Designer: Newtab-22

The world’s first 3D-printed parkour playground was made with recycled concrete!

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We see 3D-printed architecture all the time now, but then Czech Republic-based organization Buřinka thought outside the box and literally took 3D printing outside to create a parkour playground!  The 3D-printed parkour playground is the first of its kind constructed from recycled concrete and other eco-friendly construction materials. Parkour is the activity or sport of moving rapidly through an area, typically in an urban environment, negotiating obstacles by running, jumping, and climbing so the structure was made to be durable and resistant to urban climate.

Designer: Buřinka

Buřinka also made the country’s first 3D-printed house, is adding to its list of 3D construction innovations with a new project. This is a joint project between the private sector, the public sphere, and research ventures. Spanning 14 by 12 meters in size, the parkour playground uses cast rubber for the impact area with individual obstacles made of concrete. Obstacles are printed on a frame printer with materials from Master Builders Solutions CZ to highlight safety and strength. The foundations are printed out of recycled concrete, known as rebetong, in collaboration with researchers from the Brno University of Technology.

The playground, which is designed by Buřinka architect Daniel Samek, is set to open at the end of September 2021 and will be included in the new leisure area at Kupecký Elementary School in Prague. Samek said he was drawn to the project for its accessibility, as parkour doesn’t require any expensive equipment and can be enjoyed by both children and adults. “The playground that is now being created is unique in that it works with rounded shapes,” said the architect. “It brings a revival to parkour.”

In an industry facing many challenges, such as worker shortages and rising building materials, Buřinka maintains that robotics and 3D printing could provide necessary solutions among Czech construction companies. “Housing does not mean just four walls,” said Libor Vošický, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Buřinka. “It is also essential to have a possibility to spend free time outdoors, safely, close to home. There are many playgrounds for preschoolers, but older children don’t have many options, so we decided to use innovative 3D printing technology to create a parkour playground. At the same time, we want to confirm the benefits of using recycled concrete called rebetong. It is another milestone in the use of this innovative technology.”

These Terrazzo Wireless Chargers look like artisanal decorative coasters that can charge your phone!

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I guess these Terrazzo Wireless Chargers from Bentu Design put the tech in archi’tech’ture! Designed as a neat fusion of consumer tech and home-decor, Bentu Design’s W10 charger comes with an exterior made from Terrazzo, a unique composite of concrete with marble/ceramic/stone chips suspended within. The terrazzo exterior gives the W10 almost a coaster-like appearance, allowing it to wirelessly charge your phone while acting as a nifty little decorative element on your tabletop.

The W10 charger’s terrazzo exterior uses concrete mixed along with recycled ceramic particles, cement construction waste, quartz fragments, and other crushed stones, most of which are virtually useless. By binding these waste particles into concrete, China-based Bentu Design has perfected the art of repurposing trash and making well-designed products out of terrazzo. Bentu noticed that globalization, and an increased demand for ceramic pieces, had driven a wave of new factories in Chaozhou… creating jobs, but also dramatically increasing the amount of ceramic waste produced. The name ‘Bentu’ translates to ‘native’, as the studio focuses on understanding and using raw materials that are local.

The terrazzo W10 chargers come in 4 colors – white, green, blue, or orange, with ceramic and quartz particles randomly suspended in the concrete. The natural beauty of this randomness makes each X10 unique and one-of-a-kind. Under its bespoke speckled exterior, sits a Qi-compatible charging coil, available in 5, 7.5, and even 10W outputs, and the coil connects to a power source via a discreet USB-C plug located in the charger’s side. Each W10 measures 10mm in thickness, and weighs a mere 210 grams. It’s pretty enough to be mistaken for a coaster, although I’d probably ask you to caution your guests against placing any hot cups filled with coffee/tea on them. There’s no clarity on whether the X10 is waterproof, although I kind of hope it is!

Not only is the X10 made from recycled ceramic/stone scrap, it’s also designed to be repurposed/recycled too. After the wireless charger’s service life is over, the internal circuit board and electronic components can be extracted by gently breaking apart the terrazzo shell. The shell itself can be smashed into chunks and reused in another terrazzo piece, giving it a fresh life altogether. Moreover, to reinforce the X10’s sustainable approach, the wireless charger even comes in fully recycled all-paper packaging.

Designer: Bentu Design

This geometric concrete house is giving us modern brutalism goals!

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Brutalism has long been considered an architectural style most commonly used in industrial and institutional buildings. This design theory is centered around the usage of concrete, steel, and modular elements. People stay away from this style because the aesthetic isn’t inviting or warm enough for residential projects but Badie Architects proves otherwise. The Maadi Villa is nestled away from the Egyptian traffic and is an expat haven complete with a pool and open views – a gem in the city. Maadi Villa combines elements of brutalism with materials such as wood and wide windows in order to create a home that is both timeless and modern.

The angular arch over the main entrance complements the otherwise simple geometric form of the house. The wood and concrete naturally balance the cool and warm CMF of the exterior with black accents to tie it all together. The interiors also have the same modern and minimal vibe with a giant spiraling staircase that catches the eye (even from outside!). The large windows allow for plenty of natural light that adds to the ‘spaciousness’ inside the light-colored interiors. Mohamed Badie brings minimalism, expressionism, and experimentalism to life in this one project in perfect balance.

Designer: Badie Architects