Dear Readers,
Each new edition of Concrete Decor provides invaluable insights and perspective from our industry columnists. The magazine also contains focuses on projects that constantly aim to unlock the best practices for turning ordinary concrete into finishes that challenge traditional building and finishing methods.
Concrete has extraordinary qualities as a sustainable material, provided people follow established guidelines for application. In any given building environment, concrete now represents a growing number of finishes. Some of these are structural embellishments while others are materials applied by artisans that reproduce natural, distressed or modern finishes. In any case, the quality of the products and the workmanship by those who design and install them are now shaping the future of architectural and decorative concrete.
Inside this issue is a new focus on concrete buildings. Architects and design professionals were asked to share their perspective on how concrete is used in modern-day architecture. These are people who prefer concrete over other building materials, and they share why concrete helps them achieve their design goals. Their perspectives illuminate ways we can change our patterns of thinking about our trade and approach to business. If this article influences your perspective, or changes the way in which you approach your work, we’d like to hear your comments and share them with our readership.
From my perspective, concrete and, in particular, decorative concrete, are seen in more places and with escalating sophistication in applications. With increasing frequency, architectural concrete is becoming the norm because of its innate qualities. Today, concrete is becoming the artisan material that consumers prefer for almost any building environment.
This new platform on which our industry stands carries with it an increasing urgency to stay aware and informed. Many artisans now concur that decorative concrete is no longer a niche market but rather the new face of the concrete industry. That awareness imposes on our industry a question that must constantly be addressed: How can I do better?
At Concrete Decor we ask ourselves that question every day. The exciting thing, we realize, is that we can always do better in so many ways!
Your partners in beautiful concrete,
Bent Mikkelsen
Publisher
