The sixth annual Decorative Concrete Awards were announced recently by sponsor L. M. Scofield Co. The contest honors contractors and designers who use Scofield decorative concrete materials.
This year, for the first time, the contest was divided into six categories. A grand prize winner and two runner-ups were selected for each of the six categories.
Among the six grand prize winners was Victoria Collins, whose company, Capitol Decorative Concrete, Piedmont, S.C., took top honors in the Artistic category.
“Vickie has been creating amazing floors and hardscapes with (Scofield’s Lithochrome Chemstain Classic acid stain) for years. She has been a finalist in our contest several times,” said Mike DeCandia, Scofield vice president of sales and marketing, while presenting the awards during 2014 World of Concrete. “Vickie has sold several jobs from this work by showing that custom designs are no problem. Concrete art is a great feature of her business and makes each job a unique piece of art.”
The ceremony also awarded winners in Colored/Stained, Polished, Stamped, Integral Color and Heavy/Highway categories.
Artistic Category
Grand Prize Winner
Capitol Decorative Concrete, Piedmont, S.C.
Residential Patio
This project included acid staining of old as well as new concrete patios. Lithochrome Chemstain Classic in Dark Walnut was used to stain the larger areas. The bands that appear in the work used full-strength Chemstain in Black.
After the acid staining had been completed and properly neutralized, Capitol Decorative Concrete sketched the artistic design onto the concrete. These blue and white flourishes were hand-painted using acrylic paints.
Since the concrete had been acid-etched, the bond between concrete and acrylic paint was not an issue. These areas were then sealed using a solvent-based clear sealer.
First Runner-Up
Concrete by Hallack, Turlock, Calif.
Oak Valley Hospital
A 39-foot replica of the labyrinth at Chartres Cathedral in France, constructed at the main entrance of Oak Valley Hospital, Oakdale, Calif.
Second Runner-Up
Jeffco Concrete Contractors, Tuscaloosa, Ala.
Big Sandy Elementary School
The architect and interior designer chose a “Seek-Explore-Find, Discover Earth” theme. Upon entering the school, you walk onto a layout of the world map, which begins your journey. Each corridor of the school was depicted as one of the seven continents, with animals indigenous to that continent visible in the polished floor. Each character was laid out and dyed by hand using stencils.
Heavy/Highway Category
Grand Prize Winner
Portzen Construction Inc., Dubuque, Iowa
Dalzell Field Renovation
Serving as the main competition venue for Dubuque’s two high schools, Dalzell Field was in serious need of an upgrade when local officials engaged Portzen Construction to perform the work. This project was done during a complete year’s weather cycle.
First Runner-Up
Custom Concrete Designs, West Palm Beach, Fla.
Garden Building
Second Runner Up
Valley Construction, Rock Island, Ill.
Flood Risk Management Wall
Colored/Stained Category
Grand Prize Winner
Hyde Concrete, Annapolis, Md.
SMECO (Southern Maryland Electric Cooperative)
This project consisted of 7,500 square feet of colored concrete.Hyde Concrete began by grinding the entire surface of the concrete to achieve a more uniform look and to mechanically prepare the concrete for staining. Once this preparation was completed, the layout, saw cuts and masking were done.
The curves in the layout were complicated by the fact that the hallway changes elevation. Hyde had to modify the curve to ensure that they maintained maximum visual appeal.
Hyde also stained the concrete entry vestibule to complement the floor. A key detail was to ensure the wide saw cuts stayed clean and tape lines were seamless. Once all the staining was complete, everything was sealed using a nonskid additive and several coats of a high-quality floor finish.
First Runner-Up
Surfacing Solutions Inc., Temecula, Calif.
El Dorado High School
Second Runner-Up
Tom Ralston Concrete, Santa Cruz, Calif.
Turowski Pool Deck
Stamped Category
Grand Prize Winner
Ozark Patterned Concrete, Lowell, Ark.
Historic Downtown Rogers, Ark.
Ozark Patterned Concrete was selected to revitalize almost 36,000 square feet of sidewalks, crosswalks and intersections in this vibrant town center. They gave this downtown area an updated hardscape with the look and feel of timeworn streets.
First Runner-Up
The Concrete Artist, Marlton, N.J.
Residential Patio
Second Runner-Up
Set In Stone, Exeter, R.I.
Residential Patio
Integral Color Category
Grand Prize Winner
Graham Booth Landscape Architects, St. Petersburg, Fla.
Treasure Island Beach Trail
The city of Treasure Island, Fla., commissioned Graham Booth Landscape Architects to develop a paved walkway which makes Treasure Island’s beach accessible to residents and visitors. The beach trail runs along approximately a mile of the beach at the beach’s widest section and incorporates medallions with sea life, benches and a pedestal commemorating the design and development team.
First Runner-Up
Albanelli Cement Contractors, Livonia, Mich.
Dearborn Inn
Second Runner-Up
Ozark Patterned Concrete, Lowell, Ark.
Adventure Subaru
Polished Category
Grand Prize Winner
Lundeen Simonson, Spokane, Wash.
Eisenhower High School
This project consists of 70,000 square feet of polished and dyed concrete. It was the largest public polished concrete project in the state of Washington in 2013.
Lundeen Simonson incorporated two colors of dye into the design. The dye colors were not able to be separated by joints, which were value-engineered out of the project. So the lines were taped and sprayed without joints as barriers. Despite this handicap, the delineations of the squares turned out crisp and clean.
First Runner-Up
Jeffco Concrete Contractors, Tuscaloosa, Ala.
Big Sandy Elementary School
Second Runner-Up
Polished Concrete of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pa.
Barnaby’s of Westchester Polished Countertop
