The world's foremost resource on decorative concrete
Concrete is the ideal material to use to transform outdoor spaces into outdoor rooms surrounded by stunning hardscapes and equipped with all the comforts of home.
Steelhead trout rivers, bear dens, salmon runs, bighorn sheep ledges, Jurassic fossils – all hallmarks of eastern Washington state. All available for touching, climbing, wading and digging at the Discovery Playground in Mirabeau Point Park, maintained by the City of Spokane Valley, Washington.
The project was a lot simpler than the one Baltz ended up with. “I was first approached to do some hardscape and subbase for a network of brick or paver stone terraces,” he recalls. “The connecting walkways were going to be asphalt.” He can’t hide the disdain in his voice when he makes that last statement.
When we think of sculpting, most of us probably picture statues or abstract artistic shapes, not a combination of walls and steps and terraces that enhance the natural surroundings. Yet that is what the sculpting of a hillside is shaping the landscape into an attractive blend of man-made and natural elements.
The new Exploration Center at the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary in Santa Cruz, Calif., invites visitors to interact with exhibits that explore issues impacting the marine ecosystem.
East Coast met West Coast and “old school” joined up with state-of-the-art hardscape concrete work at an award-winning residential project in Andover, Mass. The three-level backyard spread, including patio, pool, fire pit and surrounding walls, earned project owner New England Hardscapes, of Acton, Mass., an ASCC design award.
In 2008, the California Coastal Commission approved the beautification of Pleasure Point Park, a surfing and ocean-watching spot near Santa Cruz. The project required collaboration between various government and private entities — designers, engineers and consultants.
Seeing a finished construction project put to good use is something any contractor welcomes.
Rachel Romanu, communications coordination at Mark Beamish Waterproofing, an Anaheim, Calif., specialty floor contractor, wrote us this vivid story about an amphitheater restoration job with a classy chip finish.
Four decorative concrete projects were among the winners in the 2013 American Residential Design Awards, announced in July by the American Institute of Building Design.
On some decorative concrete projects, the only people looking over your shoulder are other tradespeople.
