Aggregate Industries is reminding the industry that making informed concrete choices and embracing new innovations is vital to pushing boundaries in intelligent, beautiful and sustainable building design.
Aggregate Industries asserts that now is the perfect time for architects and developers to stand out from the crowd and look beyond the standard application for concrete.
Leveraging the latest array of options can help construction professionals realise challenging design schemes and drastically improve the green credentials of a build.
David Porter, business development manager for Aggregate Industries, commented: “Historically, concrete, as the most widely used manmade material in the world, has been viewed as an everyday, standard construction commodity – meaning developers have tended to choose the same tried and tested products that they’re used to.
"However, the reality is concrete has come a long way in recent years, with an explosion of new products and bespoke options, designed to provide enhanced design freedom and improved sustainability.”
Shortlisted for the RIBA Stirling Prize, the most prestigious accolade in British architecture, the ‘Outhouse’ is a shining example of how concrete can push the boundaries of design and construction.
Conceived in 2014, the ‘Outhouse’ is a purpose-designed concrete home for two artists, who commissioned local architects Loyn & Co to replace their existing house in the Forest of Dean with a new low-impact, low-energy, single-storey home.
Aggregate Industries, working with main contractor Forest Eco Systems, was tasked with supplying concrete that would deliver against the rigid aesthetic specifications of the project, which saw the layout of the new building incorporate the ‘shells’ of the old structure as external courtyards.
As an incredibly complex structure with sustainability at its heart, Aggregate Industries invested a significant amount of time and expertise in creating a bespoke suite of concrete mixes that replaced 33% of the cement with Fly Ash (PFA). This involved a careful process of mix optimisation in order to bring down the CO2 calculation on the majority of mixes without compromising the product durability, strength and workability.
Stepping up to the unique design challenges, Aggregate Industries opted for a self-compacting pigmented concrete, custom-designed so that the decorative dark grey pigment offered a striking contrast to the conventional concrete used to build the internal and external walls.
Aggregate Industries also provided technical support throughout the project, which took 19-months to complete, in order to ensure the consistency and finish of the concrete was optimised to enhance the visual impact.
As the first private house to feature on the RIBA Stirling Prize for 15 years, the end result saw the ‘Outhouse’ achieve the client’s vision of creating a beautifully original, energy efficient and sustainable dwelling. It has since won a string of regional and national architecture awards including the prestigious Manser Medal, RIBA Award and RIBA South West Building of the Year 2016.
David Porter adds: “With our technical investment and solution-focused approach intrinsic to the success of the project, the ‘Outhouse’ demonstrates perfectly how the clever choice of concrete can be used to meet aesthetic and sustainable requirements, no matter how challenging.
“Pushing boundaries is the cornerstone of pioneering design and, in turn, maintains our status as one of the most inspirational construction industries in the world.”