March 29, 2018 Creative concrete
While many display homes in the Sydney market still demonstrate the finest of traditional materials, particularly those houses built in a more classical style, home builders NSW report growing interest in the use of concrete in the home designs NSW clients currently favour.
According to NSW home builders, concrete has unique benefits that make it an ideal product for today’s market; not least cost effectiveness. One company among the leading duplex builders Sydney had this to say:
“So a buyer might be in the market for a luxury home; but that doesn’t mean that they’re not interested in monitoring their monthly cost of ownership. When a luxury property is constructed using concrete technology, the cost of heating and cooling can be markedly reduced because of superior thermal resistance offered by many concrete products.”
Concrete is also versatile, lending itself to a wide range of colours, textures and the ability to be moulded or precast into almost any shape. And while many associate it with brutalist modern architecture, it’s been used throughout the ages; there are still good examples of Victorian concrete housing in the UK among other places.
Even when it is used in a modernist setting, concrete adds warmth and texture, which, according to purveyors of project homes Sydney, continue to drive its popularity, as demonstrated by some great international examples:
Located on a rural slope in Switzerland, the Trin Cabin by Schneller Caminada Architects, plays with ideas of traditional architecture while making a modernist yet rustic impact. Concrete is the perfect medium for this state
Casa MR is a cast concrete and timber house made from two intersecting cubes located on the coastline outside Buenos Aires in Argentina. Architect Luciano Kruk built the home in two halves to follow the natural slope of the site.
Completed in 2013, the JKC2 House by Ong&Ong in Singapore consists of three distinct volumes surrounding a courtyard. The texture of the concrete is highlighted and complemented by the warmth of timber.
This concrete house by A-Cero near Madrid in Spain features clean lines and generous openings in the façade to blend the home seamlessly with pleasant surrounding views of the house.
Who knew concrete could create magic? Fibre optic concrete is a new translucent form of the material, with optic fibres running through it. It can take on the appearance of polished marble that transmits light at the same time, with the flecks of light arrayed in many styles, from organic, almost cosmos-like displays to floral or geometric designs, to the simple but beautiful dots of light, seen in this bathroom concept.
In summary, as a structural material concrete presents unlimited opportunities for creative home designs NSW. While many homes celebrate concrete’s essence, it’s also a master of disguise, being a material that can be finished to look like any other house style or building component.
Other pluses include fire resistance, acoustic protection and immunity to the ravages of termites and other pests. Concrete can also incorporate recycled content in its makeup, earning it added green credentials.
