Celebrating the Decade

Thank you to those of you who pushed us to strive for excellence, expand our knowledge, and encouraged us to take risks to discover new decorative concrete approaches. I started to dig through our awards from this past decade and found 46 since the beginning of this century. I considered featuring each and every award from the past decade in this newsletter, touting the innovative progress the industry made, but the sheer magnitude would surely make this a lengthy novel with terrible email load time. To save space and time, I posted snapshots of most of the award winning projects in the space above and highlighted my personal favorites for you below, noting why they were milestones for both Colorado Hardscapes and the decorative concrete industry. If you are curious, several of the projects above are linked to their case studies on our website and a full list of our awards over the years can be found there.

The Broadmoor

2000-2001

Awards:

Award of Excellence from the American Concrete Institute for Decorative Concrete Paving
Gold Award from Bomanite® Corporation for Best Bomanite® Project Over 12,000 Square Feet

Significance:

The selection of Bomanite® imprinted concrete as the paving of choice at this 5-star resort in Colorado Springs met the criteria for the design intent and required durability.

Bomanite® textured paving, with custom blends of reactive stains, was selected for several event plazas and the paving in the pool area. The porte cochere paving included reflective aggregates that provide a sparkle in the sunlight of daytime and under the headlights of cars at night.

The continuity of the texture along with the customizing of the different colors made this the ideal paving material for The Broadmoor.

-->Read Case Study Here

Village of Five Parks

Awards:

ACE Award from the Associated General Contractors of Colorado for the Subcontractor Project of the Year Under $1 Million
Bronze Hard Hat from Colorado Construction Magazine for Outstanding Concrete Project

Significance:

This outstanding themed community is enhanced by five parks, each with its own character. Village of Five Parks won multiple awards as Community of the Year. Decorative concrete was used in vertical applications with custom formliners, flatwork utilizing finishes of Bomanite® Sandscape Texture™, premium exposed aggregate, Bomanite® imprinted concrete, and broom-finished concrete. The cast in place water feature provides a classic focal point in Haskins Park. Pool decks, plazas, walkways, gazebos, and amphitheaters are all integrated into this award winning project.

Award of Excellence from American Concrete Institute for Residential Concrete

Waterproof concrete, Sandscape Texture™ finished concrete, and natural stonework along with an outstanding mechanical package made the dramatic design of this water feature a reality.

-->Read Case Study Here

USHSC Ed. Facility

2007-2008

Awards:

Bronze Award from Bomanite Corporation for Polished Concrete
1st Place from American Society of Concrete Contractors for Polished Concrete

Significance:

Diamond polishing equipment, concrete dyes, and concrete scoring produced attractive and durable corridor floors throughout this new classroom building.

-->Read Case Study Here

1st Place from Concrete Products' Concrete Pavement Awards for Specialty Cast-In-Place Concrete

Sandscape Texture™ finished concrete in conjunction with water features and di Giacomo rockwork created an excellent exterior commons area for this student housing project near DU.

-->Read Case Study Here

What does the future hold?

Inspiration from the past to look forward

Although it is fun to reminisce about the good ol' days of the past decade, it is equally important for us to look forward. This past decade was a remarkable time for innovation. Finishes like Sandscape Texture™, polishing, and dyes did not even exist before 2000. The market and creativity of designers drove concrete's potential to new heights we never imagined. This next decade has the same potential. Rockwork designs in 3-dimensional models and glow-in-the-dark concrete are already on our drawing boards this year. I encourage you to continue to challenge us and help drive the decorative concrete industry to imagine the possibilities.

Concrete as an artform?Rock Artisan Philip di Giacomo

These award-winning jobs highlight the distinctive durability of an age-old paving product. They also showcase concrete's artistic side.

I am fortunate to work with Philip di Giacomo, an unparalleled rock artisan, on a regular basis and learn not only his techniques, but also the inspiration and theory behind his art pieces.

When working on a new feature, di Giacomo's first questions are not about location, grading, site conditions, or even cost. His primary focus in the beginning and throughout the entire project is on the end user. What can he offer the child playing on this playground, or the elderly couple with grandchildren in this backyard that will bring them closer and expose them to new adventures and experiences? He takes the time to learn about the owners and creates a work of art that caters to their needs.
di Giacomo and I are currently working on maquettes for the Pika Peak and Marmot Mountain features at the new Denver Botanic Mordecai Children's Garden. Mundus Bishop created a great interactive design for children to explore and learn. We turned their initial drawings into a 3-dimensional art piece, bringing it to life with the children in our own lives in mind.

While keeping the geomorphisis of rock in mind, with proper rift, grain, hard grain, and talus, we are striving to bring a new experience to the children who visit the garden, molding each feature into an artfully educational experience. Instead of just a cave for children to explore, di Giacomo explains the need to have sunlight enter the cave so that children can explore in a non-intimidating environment; and the need to make it just deep enough for adventure, without parents losing the ability to see their children.

Peek holes overlooking the mountains to the west are created via a descending fissure in the rock. This allows for children from 2 to 14 to be able to share in the experience and interact with the person next to them since they are all sharing one view. Taking these kinds of details into consideration along with the proper aging and weathering of rocks will produce the desired affect every time.

It is an honor to work with di Giacomo. He is an active member of society, a grandfather, and an artist. He is proof that no matter what the medium, successful art positively impacts the viewers' quality of life.

-->visit the di Giacomo website here

Karen Van Heukelem, LEED AP

Colorado Hardscapes, Inc.

8085 E. Harvard Ave.

Denver, CO 80231

The Hardscaper is a quarterly publication written and edited by John Buteyn, Karen and Shirley Van Heukelem.

A Decade Worth Celebrating Looking back at the last 10 years of award winning projects Thank you to those of you who pushed us to strive for excellence, expand our knowledge, and encouraged us to take risks to discover new decorative concrete approaches. I started to dig through our awards from this past decade and found 46 since the beginning of this century. I considered featuring each and every award from the past decade in this newsletter, touting the innovative progress the industry made, but the sheer magnitude would surely make this a lengthy novel with terrible email load time. To save space and time, I posted snapshots of most of the award winning projects in the space above and highlighted my personal favorites for you below, noting why they were milestones for both Colorado Hardscapes and the decorative concrete industry. If you are curious, several of the projects above are linked to their case studies on our website and a full list of our awards over the years can be found there.
	The Broadmoor 2000-2001 Awards: Award of Excellence from the American Concrete Institute for Decorative Concrete Paving Gold Award from Bomanite® Corporation for Best Bomanite® Project Over 12,000 Square Feet Significance: The selection of Bomanite® imprinted concrete as the paving of choice at this 5-star resort in Colorado Springs met the criteria for the design intent and required durability. Bomanite® textured paving, with custom blends of reactive stains, was selected for several event plazas and the paving in the pool area. The porte cochere paving included reflective aggregates that provide a sparkle in the sunlight of daytime and under the headlights of cars at night. The continuity of the texture along with the customizing of the different colors made this the ideal paving material for The Broadmoor. -->Read Case Study Here
Village of Five Parks 2003 Awards: ACE Award from the Associated General Contractors of Colorado for the Subcontractor Project of the Year Under $1 Million Bronze Hard Hat from Colorado Construction Magazine for Outstanding Concrete Project Significance: This outstanding themed community is enhanced by five parks, each with its own character. Village of Five Parks won multiple awards as Community of the Year. Decorative concrete was used in vertical applications with custom formliners, flatwork utilizing finishes of Bomanite® Sandscape Texture™, premium exposed aggregate, Bomanite® imprinted concrete, and broom-finished concrete. The cast in place water feature provides a classic focal point in Haskins Park. Pool decks, plazas, walkways, gazebos, and amphitheaters are all integrated into this award winning project. -->Read Case Study Here
Denver Residence 2005 Award: Award of Excellence from American Concrete Institute for Residential Concrete Significance: Waterproof concrete, Sandscape Texture™ finished concrete, and natural stonework along with an outstanding mechanical package made the dramatic design of this water feature a reality. -->Read Case Study Here	USHSC Ed. Facility 2007-2008 Awards: Bronze Award from Bomanite Corporation for Polished Concrete 1st Place from American Society of Concrete Contractors for Polished Concrete Significance: Diamond polishing equipment, concrete dyes, and concrete scoring produced attractive and durable corridor floors throughout this new classroom building. -->Read Case Study Here
	Asbury Green 2009 Award: 1st Place from Concrete Products' Concrete Pavement Awards for Specialty Cast-In-Place Concrete Significance: Sandscape Texture™ finished concrete in conjunction with water features and di Giacomo rockwork created an excellent exterior commons area for this student housing project near DU. -->Read Case Study Here
What does the future hold? Inspiration from the past to look forward Although it is fun to reminisce about the good ol' days of the past decade, it is equally important for us to look forward. This past decade was a remarkable time for innovation. Finishes like Sandscape Texture™, polishing, and dyes did not even exist before 2000. The market and creativity of designers drove concrete's potential to new heights we never imagined. This next decade has the same potential. Rockwork designs in 3-dimensional models and glow-in-the-dark concrete are already on our drawing boards this year. I encourage you to continue to challenge us and help drive the decorative concrete industry to imagine the possibilities.
Concrete as an artform?Rock Artisan Philip di Giacomo These award-winning jobs highlight the distinctive durability of an age-old paving product. They also showcase concrete's artistic side. I am fortunate to work with Philip di Giacomo, an unparalleled rock artisan, on a regular basis and learn not only his techniques, but also the inspiration and theory behind his art pieces. When working on a new feature, di Giacomo's first questions are not about location, grading, site conditions, or even cost. His primary focus in the beginning and throughout the entire project is on the end user. What can he offer the child playing on this playground, or the elderly couple with grandchildren in this backyard that will bring them closer and expose them to new adventures and experiences? He takes the time to learn about the owners and creates a work of art that caters to their needs. di Giacomo and I are currently working on maquettes for the Pika Peak and Marmot Mountain features at the new Denver Botanic Mordecai Children's Garden. Mundus Bishop created a great interactive design for children to explore and learn. We turned their initial drawings into a 3-dimensional art piece, bringing it to life with the children in our own lives in mind. While keeping the geomorphisis of rock in mind, with proper rift, grain, hard grain, and talus, we are striving to bring a new experience to the children who visit the garden, molding each feature into an artfully educational experience. Instead of just a cave for children to explore, di Giacomo explains the need to have sunlight enter the cave so that children can explore in a non-intimidating environment; and the need to make it just deep enough for adventure, without parents losing the ability to see their children. Peek holes overlooking the mountains to the west are created via a descending fissure in the rock. This allows for children from 2 to 14 to be able to share in the experience and interact with the person next to them since they are all sharing one view. Taking these kinds of details into consideration along with the proper aging and weathering of rocks will produce the desired affect every time. It is an honor to work with di Giacomo. He is an active member of society, a grandfather, and an artist. He is proof that no matter what the medium, successful art positively impacts the viewers' quality of life. -->visit the di Giacomo website here

Karen Van Heukelem, LEED AP Colorado Hardscapes, Inc. 8085 E. Harvard Ave. Denver, CO 80231 303-750-8200 www.coloradohardscapes.com
Copyright © 2010 Colorado Hardscapes, Inc. All rights reserved. The Hardscaper is a quarterly publication written and edited by John Buteyn, Karen and Shirley Van Heukelem.