Concrete gets a bad reputation for ageing badly. Most of the time, the problem is not the material but what we put on top of it.

Formwork is a finish

At Escola Velha we used rough-sawn pine boards for the new floors’ edges. The grain transfers to the surface and gives light something to hold on to.

Why we stopped sealing

Sealers trap moisture and yellow in the sun. Left alone, a good dense mix develops a soft patina within a few years.

The best detail is the one you never have to maintain.

We now specify lower-cement mixes with recycled aggregate on every project where the engineer allows it.