Ultra-High Performance Concrete

MaoHaus is an experimental façade piece exploring historical context, material potentials, novel fabrication and performative qualities within architecture. Taking the simple frame and edge condition of the existing structure, the façade enters the space of the hutong as a flowing fabric. This fluidity is expressed through the conventionally rigid material of concrete questioning inherent perceptions of materiality through formal expression. Beyond the undulating form, the perforations of the surface serve to filter light, during the day, rays of sunlight enter the vestibule, and at night the precisely tuned apertures reveal a triptych of Chairman Mao’s prototypical portrait. The expression of Chairman Mao within the fa&... More

Woodsy Park, a new City of Toronto park at Concord Park Place, is nearing completion and anticipated to open in Spring 2019. Designed by DTAH, the park will provide a wide range of welcoming, engaging, and beautiful outdoor spaces for the community. Once the entire community is completed in 2020, Concord Park Place will boast 4.5 million square feet of residential, retail and commercial space buildings located south of the Bessarionsubway station near Leslie Street and Sheppard Avenue. More than 6,000 people will live in this new, vibrant and connected neighbourhood. Scattered across the park are several public art pieces, selected through an international invitational competition which was juried by a combination of artists, art experts, l... More

CAAST ® stands for Concrete Art & Applied Science Technology. It is an Ultra-High Performance Concrete that achieves an MPa of 120 ( 8x stronger than conventional concrete). This particular project takes full advantage of the unique properties of CAAST®. The particles are so tiny that every detail that the architect wanted to capture in this design is perfectly replicated from the molds in which it is cast. Titanium dioxide in the matrix adds whiteness to the panels and gives the concrete a self-cleaning characteristic. When light and heat strike the concrete's surface, titanium dioxide uses that energy to break down dirt into molecules such as oxygen, water, carbon dioxide, nitrates, and sulphates. Gases float away, while liquids... More

This recently built bicycle and pedestrian bridge combines sustainability with efficiency and an appealing design. The bridge comprises of very slender UHPC deck slabs, steel girders and a bespoke bamboo railing that gives the bridge it’s unique and friendly appearance. Dutch design office ipv Delft was asked to design a low-budget and low-maintenance bicycle and pedestrian bridge for the Dutch isle of Texel. Not too long ago, the company had developed a system of standard bridges in Ultra-High Performance Concrete (UHPC) with partners PietersBouwtechniek and Hi-Con Netherlands. Using this seemed the logical option, as UHPC has many benefits. For instance, the bridge deck doesn’t require a wearing course and UHPC has a life-expectancy o... More

Crew Offices and Café Located in the old Royal Bank space on St-Jacques street in Old Montreal, the Crew offices is a project defined by a 12,000 office area for a tech start-up which would also include a café for freelance workers as well as for the public. The project presented two distinct design challenges:The first design challenge originated from the client’s requirements- how to elaborate an architectural relationship and construct boundaries between the various program functions. The second challengebecame a deeper questioning on how to approach design in the context of a heritage building. The complexity of the program required fluidity between the various work spaces. Part of the floor area was to be designated for permanen... More

The West Wingdevelopment forms part of the Somerset House (listed Grade I) refurbishment master plan, completing the final opening up of the three sides of ‘The Edward J. SafraFountain Courts’ to the public. The Trust’s aim was to create a viable cultural & arts centre by renting out the upper floors & mid basement to creative industries (offices, meeting & conference facilities), whilst the ground level isdedicated to a diverse public cultural programme (exhibition, galleries, retail & events in the Fountain Court). The lasttenant, HMRC, relocated leaving the interior in a dilapidated condition. The Trust took this opportunity to upgrade the entire interior, including improvements in circulation. In its original configuration Sir Wi... More

xWe developed a series of screens to test the limitations and potential of Ductal; an ultra-high performance concrete. The material offers superior strength, durability and the capacity to span large openings with minimal thickness when compared to traditional concrete. In addition, the material is highly moldable and can be poured into small pockets, filling gaps that would otherwise be impossible using standard reinforcing. Based on our handrail design for a previous client, we generated a pattern that would allow seamless tiling from one panel to the next. The pattern can grow or shrink and be open or closed, depending on the requirements of the client, site and program. The design can be implemented on the exterior of a building as... More