The Underhill tree got it's first sculpted concrete today. This has been a filler project, with work being done on it when we have spare crew. The new crew learned to attach the galvanized mesh on the relatively simple form. We still need to weld up the upper branches and the window is a couple of weeks out but we have definite progress. The tree should be ready to lift into place about the same time as the concrete roof is ready to receive it.
Window to a garden view
The window and door bucks were fastened to the forms today giving us a peek at how things are going to look when the concrete walls of the Underhill suite are poured. The plywood shapes will be removed after the concrete pour revealing the window openings into the large private garden. It is very exciting to see the progress!
First concrete sculpting project.
We often get asked how and where we got started in this unique business. The answer is we got started in Chemainus and simply did it. I was asked to design and build Heritage Square, a series of three pools with a forest theme. I knew nothing of the 'secret' concrete formulas, how to build an armature, how to colour the concrete or which tools to use. I simply did the best I could with what we had on hand. I mixed the concrete mortar and trowled it on with a triangle trowel. I didn't know to let it set a little and then sculpt it. That was back in 1984 - thirty-four years ago. The pool and concrete work are still there to this day and still look pretty good. We've come a long ways since.
