Construction
Using considerable experience gained through the formwork contracting arm of Rosemont Constructions, the client set exacting standards on the concrete specification and construction practices on-site to achieve outstanding results. The large 690m² home features a polished concrete floor, honed to reveal bluestone aggregate sympathetic to the surrounding geology.
The structural slab was poured first, followed by the 100mm topping slab poured on the same day. Stringent quality control was employed onsite during this process, with the site manager ensuring there was no excess water, dirty shoes or smoking onsite when the slab was laid. This ensured that the client got a defect free slab, free of contaminants to be able to show the concrete off to its full potential when it was finally polished during a process of 10 passes of grinding.
Further to this, the slab also incorporated in-floor hydronic heating which was carefully laid amongst the reinforcement mesh utilising careful planning and a three tiered bar chair system, ensuring that all the mesh and heating coils remained exactly in place while the slab was being poured and finished.
As a result, the client achieved a crack free floor with very little reliance on control joints to disrupt the flow of the large floor expanse. No less attention to detail was imparted on the imposing off-form in situ internal and external walls of the home.
The architect explored the use of alternate grey and black concrete walls though the structure to create a bold and dramatic statement both internally and externally. Once again, hours of planning and careful consideration was given to pour sequencing with alternating beam and column elements contrasting between the two colours of concrete as well as colours changing mid-span along large vertical surfaces. Between each colour change, the concrete pump required a complete washout (waste and excess concrete was used as pavers) and primed with the subsequent colour of concrete being poured, to ensure a clean, crisp contrast between the exposed wall surfaces.