A Sandy Downtown

Typically, when the City of Denver comes to mind, we think of the beautiful views of the mountains, the efficient business network, the vibrant social scene, and a good baseball game or two. Seldom do we think of sand as a noteworthy element on Denver’s land-locked streets. As you drive through downtown Denver, you will discover many exciting projects emerging throughout the city. Design considerations and limited budgets confront every project we see in this ever-grown city. Hence, Colorado Hardscapes’ Sandscape® Texture emerged as the paving of choice for a budget-friendly upgraded concrete finish. We may not be by an ocean, but Sandscape paves the way for an economical, aesthetic, and practical future.

Civic Center Park sits as a hub for Denver and experienced many improvements this summer, including the widening and upgrading of sidewalks throughout the park. 

Colorado Hardscapes installed colored Sandscape Texture along the east end of the park, playing the role as the key specialty flatwork contractor on this project. Mundus Bishop Design appreciated both the quality of work and attention to detail Colorado Hardscapes’ crews demonstrated.

History Colorado nears completion and Sandscape, both the Capitol Hill Sandscape and the Navajo White Sandscape; complements the natural stone on the building and site walls better than imagined.  Tryba Architects and Studio Insite put a lot of thought and effort into getting the right selections. Colorado Hardscapes measured up to Hensel Phelps Construction’s high expectations.

Clyfford Still Museum is also approaching completion and Colorado Hardscapes is honored to work on such a distinctive concrete structure. Colorado Hardscapes work complements the many outstanding formed finishes of the

 walls and ceilings that Saunders Construction installed.  Polishing of the interior concrete floors along with grinding and sandblasting of sidewalks, steps and paving on the outside of the building make this a one-of-a-kind project.  Bruce Fifer, superintendent for Saunders, when asked about the crew from Colorado Hardscapes, commented,  “I love having your guys working on this project.  I don’t have to ‘babysit’ them to get the job done right.”

Other specialty downtown projects where Colorado Hardscapes’ Sandscape adorns the concrete paving include work at Trinity Church, Denver Performing Arts Center, and Denver Financial Center.

We at Colorado Hardscapes are pleased to be part of these special projects and look forward to teaming up on upcoming work in the area as well.

Concrete as an artform?

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

Unveiling the true characteristics of concrete

Concrete is not new. The technology of concrete is not new. Both have been utilized for thousands of years. However, re-discovering the aesthetic characteristics of concrete is a pleasing trend that has re-emerged in the design community. Whether it is a water feature splash pad, sidewalk, pool deck, or a grand entry to a luxurious hotel, Bomanite’s® Sandscape Texture™ brings out the true potential of today’s concrete: beautifully utilitarian concrete.

What do most people see when they think of concrete? Unfortunately, most people visualize the broom finish marks on the surface of the watery cement paste. What a shame. Concrete loses its art and beauty at the surface and is seen as merely serving its utilitarian purpose.

To overcome this perception, Colorado Hardscapes and Bomanite® developed Sandscape Texture™ to complement their exposed aggregate systems. Unlike the exposed aggregate of the past, with its rough, uneven, and foot-grating surface, Sandscape Texture™ refined the process to unveil the art beneath the surface of concrete. It reveals what concrete is: a mixture of water, cement, fine aggregate (sand) and course aggregate (rocks).

Sandscape Texture™ is the uniform finish of exposing the fine aggregate of the concrete surface. This makes for an ideal finish for several reasons.

· First, the Sandscape Texture™ process is a delicate procedure that, when done correctly, results in a consistently textured finish. Poorly executed copies of this process show the inconsistent texture of deep and light etching. Sandscape Texture™ has a uniform finish with the same level of etching across the entire surface.

· Second, it ages beautifully. The walking surface of Sandscape Texture™ is the sand surface; when that is walked off, there is more sand, so it wears evenly. Other non-exposed finishes show wear by cutting down to that sandy layer. Sandscape Texture™ merely brings the finish to that layer to eliminate that problem.

· Finally, it holds color beautifully. Although Colorado Hardscapes recommends an integral color over a topical stain or dye for most concrete applications, Sandscape Texture™ holds surface-applied colors better than standard

finishes. The stain will typically penetrate past the sandy surface to the cementitious layer. The color will not walk off as quickly as it would in other finishes.

Creative variations to Sandscape Texture™ abound. Varying the etch level, seeding decorative aggregate per the Lithocrete® standards, applying similar finishes of Aggretex®, or even changing the integral color or the aggregate in the mix allows designers an almost unlimited variety of finishes. It lends itself well to special scoring, staining and theming. Sandscape Texture™ is ideal for pool decks because it is smooth enough to walk on with bare feet, but yet has an excellent non-slip surface. According to Landscape Architect James S. Ramos of Nuszer Kopatz, “Incorporating Sandscape Texture™ colors and finish in our projects allows us to develop a level of detail that adds to the beauty and quality of our designs. It’s especially nice for pool decks and spray grounds and a great surface for bare feet.”

The trend by Landscape Architects to specify Sandscape Texture™ as their finish of choice is becoming more prevalent in Colorado. Words such as “authentic, natural, honest, and historic, with more the character of stone or other natural paving materials” aptly describe their love of the product. It has been embraced as a desired pavement finish in Class A commercial facilities and many high end residential projects. It combines the desired combination of aesthetics, durability, cost-effectiveness, and design flexibility. “In the current economy we have been working very hard with developers to get anticipated construction costs in line with their budgets,” said Gary L. Worthley, ASLA of LandWorks Design, Inc. “I appreciate the fact that we can get a more refined finish with the Sandscape Texture™ and we have been able to reduce cost by eliminating integral color and introducing local colored aggregates.”

Examples of this finish can be seen in the Denver Technological Center (DTC), downtown plazas, resort towns, high-end residential paving, and local shopping centers.