concrete

Review of the February 2019 Concrete Design School GFRC, ECC, Fabric-Forming, Post-Tensioning, DustyCrete, and Concrete Sink Workshops

Another series of Concrete Design School workshops has come and gone. It was a great week of training where we covered ECC, GFRC, SCC, UHPC, DustyCrete, Fabric-Forming, Concrete Sinks, and Concrete Countertops. We made a lot of awesome pieces, awesome friends, and even tested the strength of a sink with 8 rounds of 45-70 (spoiler, it held up great)! It’s time to rest for a minute and take a look at the production schedule for the next few months to see where we can work in another class. Keep an eye on the website, we’ll announce the dates shortly.

The September 2018 All-In Workshop & Fabric-Forming Workshop are SOLD OUT! You can still get into the Dusty-Crete and Post-Tensioning Workshop!

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As anticipated the September 2018 'All-In Workshop' and 'Fabric-Forming Workshop' are officially SOLD-OUT! As of 8:00am this morning there is 1 seat available in the 'Dusty-Crete Workshop' and 'Post-Tensioning Workshop'. They won't last long so NOW is the time to register and book your travel arrangements, the class is in 1 week! See you in Eureka Springs. 

That's a wrap for INCEPTION, and now we're looking towards March 2018!

The INCEPTION Training Event was an overwhelming success! We had attendees from all over the world - South Africa, Pakistan, Mexico, Canada, New Zealand, and of course the United States. It was truly a pleasure having this diverse, talented, and enthusiastic group in our studio for a week. 

Now that INCEPTION has passed we have been receiving emails asking when our next workshops will be HELD. We have scheduled the following two classes at our Eureka Springs, AR headquarters:

2.5 Day Fabric-Forming Concrete Sink + GFRC Workshop, March 12-14, 2018, Eureka Springs, AR
sold out
2.5 Day Fabric-Forming Concrete Sink + GFRC Workshop, March 12-14, 2018, Eureka Springs, AR
from $1,500.00
First Time Attendee or Alumni?:
Add To Cart
1.5 Day Post-Tensioned Concrete + Current Techniques Workshop, March 15-16, 2018, Eureka Springs, AR
1.5 Day Post-Tensioned Concrete + Current Techniques Workshop, March 15-16, 2018, Eureka Springs, AR
from $975.00
First Time Attendee or Alumni?:
Quantity:
Add To Cart

We will be scheduling a Dusty-Crete Workshop in Burns, TN and a workshop with Jon Schuler in Angels Camp, CA for the first quarter of 2018. Keep an eye on the website for the announcement of the dates. 

The November Concrete Workshops are HALFWAY FILLED!

“Opportunities are like sunrises. If you wait too long, you miss them.”
— William Arthur Ward

Perhaps you've been waiting for the perfect moment to come along to attend a Concrete Design School hands-on workshop? There are no perfect moments, the only moment is now, the best opportunity is the one at hand. The good news is we are holding 3 amazing concrete workshops in November (aka "The Inception Training Event"). The bad news is they are already halfway filled! Don't let the sun set on your dreams of getting into the high-end decorative concrete trade, or expanding your current business, there is still time! 

Follow the links below to learn more and to register for your perfect workshop(s):

2.5 Day Fabric-Forming + GFRC Concrete Sink Workshop, November 5-7

2.5 Day Upright Casting Technique (UCT) Workshop for Sink with Jon Schuler, November 7-9

1.5 Day Furniture Design Workshop, November 10-11

or attend ALL THREE:

6.5 Day Inception Training Event, November 5-11

Photos from the June 2014 Fabric-Forming & GFRC Concrete Countertop and Sink Class

June 2014 GFRC Concrete Countertop and Sink Class Photo

The June 2014 Fabric-Forming Sink & GFRC Concrete Countertop training event just wrapped up, and we wanted to share a few photos we snapped during the class. The next 2.5 day workshop will be in August, click here to learn more or to enroll. 

Our Roots

Buddy Rhodes (left) and Brandon Gore (right) in San Francisco at Buddy Rhodes Studio, ca. 2004

Buddy Rhodes (left) and Brandon Gore (right) in San Francisco at Buddy Rhodes Studio, ca. 2004

Buddy Rhodes (center), Brandon Gore (left), and Jon Schuler (right) at World of Concrete in Las Vegas, 2014

Buddy Rhodes (center), Brandon Gore (left), and Jon Schuler (right) at World of Concrete in Las Vegas, 2014

As we prepare to receive attendees of the May 6-8, 2014 2.5-day Fabric-Forming Concrete Sink + GFRC Workshop, we reflect back on our beginnings.

I (Brandon Gore) have only taken one concrete related class, and that was with Buddy Rhodes of Buddy Rhodes Studio many years ago. Buddy's shop was huge, employees were everywhere, mixing, placing and polishing concrete; it was as if he and his studio were the Willy Wonka of concrete.

Thinking back, I can recall the excitement and possibility of this burgeoning industry; it's as palpable now as it was then. Concrete sinks and countertops were just coming onto the scene. GFRC hadn't become the standard and fabric-forming was unexplored. Anything was possible, which was good and bad. Decorative and interior architectural concrete hadn't gained a foothold yet, so the thoughts of failure were visceral - could a small studio make it? That was uncharted territory. 

A decade later and that question has been answered, and it is a resounding 'YES!' Small studios can not only survive but thrive. The materials, tools, technologies and processes have gone through a quantum leap since then, but the entrepreneurial ethos remains a constant. The sustained heartbeat of this industry comes from the artisans and craftsman that care deeply about the quality of each and every piece they create by hand. It is in this spirit that we welcome the attendees of the May 6-8th workshop, and we hope to see them grow along with the industry in the coming decade. 

Fighting the Burn

Steel + Wood Sculpture by Brandon Gore, ca. 2008

Concrete countertops and sinks are a lot of fun to make, but concrete veterans often time struggle with staying excited. They get stuck in a rut and lose sight of the magic that comes from creativity and design. How can experienced concrete craftsmen stay motivated and enthusiastic? One way is by attending a training course at Concrete Design School. Learning a new method or approach can reignite passion.

Don't get burned out. Get your concrete mojo back. Get energized. Get the best training available - Concrete Design School. 

What is Concrete Design School?

GFRC training attendee learning how to properly spray a face-coat for a concrete sink

GFRC training attendee learning how to properly spray a face-coat for a concrete sink

Concrete Design School is the continuation and progression of training workshops that Brandon Gore of Gore Design Co. and Hard Goods has held since 2005. The objective of these workshops is to elevate the industry, to raise the bar of what can be done with concrete and increase expectations from the public at large as to what good concrete should be. Over the last decade we have taught hundreds of individuals, many going on to launch award-winning leading decorative concrete companies. We look forward to the future of concrete!