I've known Buddy Rhodes for a long time - as a matter of fact, I took his very first workshop, and I'm fairly certain I was the first person to purchase a pallet of Buddy Rhodes Concrete Mix. I used to teach workshops for Buddy in San Francisco for many years. Buddy is good people, as they say, and it's always nice to spend time with him. If you haven't had the opportunity to meet him, now is your chance as Buddy Rhodes will be joining us for the February Pinnacle Concrete Camp!
The Pinnacle Concrete Camp is hosted by Concrete Design School and features trainers Brandon Gore, Dusty Baker, and Jon Schuler. Additionally, we will have several guest assistant trainers that bring a wealth of knowledge and experience. Between the training staff and workshop attendees this class is going to be a record breaking 40-50 people total! You don't want to miss this event!
Spend 6 days in the beautiful mountain town of Eureka Springs, AR learning the following:
+ Rubber Mold-Making
+ How to Post-Tension Concrete
+ GFRC and ECC Concrete Mix Designs
+ How to Properly Mix, Cast, Cure, and Finish Concrete
+ How to Seal Concrete for the Real World
+ Dusty-Crete
+ Advanced Finishes using Upright Casting Techniques
+ The Business of Running a Concrete Business
+ How to Price Your Products
+ ... and Much More!
If you are new to concrete and want to start a successful business, or if you are an industry veteran that wants to sharpen their processes, the Pinnacle Concrete Camp is for you! The workshop is being held February 24-29, which is approaching quickly, and only a few seats remain so don't delay, register today!
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!
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.
Dusty-Crete Workshop is now scheduled for September 2018, and we have a special Reduced Rate Workshop Package for all three classes!
Well, we went and did it - we scheduled our THREE MOST POPULAR CLASSES IN A ONE WEEK PERIOD! Do you know what this means?! You can fly out to the beautiful Ozark Mountains and in one trip learn our best practices, techniques, and hard lessons gleaned from over 70,000 hours of success and failure. This is unprecedented, we've never offered these three workshops back-to-back, so if you want to get in, get to getting, it's time to register! You can register for the Dusty-Crete Workshop here, or you can register for the All-In Workshop here. We look forward to seeing you in September.
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
from $1,500.00
First Time Attendee or Alumni?:
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:
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.”
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:
Post-Tensioned Concrete, Current Techniques, Old World Methods, Modern Mix Designs, and Jon Schuler! We must be California dreaming!
The stars have aligned and we just scheduled two brand new workshops to be held at Creative Crete in Angels Camp, CA, May 1-6, 2017! Brandon Gore will be teaching a class that goes in-depth on his most current techniques, including post-tensioning concrete, while Jon Schuler will be conducting a workshop on creating a multitude of finishes with the most basic of tools and techniques. Two things are guaranteed; 1. These classes are going to be a ton of fun, and 2. They are going to fill up fast! If you want to attend both workshops at a special reduced rate, check out the All-In Workshop Package. See you in California!
Photos from the June 2014 Fabric-Forming & GFRC Concrete Countertop and Sink Class
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 (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
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!