We all ‘know’ concrete. It’s all around us. It is the world’s most used construction material. We are aware of most of its benefits, as well as most of its challenges. When following the current debates, one may argue that nowadays most materials are perceived and reviewed mainly in the light of their environmental impact. However, materials are much more than their respective functional and ecological qualities. Their – architectural – impact reaches beyond the capacity to carry loads or withstand forces, beyond the sheltering qualities of keeping wind and rain out or providing for a comfortable climate. It reaches even beyond architecture’s main objective of creating spaces in terms of square or cubic meters. The use of materials offers a designer the potential to create atmospheres and offer a greater palette of techniques and possibilities than the creation of volumes and spaces.
Concrete is a material that contains inherent characteristics setting it aside from other materials. It can be monolithically shaped in almost every form. It has a ‘sensible’ mass that can be felt by just standing beside an object. It offers an almost endless variety in terms of textures and tactility. All these appearances support the intended functionality with experiences of security, sacrality, awe, comfort, and so on.
If for instance one visits the Bruder Klaus Chapel by Peter Zumthor, or the Neues Museum by David Chipperfield, one feels the mass, experiences the heaviness, in such a way that it directly supports the purpose of the buildings themselves. Similarly the filigree façade on the MuCEM in Marseille by Rudy Ricciotti or the extreme thin shells by Heinz Isler support the structures through their sheer sense of lightness. There are bridges and infrastructures that through the form and dimensions of their concrete structures immediately makes their functionality clear and understood. Similarly, one can find examples of both interiors and exteriors, buildings, and public spaces that through the specific use of their material, convey and support their functionality as well as the architectural ambitions.
PRESENCE can be interpreted as how an object, a building, a bridge, a piece of furniture is perceived and experienced. How its material use supports its functional purpose. It can also be interpreted as a call to properly work with already existing structures. The ones that are already present, acknowledged heritage as much as those with hidden potential for reuse.
PRESENCE shows and informs the existence of an object. It escapes from interpretations as good or bad, beautiful, or ugly. When an object has presence, it simply is. There is no need to question why it is as it is. It is clear and understood. Timeless. Durable.
11TH CONCRETE DESIGN COMPETITION ON PRESENCE
COMPETITION RESULTS
AR624 - Assembling
Belgium (Honorable Mention)
Ali Chahrour & Rémi De Rijck - UCLouvain – LOCI
BB666 - Capitello di Cemento e Legno
Netherlands (Nominee)
Jannik Leon Niewiadomski, Christopher Carlo Piderit & Leonardo Pisoni - Delft University of Technology
BK146 - Nachhaltiger Beton in Allen Formen - Zement der Zukunft
Austria (Joint Winner)
Christian Hanschitz, Christoph Selker & Tobias Wölik - TU Graz
BT700 - Re Bridge
Germany (Second Prize)
Jessica Klinge, Marlene Rackow & Lenika Walter - Hochschule Wismar
BT732 - The Playground of the Future
Netherlands (Honorable Mention)
Brent Thomassen - Delft University of Technology
DM111 - Domus Memoria
Belgium (Second Prize)
Anna-Lisa Custers - UHasselt
FS001 - Fabric[ating] Strenght
Netherlands (Second Prize)
Jette Hackenberg, Julia König & Anna Klaver - Delft University of Technology
FS024 - Concrete Cooler
Austria (Joint Winner)
Lilian Marie Furrer & Ece Selin Göksu - Die Angewandte Wien
FT305 - Continuity
Austria (Joint Winner)
Florian Traugott - TU Wien
HS099 - BIBLIO.GRAF.ie
Belgium (Third Prize)
Hélène Simonis - UHasselt
HW004 - HydroWall
Netherlands (First Prize)
Lotte Bijwaard, Gina Guravage, Julia Veerhuis & Emmy Vermeulen - Delft University of Technology
KS972 - Ein haus zum Blumengießen
Germany (Honorable Mention)
Nicolai Schurr - Hochschule für technik Stuttgart
MS104 - Ecological and economic potentials of point supported flat slabs in concrete construction
Austria (Joint Winner)
Daniel Weirather - Uni Innsbruck
OO958 - Vom Parkhaus zum Wohnraum | Olaf & Odine
Austria (Joint Winner)
Max Rubach, Valentin Schmid & Lasse Siemen - TU Wien
PW174 - Safespace Jugendtreff
Germany (Third Prize)
Paul-Christian Wagner - Hochschule Mainz
RS223 - Rock Solid
Germany (First Prize)
Lukas Dechau - Staatliche Hochschule für Gestaltung Karlsruhe
SC111 - Skycrete
Netherlands (Third Prize)
Cassandre van Duinen, Giovanni Stoppoloni & Melati Veerman - Delft University of Technology
SJ200 - REbuild
Belgium (First Prize)
Stijn Jalon & Douwe Neven - KULeuven
SL527 - Stack 'N Lock
Netherlands (nominee)
Bram de Graaf & Ruben Pot - Delft University of Technology
TT069 - Unbounded Boundaries
Netherlands (Nominee)
Thomas Beefting & Teun Hermans - Eindhoven University of Technologie
UH592 - ENSO
Belgium (Honorable Mention)
Illy Klerckx, Valerie Langens & Estée Scavone - UHasselt
XP386 - XPlantS
Netherlands (Nominee)
Kay Knubben, Merle Schmidt-Jürgensen & Tim Schuurman - Delft University of Technology
JURY REPORTS
NATIONAL JURIES
Austria
Bernd Affenzeller, Katharina Kindelmann, Markus Querner, Klaudia Ruck, Ursula Achneider, Gernot Tritthart, Georg Wieder & Liz Zimmermann
Belgium
Bram Aerts (Jury Chair), Paul Mouchet, Carmen Van Maercke, Caroline Versteden & Dieter De Vos
Germany
Lutz Dickmann, Max Dombrowski, Sandra Hofmeister, Markus Holzbach, Ulrich Nolting, Holger Techen & Anca Timofticiuc
Ireland
Eamonn Costello, Séamus Guidera, Máire Henry & Leanne Martin
Netherlands
Pim Peters (Jury Chair), Albert Herder, Arjen Ketting, Jan de Koning & Paul Stavert
The Concrete Design Master Class for laureates of the competition will has taken place in The Netherlands last August 2024.
We were hosted by Saint Gobain Weber Beamix in Eindhoven. Who contributed to the master class by offering their expertise on 3D Concrete Printing, as well as yraining facilities for our design work, fabric formwork making, concrete pouring and brainstrom sessions and presentations.
22 participants from Austria, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Ireland and the US worked on various ideas and designs exploring the potential of 3D concrete printing. Simultaneously the tested there ambitions working with fabric fromwok as well, comparing the techniques.
An intense and energetic week, filled with gourpwork, expert support and tryly testing with concrete.
CONCRETE DESIGN MASTER CLASS ON PRESENCE
Participants
Ali Zaheer, Anne-Lisa Custers, Claire Montgomery, Daniel Weirather, Douwe Neven, Gina Guravage, Hélène Simonis, Illy Klerckx, Jessica Klinge, Lenika Walter, Lilian Furrer, Lukas Dechau, Lukas Hausner, Marlene Rackow, Max Rubach, Meike Hagemann, Melati Veerman, Nicolai Schurr, Shane McMorrow, Soknary Leang, Stephen Sombi & Stijn Jalon
Tutors
Camille Gbaguidi & Siebe Bakker - bureaubakker
Experts
André Dorst, John Scherptong, Remco de Groot, Peter Paul Cornelissen & Udo Snijer - Saint-Gobain Weber Beamix / 3D.Weber
Lecturers
Bram Aerts - ATAMA, Caroline Versteden - Office WINHOF, Diederik Veenendaal - Summum Engineering & Jeroen Schipper - Orange Architects
Hosts
Cindy Vissering - Cement&BetonCentrum | Tektoniek & Saint-Gobain Weber Beamix
Photography
Chrissy Bohré & Fatih Cebeci - bureaubakker
The Concrete Design Master Class PRESENCE has been made possible through the support of: Beton Dialog Österreich, Cement Manufacturers Ireland, FEBELCEM, InformationsZentrum Beton & Tektoniek University / Cement&BetonCentrum
AND
Saint-Gobain Weber Beamix
Team A – SHELLUMN
Daniel Weirather, Lukas Hausner , Marlene Rackow, Stephen Sombi, Stijn Jalon & Soknary Leang
