Design Factors Affecting Aesthetics of Architectural Precast Concrete [DN-27]-DN-27: Design Factors Affecting Aesthetics of Architectural Precast Concrete Handout

DN-27: Design Factors Affecting Aesthetics of Architectural Precast Concrete Handout

Pdf Summary

Architects find that precast concrete panels provide an unlimited vocabulary that allows design concepts to be executed in a broad range of architectural styles, shapes, and sizes. The material offers limitless potential for developing and manipulating mass, color, form, texture, and detail to obtain simple, clean shapes yielding an interesting play of light and shadow. Proper selection of color, form, and texture for a building’s precast concrete exterior is critical to creating a successful aesthetic appearance. The decisions depend not only on cost, delivery schedule, and client preferences but on the local and regional context as well. The desired colors and textures can be achieved by varying aggregate selection, matrix color, size of aggregates, finishing processes, and depth of exposure of the aggregate. The Architectural Precast Concrete: Color and Texture Selection Guide, 2nd Edition (CTG) published by PCI, helps architects define and achieve their aspirations. The guide’s photographs serve as a visual reference for initial selection of color, texture, and finish and should be followed by producing samples at a precaster’s plant to aid in the final selection of color and texture. The initial plasticity of concrete makes it responsive to the designer’s creative needs. It allows the designer to achieve a high level of detail in the profile, scale, and character of a building that cannot be economically matched by other materials. Precast concrete mold-building techniques allow designers to enhance a building’s visual interest through elements such as ribs, bullnoses, reveals, chamfers, or textures. Designers can economically incorporate details such as cornices, quoins, arches, and decorative relief panels. In addition to these benefits, the ability to manipulate color, form, and texture make precast concrete an excellent material to consider in situations where the relationship of a building to its existing context is an important design consideration. Precast concrete can be designed to harmonize with and complement other materials.

Keywords

precast concrete panels

architectural styles

color selection

texture selection

aggregate selection

mold-building techniques

plasticity of concrete

visual reference

material manipulation

existing context