Dear website visitor

Welcome again to 'Inspiration'- the newsletter from your specialists in coloured concrete, Peter Fell Ltd.

This time around we focus on the importance of good detailing, but mix it up with the usual variety of cool projects, hints and other Inspiration. 

Good concrete design is all about good detailing and we hope to get you excited about this through a local project from Salmond Reed and with some other excellent articles and links.

If this is the first time you've seen 'Inspiration', you can see previous issues or sign up a colleague here.  We'd love you to pass it on to anyone you think would be interested.

Enjoy.

In this issue

Detailing - Make good concrete great

Projects- A Villa Renovation & a new Okura House

Client Features - Mobility Research Centre and SwiftTILE from Reids

Carlo Scarpa feature

Elim College memorial

Good detailing part 1:

Our new favourite project

We love this project as it's a great example of great detailing making a great project.  Stephen Jones of Salmond Reed has created a wonderful space incorporating some of our fine product that is notable for a number of reasons:

• a formed 150mm drain means no step down is required between inside and out
• the same colour is used inside and out to further create indoor outdoor flow
• Hibond flooring system was used as the floor was suspended
• Seamless joint between timber and concrete floor areas

More pictures here

Client feature 1

SwiftTILE

from Reids

Flexus  SwiftTILE is the solution to overcome the new compliance laws for construction of membrane decks.  The 17mm thick, architecturally finished tile forms a complete system which includes clip together shims allowing the tile to be suspended over the membrane while still providing access for maintenance.

And they can be made in any of our colours.

SwiftTile is part of the Flexus family of products that utilises a fibre-reinforced engineered cementitious composite (ECC), providing the structural integrity of reinforced concrete but without the weight or thickness - visit http://www.flexus.co.nz/

NZILA Conference

The Power of Landscape

Peter Fell were very proud Gold Sponsors of the recent Institute of Landscape Architects conference in Wellington. 

Many entries utlized our products including one of the winners the Queenstown Airport Landscape Development shown below, designed by the clever folk at Blakely Wallace in Arrowtown.

The hardest part of what we do is managing expectations

Our goal is to help people get what they want - but like any product ours has it's strengths and weaknesses and so we make no bones about ours.  When dealing with the client ensuring they have realistic expectations about this natural product with it's natural appearance and performance is very important.  We have set up a page on the website called 'Is our system right for you' that we hope will ensure the clients expectations are met.

The power of

Texture

We are always trying to get people excited about the many different textures available apart from just a power float finish.  Check out this great drive in Northland that utilises a mag float finish

For the definitive tool to help you get the right texture for the right application use our Design Choices tool.

You will love this

The Concrete Architecture group on Flickr

Get ready to be blown away by some of the 13'000+ (not a typo!) images in this public gallery.

Enter at you peril - we found it was very difficult to stop pressing the button for more.

http://www.flickr.com/groups/concrete_architecture/

Fabulous.

Elim College

 Memorial

Elim College wanted to construct a rock-climbing wall in the college Gymnasium as a vibrant, active memorial to the seven victims of the  Mangetepopo canyoning tragedy.

The favourite colours of the seven were used in the construction of the wall. Each of these colours (including pink) was developed by Peter Fell to suit the very thin spray mix that the builders used on the wall.

College Principle Murray said "many thanks again for a fine result, we appreciate the investment of Peter Fell"

Classic Concrete/
Good detailing part 3

Carlo

Scarpa

Carlo Scarpa is the Italian master of concrete detailing and we found the perfect place to get inspired by things like this:

Check out this gallery of his work

Is it rock, is it concrete?

We recently supplied colour for a spray job in Nelson which ensured the strengthening of the bank did not become an eyesore.  Great stuff.

Note: When colour is used on a rough surface it will appear darker due to the uneven reflection of the light.

Job by Transit Mix - Nelson.

Great detailing part 4

Titirangi House

We recently caught up with an old aquaintance Anthony van Kan at a presentation at Stephenson and Turner where he works as the CAD Manager. 

Anthony has a passion for concrete that leaves most behind.  His labour of love is the house he designed and built in Titirangi and it is a marvel.  While it is a few years old now it is still captivating and a classic.  During the design and construction process he and our owner Peter Fell had many discussion about options and ideas, and so are doubly pleased with the results.

Check out why in the gallery.

Dear Website Visitor

Welcome again to 'Inspiration'- the newsletter from your specialists in coloured concrete, Peter Fell Ltd.

Firstly, congratulations to our winners from the last newsletter; Megan Rule from South Pacific Architecture won the lunch for two at Amisfield Winery, and Shaun Thompson-Gray from Hunt Davies Tennant in Napier won the case of Deutz, which magically transformed into a case of great reds on his request. 

As we come out of winter there is no doubt confidence is back - we were amazed at the level of enquiry at the Auckland Home Show - and many people have advanced plans to build which is very encouraging.  Overall our winter was not nearly as bad as it could have been and we are very optimistic for the coming months and we hope you are too.

The new website has proven very popular and traffic has quadrupled since we launched in May.  If there is anything you don't like on the website or things you would like to see please let us know. 

If this is the first time you've seen Inspirations, you can see previous issues or sign up a colleague  here.

Enjoy.

In this issue

 Sculpture Show

 Project - Delamore Lodge

 Opus C  magazine

 Client Feature 1 - Tectonic

 Client Feature 2 - Second Nature

 What's happening overseas

 Peter Fell on 'Mucking In'

Yes - it's concrete

Sculpture show opens tomorrow at our showroom

Our owner Peter Fell is a man of many talents, and after he leaves work each day he pursues his second passion (or perhaps his first), sculpture.  At left is an example of the work which is dotted around our showroom here in Auckland and it proves his exceptional talent - it is all concrete based. 

We have finally convinced him to put on a show and this will open tomorrow night- check out all the work in the show catalogue.  He produces a wide range of pieces from life size figures to wall friezes, suitable for both indoor and outdoor and all with a strong presence and great craftmanship.  His style stems from his love of all things Greco-Roman, with a large nod to Giacometti thrown in from time to time too.  

We will be having a function at 5.30-7.30pm tomorrow Thursday, Nov 19 at our Patiki Rd showroom - if you would like to come please email info@peterfell.co.nz.  Please feel free to forward this to whoever you think might be interested.

Project feature:

Delamore lodge

We met the owners of Delamore Lodge at the Homeshow as they are about to add a pool - and like their existing concrete so much they will be using our colour again for the surround. 

We love the lodge for it's very organic design (by Ron Stevenson) and it is aging well - seven years on and it still looks great.

Check out our feature on this great piece of local architecture.

www.delamorelodge.com

Client Feature
(if you would like one, just ask!)

Second Nature

Second Nature specialises in the construction and on-going care of professionally designed gardens and landscapes.  They work closely with a number of Auckland's most talented and experienced landscape designers to create gardens that are both well designed and constructed.

Take a look at their sensational Remuera Garden.

www.secondnature.co.nz

What's happening overseas (cont...)

All our colour pigments are supplied by Lanxess (previously known as Bayer) - German made and of the highest quality.  

We previously featured their global initiative called Color Concrete Works featuring notable jobs from around the globe, and they have now added  more.

Design Choices

Concrete vs Tiles vs Timber

Our goal is to help people get what they want and the first step in the process for most people is to decide if concrete is right for them.  All materials have their pros and cons and for us it is crucial that all stakeholders understand these - which is why you will never catch us overselling our system.  Remind yourself of the differences at our dedicated page on the topic

Peter Fell helps

Like most New Zealanders we like to help where we can, and were very pleased to donate some product for the make-over of the garden of Saph Verstappen in Ngaruawahia - a community workaholic and League nut (just like Peter himself)

You can watch the episode on the TVNZ website

And catch up with the show, including interviews, design inspirations etc on a  homepage all of it's own.

Classic Concrete

Ronchamp

Concrete often suffers from bad design and detailing but when the designer understand the material well the results are invariably spectacular.

Le Corbusier was a master of materials and his concrete work is no better showcased than at La Notre Dame du Haut, in the village of Ronchamp, South East France (click on the thumbnails to see much larger images).

It is our goal to help designers understand coloured concrete as best they can.  Contact us if you would like a morning tea presentation at your design office.

The advantages of our liquid colour system

One of the strengths of the Peter Fell system is that we use liquid based colour.  Liquids mix better and more efficiently giving a richer and more even colour, with no risk of balling or clumping of powder. 

Also very important is that all our colour is dosed at 5% or more  by weight of cement - meaning most of the time there is at least 12kg of colour in the mix, ensuring a substantial and rich colour that will last for generations.  Don't be fooled by cheaper systems that sell powder colour per cubic metre - they usually give you less colour for your money.

Continous Concrete Pool Edging

Of late we have seen more and more contractors using concrete to form the pool edge, here the project was done by West End Concrete in Auckland.  While only suitable for a pool where a cantilevered form can be set up on the pool edge (so not plastic pools) and needing sawcuts to be taken to the pool edge, it gives a different look to pools with copings, which may suit some projects.

See more in our project feature.

Dear Website Visitor

Welcome again to 'Inspiration'- the email newsletter from your specialists in coloured concrete, Peter Fell Ltd.

Like everyone in construction we are finding the winter 'interesting' but our sales remain solid as we see a lot of people renovating instead of building new.  Collaboration is the key and we have worked hard to ensure we work together with all our stakeholders for mutual benefit.  The new complementary colours tool with Resene colours is a great example of that.  Call us to see if there is a way we can work together so we both benefit.

The new colour 699 aka 'Superblack' continues to inspire people and the new sealers have proven popular, especially the impregnating PFL Natural Sealer for use in public or
high traffic areas.

We have two competitions - our friends at the Amisfield Wine Company are happy to provide lunch for two, and the competition from our first email 'Win a case of Deutz' is still running until the end of the month.

If you think this would be of interest to a colleague or friend, please forward it to them, or sign them up here.

Enjoy.

In this issue

• Our new Colour Matching Tool with Resene is launched
• Supercem - our cement paint is relaunched
• Win lunch at Amisfield Winery - and a project feature too!
• Opus C Concrete Design and Architecture magazine
• On-site tips - all sealers are not created equal
• Client Feature 1 - Sanstone NZ for cool concrete products
• Client Feature 2 - Alchemy Sculptures for concrete magic

New Resene colour matching tool

In conjuction with Resene, we have developed a new colour matching tool to aid the design process.  Angela Fell, a colour consultant with Resene (and no relation!), has chosen five to seven complementary colours from the latest Resene ranges for each Peter Fell colour.

In addition, for each of the seven Peter Fell colour series there are four 'Neutral or White' tones that can be used for each and every colour in that series.  The screenshot below shows part of the tool:

Supercem

Our cement paint system is relaunched

We have been selling our cement based paint Supercem for many years but have just given all the promotional material a makeover - Click here for more

Supercem looks similar to a traditional lime/cement wash but is much more sophisticated.  It comes in 24 UV stable colours and it gives a natural finish without the rub-off that is characteristic of traditional systems.  

Plus, it can be applied to new plaster after a couple of days - no need to wait a month and pay for the scaffolding for that time. 

Project feature & Competition:

Amisfield Wine Company

The Amisfield Wine Company  site in Queenstown is not only a multi award winning restaurant and culinary complex, it also features extensive use of some great Peter Fell coloured concrete. 

Check out our project feature and also be in to win one of their famous 'Trust the chef' lunches for two with a bottle of wine.

Next
time

Secret new products!

Sophisticated Finishes

We are all about colour and it is little known that we are the New Zealand agent for Sophisticated Finishes, an American range of Metallic Surfacers, and Antiquing solutions.  There is a large range of Surfacers including gold, silver, copper and bronze with antiquing options for each.

They are well proven, weather-proof and can be applied on most materials - see the full range here

On-site tips

Sealers - all you need to know

The key issue, and often the hardest to find out, is the percentage solids - the higher the solids the thicker the resulting coating and so durability.  Cheaper sealers generally don't wear well as they are usually low solids.  All of the Peter Fell range of sealers have the highest possible percentage solids and hence durability.  Do not be swayed by contractors offering a cheap sealers - you will get the little that you paid.

For all the answers to your sealer questions  click here.

Come and see us at the Auckland Homeshow

The Auckland Homeshow has a deserved reputation as the biggest and best in the country. 

It is on again September 9-13th and we will be at Stand 109 inspiring people with project ideas - please drop by and say hello.

New regular feature:

Classic Concrete

New Zealand's new design magazine  'Design Folio' recently feautured the Nakagin Capsule Tower, Tokyo by Kurokawa Kisho.  Classic precast concrete that is still cool 37 years after construction - check out the article (and subscribe to their excellent weekly design update while you are there - see box halfway down on right hand side)

Futureproof your maintenace

We often have the problem that clients want to reseal but don't know what  sealer is on their concrete.  This problem is solved with our Project Registration Service where all details for a project including colour and sealer type are stored.  Because we register the address as well it doesn't matter if the owner changes as all details will be known.  Every few years we will also send out reminders to the address that perhaps it is time for some maintenance of the concrete.

Allied install new automated dosing system

Allied Concrete recently invested in a new bulk black colour dosing system at their Penrose plant.

Completely locally designed and built, it utilises black liquid with a dosing system fully integrated to their batch computer. 

It eliminates the need for staff to manually weigh meaning faster more accurate batching of black concrete.

Here the first 1000L tote is lifted into the batching tower.

Stiletto proof drains

We know a good idea when we see one and when we saw this new product from Felton for a drain that is high heel proof, we knew they were on to a winner.

Stainless steel with a maximum opening of only 5mm, it is able to be cast-in to your concrete surface for a stylish and practical solution to drainage.

Client Feature

Alchemy Sculptures

Paul Beaurepaire from Alchemy Sculptures specialises in creating concrete environments with a difference.  If you have driven along the new SH20 extension in Auckland you will see a great example of his handywork, shown left.  First Shotcrete & Rock New Zealand Ltd shotcreted the surface, then Paul carves this with colour to create the final effect.

His work is so realistic that he once found a maintenance crew trying to waterblast off the 'moss' he had newly created on a rock wall!

Not only does Paul create extremely realistic rock sculptures on shotcreted surfaces, he also is very handy making signs, feature walls, waterfalls - see all his work at www.alchemysculptures.co.nz

Last Word - If you like the picture, keep November 19 free

Our owner Peter Fell is a man of many talents, and after he leaves work each day he pursues his second passion (or perhaps his first), sculpture.  At left is an example of the work which is dotted around our showroom here in Auckland and it proves his talent - it is all concrete based.

We have finally convinced him to put on a show, with most works for sale, and we will be having a function to open this on November 19 in the showroom - if you would like an invite please mail info@peterfell.co.nz.

More in the next newsletter.

Dear Website Visitor

Welcome to 'Inspiration'- the first email newsletter from your specialists in coloured concrete, Peter Fell Ltd.

Inspiration is the name and inspiration is the aim - we plan to inspire you with ideas, design tools and construction tips, plus bring news of the latest innovations from Peter Fell Ltd.  Our goal is to get the world as excited about concrete as we are.

We intend to send this out 3 or 4 times per year, and only when we have something worth your time to read.  If you are receiving this, you or your company has had something to do with us over the past 15 years or so, but if you don't want to receive this again please click on the link at the bottom of the page.

If you think this would be of interest to a colleague or friend, please forward it to them, or sign them up here.

Enjoy.

In this issue

GO!

Our new website
is live

After a complete redesign and rebuild our new website went live in early May.  We could blather on but why don't you just go and see how good it is for yourself - click here!

Of special note is the Design Choices Tool.  Many of the questions we are asked are about sealers and textures, and this new tool answers all these by showing your options for each common application, such as patios, internal floors, precast, etc. Check it out here.

Win a case of Deutz just by visiting the website

We are not above blatant bribes - visit our website and be in to win a case of Deutz, Marlborough's best bubbles.  To be taken to the competition entry page, click here.

Back in

Black

The industry told us that they want the
darkest shades possible for concrete, and so we launched Colour 699, aka SuperBlack, early in 2009.

It has proven to be extremely popular - 
to find out why click here.

Inspired by

Bali

This new house by Mark Wilson of Masonry Design Solutions, and featuring landscape design by Robin Shafer, showcases how good landscape design with concrete can be - all that is required is a good understanding of the material and a vivid imagination.

See more here

Next time

What's happening overseas?

All our colour pigments are supplied by Lanxess (previously known as Bayer) - German made and of the highest quality.  Lanxess have launched a global initiative called Color Concrete Works featuring notable jobs from around the globe.  Four projects are featured including the magnificent ESO Hotel shown above.
Click here for more.

On-site tips

How are projects with grey concrete and coloured concrete different?

How do I specify?  How do I order?  Can I use a curing compound?  What is the best screeding method?  How do I protect the surface?

For all these answers and more click here