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

THIS IS IT, the World Famous Fabric-Forming Concrete Sink + GFRC Workshop! Over the last decade we have taught, asked and listened to students, then refined and repeated countless times. All of that experience has led to this, the absolute best Fabric-Forming + GFRC Workshop that has ever been offered in the history of man. We should know, we have been teaching both subjects longer than anyone else!

Every student will receive a full-color 36 page course guide, packed with invaluable information and never-seen-before photographs! This course guide is not available for purchase to the general public. It is only available to students who enroll in this workshop.

Fabric-forming is the future of concrete, now. It is an amazing method that can be employed in the creation of custom sinks, planters, wall panels, fireplace surrounds, etc. There is much rationale backing fabric as the optimal material for creating forms, with the primary being that it creates a natural shape, a form that cannot be created any other way. We spend the first two days of your workshop creating a fabric-form from scratch. All processes are covered with a concentration on the nuances that can only be gained from years of experience.

Once the form is completed, we continue on day two with GFRC (glass-fiber reinforced concrete). We cover GFRC tools and equipment, materials, mix design, proper mix protocol, and most importantly, how we cast GFRC. On day three the mould is removed and the piece created is revealed! At that point we finish the concrete, repair any imperfections, and discuss sealers and application methods.

GFRC (glass-fiber reinforced concrete) is the medium we choose to create our work with for several reasons. It is easier to manipulate than traditional concrete, it is lighter, and ultimately, GFRC creates a stronger finished piece. However, it is important to note that GFRC is not new, it has been used in exterior commercial pre-cast applications for more than 30 years in some of the harshest climates known to man. The material is sound. It is proven.

Anything can be made more difficult than it needs to be, and left up to engineers, it is. We have striven to reduce our mix designs and techniques to be simple, repeatable and reliable so you can focus on the heart of the matter, and the reason you are interested in concrete; art, design, expanding horizons, and to shape the world around us with our own two hands.

We were the first company to train both fabric-forming and GFRC and are the long-leading experts in this emerging market segment. Our training is often imitated, but never duplicated; the pieces our attendees create are in a league of their own. You will not find cliche college’esque course numbers, bloated egos or erroneous claims of practical knowledge here. What you will find is the most passionate, creative and thorough training of fabric-forming and GFRC available anywhere - if this is what you’re looking for, welcome to your workshop.

SESSION TIME AND CAPACITY

2.5 days of training in the Concrete Design School Headquarters located in Eureka Springs, Arkansas
These sessions are limited to 15 participants to ensure hands-on learning and class participation

WORKSHOP DATES

March 12, 2018 - March 14, 2018 (Please note, we are conducting a '1.5 Day Post-Tensioned Concrete Workshop' directly following this class, you can learn more and register here. If you are a first time attendee of the Fabric-Forming Workshop you can register for the Post-Tensioned Workshop at the Alumni Rate!)

COST

First-time Students: $1875
Alumni: $1500

You may be asking yourself, which ticket type should I purchase? If this is your first time attending a Concrete Design School Workshop you should choose the 'First Time Student' ticket. If you have previously taken part in a Concrete Design School class you should choose the 'Alumni' ticket, as we offer special reduced pricing to returning attendees as way of saying thank you for your continued support.

WORKSHOP LOCATION

Concrete Design School is located at:

45 Bear Ridge Rd., Eureka Springs, AR 72631

GPS Coordinates: 36.421726, -93.789226

THE FINE PRINT

If you need to cancel, the course fee will not be refunded but the amount can be used towards a future Concrete Design School workshop.

All participants will be required to sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement with penalties for unauthorized disclosure of material. The methods and formulas taught during the class may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in any form.

Concrete Design School reserves the right to change, modify or cancel the class schedule at any time.

First Time Attendee or Alumni?:

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

40,000 HOURS LEAD TO THIS

13 years of uninterrupted hard-work is a long time to be focused solely on a single task, but that is what I have been doing. 40,000 hours. 40,000 hours of trial and error, evolution, back-tracking, and discovery. All of that lead to this workshop; a class that focuses on the most up-to-date techniques that I am employing, which includes post-tensioned concrete.

You may be asking yourself, what is post-tensioned concrete? Post-tensioning is a method of reinforcing concrete where we strategically cast high-strength steel cables in the concrete, allowing them to move within a protective sleeve, and once cured we tighten (aka "tension") the cables placing the concrete in permanent compression. Why is this important and/or useful to the concrete artisan? It allows tremendous creative and design freedom in relation to unsupported spans. The 'Leviathan Table' (pictured below), a 14' outdoor dining table, was only plausible and made possible due to post-tensioning.

The truth of the matter is that nearly every other training program is teaching information and techniques that we were instructing a decade ago. There's nothing wrong with this information, it's just not the way we do things any longer. We have tried most every method, mix, and sealer and have ruled out the vast majority of them for a multitude of reasons, the most basic being that they are bad for business. Perhaps they are unpredictable, unreliable, not repeatable, or not backed by the manufacturer when they fail. You can spend 13 years of your life working in your studio 60 hours a week to arrive at our conclusions for best practices, or you can attend this class and save yourself a ton of money, heartache, and possibly your marriage.

Simply put, this workshop's priority is to teach you:

How we currently design and construct our forms
The mix designs and sealers we presently employ
Our most up-to-date casting techniques
The principles of post-tensioned concrete and how it is applicable to our scale of work

As a class, we will work together to form, cast, and de-mold a post-tensioned item. We will take time to answer your questions, review past projects with behind-the-scenes photos, discuss what works, and more importantly, what is a waste of time and money.

This is not a 'basics class', but that isn't to say you have to be experienced to attend. If you are new to concrete but are serious about advancing your career within this craft, this workshop is for you. If you are a veteran and/or have attended previous Concrete Design School workshops, but want to learn how we approach and cast projects today, this workshop is for you. This class is for the individual that wants to learn from the 2,400,000+ minutes of trials and tribulations it took for us to get "here", this moment in time, not a day, month, year, or decade ago. This isn't a sales pitch, nor is it training from trainers that haven't been in the game for many years, if ever. It is a serious discussion and instruction on what works today, and why.