Concrete Experimentation

Concrete itself is a material both old and new. It was known to the Romans, who used it extensively in the construction of vaults and domes. The technology was lost with the fall of the Roman empire, not to be discovered again until the late 18th century by the English engineer John Smeaton. For more than a century, it was considered a purely utilitarian material, to be covered with a facing material such as stone.

Ferrocement has been used since the 1920s. It probably became best known through the thin-shell applications by Felix Candela and Pier Luigi Nervi.

Thin shells of domes and vaults are well-suited for ferrocement applications because the curvature of the surface contributes to the stability of the structure, and the thinness of the material enables large spans without intermediate support. Another application of ferrocement has been in the construction of boats, where curvature contributes to the strength of the hull.

Polyhedral structures, such as those of Mikro Horio, present the next best, after curved surfaces, opportunity for taking advantage of the lightness and strength of ferrocement, primarily because of the small size of the panels that comprise the envelope.

Our structures on Gastromeni—GBB I, II and III—were built using ferrocement, but this is not the only experimentation with concrete that Christos embarked upon. He next decided to replace all the wooden components of the buildings—the doors, window frames, thesholds, etc.—with concrete, which he theorized would better withstand the harsh elements of our environment there, including high winds laden with salt spray, intense sun exposure, and rain. He continued in this vein with precast panels for fencing, and an entrance gate employing ferrocement. 

• Ferrocement

• Concrete doors

• Gates, fences