Concrete, guaranteed to add a subtle yet sophisticated edge to your interiors. In this section you’ll find a whole plethora of 1st Option’s Photo-shoot, TV and Filming locations that feature concrete elements that are sure to satisfy all your industrial and contemporary needs.
Concrete is in fact way older than you might have ever imagined, dating all the way back to 6500 BC. Firstly developed in the region of Syria and northern Jordan, they built kilns to supply mortar for the construction of rubble-wall houses, concrete floors and underground waterproof cisterns used to catch rainwater. Some of these prehistoric structures are still standing today, which is pretty impressive really.
From there, concrete continued to develop throughout history in some interesting and important ways. Here’s a selection of highlights from the life of concrete:
- In the Egyptian and Roman era’s, builders rediscovered that adding volcanic ash to concrete mix allowed it to set underwater.
- The Egyptians also used concrete to build the magnificent pyramid structures over 5000 years ago that attract millions of tourists each year.
- A few thousand years later dating around 300BC, the ancient Romans used concrete to build architectural marvels such as the Colosseum and the Pantheon.
- After the Roman Empire, the use of concrete was greatly reduced and was almost forgotten about until the 14th century, where it was gradually reintroduced into architecture.
- However, it was the industrial revolution that was concrete’s real time to shine. Argued as one of the greatest steps forward in the modern use of concrete was the building of the Smeaton’s Tower (a lighthouse modelled on an oak tree, in case you were wondering.) The industrial revolution also saw the explosion in the development of iron and steel structures that were most typically accompanied by concrete and cement.
Since the Industrial revolution, concrete has continued to evolve. Flash forward to 2018/19 and as well as forming the structures of the majority of our buildings, concrete has become a fashionable, exposed element topping most of the interior trend lists. There are a number of reasons why we’ve embraced concrete within our homes; it created an industrial edge, it’s super easy to maintain, it adds lots of texture and acts an instant focal point. If that’s not enough reason to make you jump on board with the trend, we don’t know what will.
So now you’re all clued up on the life and history of our beloved concrete, (you’re welcome) it’s time to have a browse through our collection of properties that have some really fantastic concrete features. From our very own concrete studio to industrial warehouses and contemporary homes with buckets full of interesting concrete characteristics, we have all the concrete you could ever need.
Get in contact with one of our lovely team members for further information.