Cultura 混凝土牆磚 by Gabriel Costa is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2024 A' Design Award 鐵獎 in 建築構件設計 Competition Category.

鐵建築構件· 2024

Cultura 混凝土牆磚

by Gabriel Costa

Client: Castaa

A' Design Award 鐵獎 Winner in 建築構件 Category

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Colors

The Design

About Cultura 混凝土牆磚

此設計靈感源自古老的前哥倫布時期 Jama Coaque 部落(可追溯至公元前500年,位於厄瓜多爾)的獨特形態與藝術傳承。設計由四款磚片組成,挑戰在於開發一種有效方法,使磚縫線條能於各個方向無縫對齊。這些磚片變化款式能夠創造出多樣化的配置組合而不重複,呼應了滾筒印章設計。Cultura 復興並突顯了歷史本土設計的記憶與重要性。

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award 鐵獎

Cultura 混凝土牆磚是 A' Design Award 鐵獎得主，這是授予滿足人們對設計精良的創作所期待的專業與工業要求的優良設計的聲望認可。鐵獎得主展現出其創作者的高超技藝、高度專業化、專家級的理解力和創造能力。預計Cultura 混凝土牆磚將成為一件備受推崇、令人欽佩且被珍愛的創作，既實用又創新。這件贏得 A' Design Award 鐵獎的設計整合了行業最佳實踐，並擁有與專業知識和才華相結合的稱職技術特性。Cultura 混凝土牆磚因其嚴謹而受到尊重，旨在提供有助於讓世界變得更美好的生活品質改善。

Behind the Design

Press Kit

Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.

Unique Properties: The task presented by the design was to discover an effective approach for aligning the tiling lines seamlessly in every direction. The Cultura design comprised two distinct pieces: tiles A and B, each featuring a unique design. To address this challenge, the decision was made to make tile B a mirror image of tile A. Subsequently, by rotating both tiles 180 degrees, two additional tiles, labeled C and D, were produced. These variations in tiles enabled the production of a diverse array of configurations without repetition, inspired by the roller stamp patterns of the Jama Coaque culture.
Dimensions & Packaging: Width: 250 mm, Depht: 10 mm, Height: 600 mm.
Material: SSC/GRC.
Texture: Sleek
Finish: Semigloss
Tags: wall tile, wall element, 3D, concrete, home and living, pattern design, geometric, pattern
Production Technology: The manufacturing technique utilized involved the use of wet-cast high-performance concrete in thermoformed plastic molds crafted over an engineered aluminum routed matrix to ensure stable dimensions and a sleek semi-gloss texture finish.

After demolding, no modifications were made using any additional sources or tools for finishing beyond those originally utilized during the production process.
Design Challenge: The creative challenge lay in crafting an original piece to complement the other three, blending them together seamlessly to form a cohesive image of a repetitive bookmatched pattern within a natural design. The concept emerged: diagonal stripes intersected by inlays, mimicking a primitive depiction of animals. These inlays, strategically placed, would provide texture, allowing light and shadow to interact and imbue the entire wall with depth and meaning.
Research: The objective was to design a tile with aims of highlighting and bringing back the values of historical Jama Coaque tribe, around 500 B.C, known for intricate designs and innovative techniques. They pioneered the use of a roller stamp for continuous patterns, showcasing their innovation. Instead of using the same patterns, the focus was on enhancing compositions with fundamental design principles and enriching patterns with complexity.
Inspiration: Cultura is inspired by the distinctive shapes and artistic heritage of the ancient pre-Columbian Jama Coaque culture located in Ecuador. Renowned for their use of roller stamps to adorn pottery, textiles, and skin with motifs, they established a unique identity through this artistic tradition.
Project Duration: The development of the tile design was made approximately 1 year before production and was manufactured by CASTAA from October 2022 to December 2022 in Duran, Ecuador.
Operation Flow: The Tiling Method:

a. Determine the wall dimensions.
b. Mark the midpoint along the width.
c. Calculate the tiles quantity required to fill the upper left row
d. Choose your code type: single, bi, tri and quad code.
e. Place the chosen code in the upper left row and fills to the end.
f. Bookmatched by placing the opposite tile on the right half row.
g. Fill the entire second row bellow by placing once again, the bookmatched tiles from the first row with their corresponding opposite tiles.
h. Copy the block area of 2 complete rows downward by replicating it until the entire wall is fully covered.
Patents: Copyrights C-001-2019-GC (Cultura) belong to Gabriel Costa Year 2019.
Team Members: Designer: Gabriel Costa
Image Credits: Image #1 : Photographer Andres Carrion, Cultura, 2023
Image #2 : Photographer Andres Carrion, Cultura, 2023
Image #3 : Photographer Andres Carrion, Cultura, 2023
Image #4 : Photographer Gabriel Costa, Cultura, 2023
Image #5 : Photographer Andres Carrion, Cultura, 2023