Architectural/Decorative Concrete (tie)

Location: 848 N. Sunrise Blvd., Camano Island

Owner/developer: Jeff Erickson

Project team: Gaffney Construction, general contractor; Lundeen Simonson, DKS and Backstrom Curb & Sidewalk, concrete contractors; Dykeman, architect; RB Engineering, structural engineer; Smokey Point Concrete, ready-mix supplier

The project is a retail village that will include nine buildings when fully developed. The buildings surround a courtyard of concrete pavers and landscaping designed for outdoor seating and pedestrian activities.

Concrete was left exposed on some interior walls as a design element. Concrete floors were stained and polished.

Each building was individually designed for the tenant. Architectural concrete was one of the project’s primary materials, being used for both design and structural purposes.

Two pedestrian gateways feed into the courtyard. Concrete columns, heavy timber trellis elements and a steel grid for tenant signs were used in the courtyard to create a sense of enclosure for the space. The concrete finish is natural and is intended to weather along with the wood and steel.

Concrete was used on the foundations and slabs of the buildings, many of which have 3-foot-tall exposed concrete stem walls that were board-formed with cedar planks. Several buildings have stained concrete floors.

Concrete was used in the site’s 120-stall parking lot: 4 inches thick in traffic areas and 6 inches in truck delivery areas. It was selected over asphalt due to its low maintenance and low environmental impact. Sand-set concrete pavers were used in the parking area to help retain rainwater.