Concrete blocks are idealized building components produced under controlled circumstances. When they become a part of a building they are subject to uncontrolled forces of life, time and wear. Our research embraces the post-production performance of the block and the design of each block responds to the transformative potential of dynamic natural forces.

David Leatherbarrow and Moshen Mostafavi begin their book On Weathering asserting that “finishing ends construction, weathering constructs finishes.” They leave us with a provocative question; “Is it possible that weathering is not only a problem to be solved, or a fact to be neglected, but is an inevitable occurrence to be recognized and made use of in the uncertainties of its manifestation?” With this in mind we have conceived of concrete block as an integral component of a larger environmental context engaging and reflecting explicit life forces.

Growth
Concrete block has the potential to create a micro-environment hospitable to plants and animals. A north facing block wall in a wet region can be sprayed with a solution of moss spores suspended in buttermilk to host a vertical carpet. Climbing vines planted at the base of block wall can choose their vertical path along the contours of the sculpted wall face.