For the TID-tower project from 51N4E office we tried to recreate granite panels on a small scale. (2x3,5x0,2cm)
Different homemade granulates where mixed with castable material untill we found the right pattern. We then cut and sanded the panels to size.
We had to make approximately threethousand of them.
Real concrete is just a nightmare to work with on a small scale. Architects love this material, so we often get request to visualize it in our models.
We've made a very strong castable material that looks like concrete, is a lot lighter and has amazing cutting and finishing qualities with sharp details.
For a lot of projects we use castable resins. They are easily shaped and the final geometry can be super precise.
One of the big advantages is that we can mix dies and fillers to obtain a huge range of colors, transparancies and finishes.