Down to Earth Firebowl
FIRE POWER
Yves St. Hilaire’s Down to Earth Firebowl was awarded a Presidents Award in the 2011 CHENG Concrete Circle of Distinction Design Challenge by CHENG Concrete co-presidents Annalyn Chargualaf-Peluso and Mike Heidebrink. Judges Fu-Tung Cheng, designer (Cheng Design, Cheng Products, CHENG Concrete), Robert Brunner, industrial designer (Ammunition Group, Fuego), and Dan Gregory, editor and author (Houseplans.com), also awarded St. Hilaire’s project an Honorable Mention in the Sculpture category.
Working with a tight deadline while taking on a uniquely creative project, St. Hilaire, owner of Sticks + Stones Furniture, created this award-winning sculpture with a little help and a lot of determination.
Project Objective and Client Feedback
The designer of the firebowl, Marcyn Ward of Down to Earth Landscapes, wanted to create an extraordinary sculptural centerpiece for her clients contemporary West Coast home. The firebowl needed to be fabricated and installed in an exterior atrium, wrapped on three sides by windows, in time for a wedding scheduled at the home. “Everyone that was involved with this project was blown away with the results and the clients could not have been happier, especially as it was ready it time for the wedding , just!” says St. Hilaire.
Design and Expertise
Due to the complex nature of the firebowl design, the project needed a material that could take any form and could be created in the deep and saturated orange-umber color envisioned by the designer. Concrete, a malleable medium that cures into a solid, offered the perfect solution. St. Hilaire is adamant about the material choice: I truly believe that this firebowl could only have been created with the same level of success in concrete; no other material would have worked.
The fabrication challenges in building the firebowl’s form sloping multiple curves with a thin edge on one end pushed St. Hilaire out of his comfort zone. The piece was extremely challenging to create, especially given a tight timeline, and it enabled Sticks + Stones an opportunity to produce something extraordinary. St. Hilaire credits, along with his Sticks + Stones team, 3D Custom Foam, who did an amazing job creating the negative space for our concrete.
Because of its unusual shape, St. Hilaire was undecided about how to vibrate the firebowl mold until the day of the concrete pour. In the end, the piece was placed on a dolly and manually shaken back and forth to remove all of the air bubbles from the mold. The sculpture was then removed from the mold 48 hours after the pour, still steaming and warm to the touch.
The firebowl installation took place only three weeks after the pour and, with a crew of ten assisting with the delivery and installation, everything went without a hitch and just in time to be a showstopper, second only to the bride of the wedding event held at the home. The judges best summarized the project: This fire bowl sculpture looks effortless and elegant in its seemingly simple form, yet to accomplish the structural complexity of this shape and scale requires top-level skill and honed craftsmanship. [it is] synonymous with excellence!
PRESIDENTS AWARD 2: STICKS + STONES
CHENG Concrete’s 7th Annual Members Circle of Distinction Design Challenge
Recognized in the industry as the pinnacle of exceptional design and craftsmanship, the CHENG Concrete Circle of Distinction Design Challenge showcases talent and technical skill of the very best in creative concrete. Nearly one hundred entries in twelve categories were judged on elements and principles of design, design planning, innovative concept/creativity, use of color, presentation, innovative forming techniques, problem solving, and creatively meeting the demands of the client. This year’s competition introduced an entry category for New Members and the first Presidents’ Award chosen outside of the regular judging by the co-presidents of CHENG Concrete.
ABOUT STICKS + STONES
Sticks and Stones Furniture showcases the strength, elegance and pliability of its materials. With a unique blending of wood and concrete, Sticks + Stones brings modern materials and designs to your living and work spaces.
In addition to custom furniture, Sticks + Stones concrete castings can add a signature design feature to every room in your home. From kitchens to bathrooms, fireplaces to countertops, Sticks + Stones caters to those seeking an original touch, a one-of-a-kind piece for their homes. Each concrete casting, from color to texture to sizing, will always be unique. And over time, you can choose to let its living finish show, or keep its original luster. The versatility and organic qualities of concrete are expressed uniquely in each finished installation.
