If you’ve ever lived in Japantown, went on one of the many San Francisco tours, or studied Buddhism, this picture might ring a bell. The building is called the Peace Pagoda, though it’s certainly not the only structure to bear that name. Built under Nichidatsu Fujii, a Japanese monk who founded the Ni­­­­­­­­pponzan-­Myōhōji order of Buddhism, most Peace Pagoda buildings are stupas , or structures that contain Buddhist relics (often the remains of Buddha himself). Buddhists typically use stupas as places of worship.

However, the Peace Pagodas serve a different purpose — they stand to gather people of all races and creeds with the aim of achieving world peace. The original Peace Pagodas were symbols of peace built in Hiroshima and Nagasaki in the wake of the nuclear bombings. By the year 2000, eighty Pagodas had been built in cities and countries the world over, San Francisco included.This particular Peace Pagoda isn’t actually tied to the Nipponzan-Myōhōji order, however. It was designed in 1968 by the late Yoshiro Taniguchi and presented to the city as a gift from Osaka – San Francisco’s sister city. The stupa is a five-tiered structure made mainly of precast concrete. The design, despite being based on traditional Japanese structures, is surprisingly modern for its time, so it’s still an attractive architectural project in the 21^st century (and one of the more popular San Francisco attractions for photos).

Still… something about the pagoda’s design always reminds us of Italian Italian pizelle cookies. And that is by no means a bad thing (except for our waistlines).

Precast Specialties Corp specializes in architectural concrete panels, concrete roadway products and exceptional custom precast products including seawall panels, boat ramps and large support piers. All of our custom products are cast in our factory utilizing 5,000 psi, super-plasticized, air-entrained concrete. We can produce virtually any color, finish or texture to meet your project needs. Find out what our clients and contractors have to say about our work, or see for yourself by contacting us for your next project at:

Precast Specialties Corp.
999 Adams Street
P.O. Box 86
Abington, MA 02351

Tel: (781)878-7220
Fax: (781)878-7464
info@precastspecialtiescorp.com

Housing the largest collection of the artist’s work would be amazing enough, but the actual design of the building is fantastic. Designed by architectural firm HOK, the museum was created to reflect Dali’s artistic genius. The almost gooey exterior is a reflection of Dalí’s interest in the tension between rationality and surrealism, with the fluid glass shapes flowing around and through the blocky, no-nonsense concrete walls. The organic blue structure is also inspired by the geodesic domes of Buckminster Fuller, another creative force who greatly influenced Dalí.

Built to withstand Florida’s turbulent hurricane season, the precast concrete walls are 18 inches thick. The art pieces are all stored on the third floor, leaving the 75-foot-tall atrium an open space. Filling up that atrium and guiding visitors up is the most striking part of the museum: the spiral staircase!

The concrete staircase is inspired both by the Fibonacci sequence and the DNA double-helix pattern, both things that Dalí expressed great interest in. The staircase isn’t suspended either– it floats down from the ceiling, supported at the top and bottom but not by the walls. All the elements combine to form one very cool architectural project, and an excellent tribute to Salvador Dalí and his legendary art.

Precast Specialties Corp. specializes in architectural concrete panels, concrete roadway products and exceptional custom precast products including seawall panels, boat ramps and large support piers. All of our custom products are cast in our factory utilizing 5,000 psi, super-plasticized, air-entrained concrete. We can produce virtually any color, finish or texture to meet your project needs. Find out what our clients and contractors have to say about our work, or see for yourself by contacting us for your next project at:

Precast Specialties Corp.
999 Adams Street
P.O. Box 86
Abington, MA 02351

 
Tel: (781)878-7220
Fax: (781)878-7464
info@precastspecialtiescorp.com

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Scientists with the Conservancy have discovered that over 85% of the world’s oyster reefs have been lost. These oyster reefs are highly beneficial to the ecosystem. They make habitats for local fish, break up energy from incoming waves against the coasts (protecting us from tsunami, hurricanes and coastal storms) and filter the water by feeding, which improves the water quality. So, in Vermillion Bay, Louisiana, the Conservancy contacted Wayfarer Environmental Technologies to create the Oyster Break system. A series of 5’ diameter precast concrete rings were installed in the water around the reefs. A special organic mix was inserted into the concrete to attract oysters, in the hopes they’ll attach themselves to the shelves and create a natural oyster habitat once again.

So far the project seems to be a success, and the number of oysters forming along the rings is increasing. It’s great to see precast concrete helping to re-energize our environment.

Precast Specialties Corp. specializes in architectural concrete panels, concrete roadway products and exceptional custom precast products including seawall panels, boat ramps and large support piers. All of our custom products are cast in our factory utilizing 5,000 psi, super-plasticized, air-entrained concrete. We can produce virtually any color, finish or texture to meet your project needs. Find out what our clients and contractors have to say about our work, or see for yourself by contacting us for your next project at:

Precast Specialties Corp.
999 Adams Street
P.O. Box 86
Abington, MA 02351
Tel: (781)878-7220
Fax: (781)878-7464
info@precastspecialtiescorp.com

Precast Specialties Corp. in Abington, Massachusetts has a long history of contributing to unique and stylish architectural projects. Precast concrete has long been the backbone of impressive designs – both domestic and worldwide. Although we don’t focus on residential projects, we at Precast can still appreciate a great work of architecture. One stunning example can be found in Howth, Ireland. There, overlooking the Dublin Bay, Irish practice FKL Architects constructed a residence, using precast materials exclusively, that was designed to be an extension of the land around it. The building, which is called, appropriately enough, Precast House, is comprised of three separate areas: the swimming pool, the house and the garage.

The site is long, sloping, falling towards cliffs and the sea. Entering the site, the viewer’s eye is drawn to the horizon, the viewer is pulled towards the abstracted line. The project is defined in conceptual terms as three discrete forms – garage, house and swimming pool – each emerging from the landscape, their respective heights being determined by the use of each form. The relationship between the three elements is a casual one, slipping past each other, sliding towards the sea. The three forms are detailed in the same manner and use the same material, polished precast concrete.

At first floor level (entry level) the plan is open with the primary living spaces and entrance having an overlapping relationship. Within the field of the first floor a number of walnut clad timber elements are slipped between floor and ceiling planes, defining the flow of the space and adding richness to the interior. At ground floor level (sleeping level) the situation is more introverted.

The figure ground relationship is the reverse of the first floor, the plan is treated as a solid mass that has been carved out to make a cruciform circulation space with the bathrooms and bedrooms retained inside the remaining form.
– From Dezeen Magazine – November 16, 2009

For more about FKL  Architects and their diverse portfolio, please visit their website.

Precast Specialties Corp. specializes in architectural concrete panels, concrete roadway products and exceptional custom precast products including seawall panels, boat ramps and large support piers. All of our custom products are cast in our factory utilizing 5,000 psi, super-plasticized, air-entrained concrete. We can produce virtually any color, finish or texture to meet your project needs. Find out what our clients and contractors have to say about our work, or see for yourself by contacting us for your next project at:

Precast Specialties Corp.
999 Adams Street
P.O. Box 86
Abington, MA 02351
Tel: (781)878-7220
Fax: (781)878-7464
info@precastspecialtiescorp.com

The firm details the imagery behind the design, and their reasoning behind using precast concrete:

Commissioned as the result of a national competition, the design of the City Hall accommodates a complex program of public access, administration and ceremony on a prominent and dramatically contoured site. The architectural language aims at an iconic building to convey the dignity and openness of contemporary government.

The formal composition is a tripartite arrangement of a base, a brick clad volume built into the hillside from which a columnar concrete structure rises to support the elevated level of the council and the Mayor and the tiered office floors in the crown of the building above.

At the interior, offices are grouped around major public spaces, the council chamber, councilors’ and Mayor’s offices around the eight story high south entry hall and indoor forum, the work spaces of the lower building around a multi-level North Concourse and the upper floors with views of the city and the sea, get additional daylight from a central courtyard.

The structural fabric of precast and cast-in-place concrete, designed in collaboration with the engineer LeMessurier, provides the syntax of the formal language. The imagery of the building is complex in its innovative modernism and allusion to historic prototypes, temples, palazzi and city ramparts. Kallmann McKinnell & Knowles Architects.

See more pictures and information about this and other Kallmann McKinnell & Knowles projects here.

Precast Specialties Corp. specializes in architectural concrete panels, concrete roadway products and exceptional custom precast products including seawall panels, boat ramps and large support piers. We can produce virtually any color, finish or texture to meet your project needs. Our diverse portfolio includes industrial, medical and government projects, among others. See why contractors and businesses rave about our work, and contact us for your next project at:

Precast Specialties Corp.
999 Adams Street
P.O. Box 86
Abington, MA 02351

Tel: 781-878-7220
Fax: 781-878-7464
info@precastspecialtiescorp.com

Our reputation for producing exceptional, custom precast concrete products has spread throughout the eastern United States. With our own manufacturing and finishing facilities, Precast Specialties Corp. can customize items for any application. Whether you are an architect, contractor, builder, or even a marine specialist, we work with you to supply the custom precast concrete materials you need to make sure your project is done right.

Call us today at 781-878-7220 to discuss your upcoming project and how our custom precast products can fit your needs. We can provide you with an estimate and discuss project specs.

Canisius College – Montante Cultural Center – Photo Property of Cannon Design

At Precast Specialties Corp., innovation is a core part of our business culture. Far beyond precast concrete, our custom capabilities and product line expansions including the new Solar Products Group and TX Active Photocatalytic cement mean that we constantly strive to offer the very best products to serve the ever-changing needs of clients. We applaud firms that share our passion for innovation and today, we are featuring multifaceted architecture firm Cannon Design.

Boston University – Fitness and Recreation Center – Photo Property of Cannon Design

A quick glance over Cannon Design’s work and it’s clear that this architecture, engineering and interior design firm creates projects that are not only functional but also stretch the imagination and break boundaries.

Hauptman-Woodward Research Institute – Structural Biology Research Center – Photo Property of Cannon Design

Self-proclaimed as an “Ideas Based Practice,” Cannon is ranked among the leading international firms in planning and design for an impressive array of clients from healthcare, science and technology, education, sports and recreation, commercial and government. Bank of America, Brigham and Women’s, Cornell University, Fenway Park, Herman Miller and West Point are all clients of Cannon, along with many others.

Roadway Planning and Process

For any project, our Roadway Group at Precast Specialties Corp. always develops a curb layout plan that identifies the length of each curb and its exact installation position. This layout plan is used by our plant and our customers to coordinate the logistics of every job. Odd curb lengths are custom made in our plant to eliminate on-site cutting. By implementing this process on every job, we partner with our customers to reduce their job costs and to help make their project flow more easily.

If you are working on a project involving curbing, contact the Roadway Group for assistance with spec development today by calling 781-878-7220 or email us at info@precastspecialtiescorp.com

UC Tower

At 100 meters tall and with 59,000 square meters of office space, this 25-story Grade “A” building responds to the growing demand for high-end commercial real estate in Pudong’s Zhuyuang District in Shanghai.

One Thousand Steps

One Thousand Steps in Laguna Beach, CA offers an edited selection of denim friendly, fashion-forward merchandise within a modern and sophisticated store design featuring an innovative on-the-sales-floor storage system.

Hyatt Regency Century Plaza

For the third phase in the makeover of the ground-floor common areas of the legendary Century Plaza hotel, Gensler updated the lobby, imbuing it with a taste of Hollywood glamour.

Precast Specialties Corp. works with regional architectural firms and national architectural firms like Gensler & Associates to produce custom designed precast wall panels that are available in a virtually unlimited palette of colors, textures and design elements. We never forget that architects expect us to deliver an innovative product that is a key component in making their vision a reality. Precast wall panels are an aesthetically pleasing and economical construction choice for office buildings, hotels, commercial, civic and institutional projects.

Visit Precast Specialties Corp at www.precastspecialtiescorp.com, call 781-878-7220 or email info@precastspecialtiescorp for more information about our Architectural Group.

*All photos are property of Gensler & Associates

We manufacture the standard light pole bases and handholes for The City of Boston with black iron polymer and galvanized frame covers.

They are in stock and available for immediate delivery. Light pole and traffic signal boxes are available in other styles and sizes to meet specific project specifications. Call 781-878-7220 or email info@precastspecialtiescorp for more information about these and other roadway products.