A South African studio
Concrete, with the hand still in it.
Bespoke concrete pieces for homes, interiors, and outdoor spaces — tables, planters, fireplaces, and memorials, hand-cast in Cape Town in GFRC and UHPC.
Our story
The hand, the mass, the time it takes.
We started Conkrete because concrete had forgotten how to feel. The factory versions — flat, hollow, hurried — had buried something the old work always carried. A grain. A weight. The mark of someone having been there.
So we set up a small studio and went looking for it again. The texture under a thumb. The honesty of a corner that took an afternoon to get right. Pieces that ask to be touched, then keep being touched for decades.
We chase a perfect we know we won't catch. The chase is the point. What lands on the floor — heavy, slow, considered — is closer for the trying.
The material
Two concretes, both built to last.
We work in GFRC and UHPC — engineered concretes that go thinner, stronger, and longer than the slab you know.
A cementitious mix carrying alkali-resistant glass fibres, cast in thin, strong sheets. We reach for it when a piece needs to be light enough to lift and tough enough to live outside.
- Thinner forms, sharper edges
- Around 70% less material than traditional cast
- Suited to outdoor work and complex shapes
A denser, finer mix with steel and polymer reinforcement, pressed close to its theoretical limit. It is the version of concrete that outlives its owner, and probably the next one too.
- Extreme density and compressive strength
- Minimal porosity, slow to weather
- Designed for multi-generational lifespan
In their words
Lived with, not just looked at.
The dining table has been the most used piece in our home for three years. The weight of it feels like permanence.
They drew it, sampled it, then cast it to fit the space exactly. The patience shows in the finish.
We asked for one planter and ended up with the piece the courtyard is now built around.
Why it matters
Make less. Make it last.
Concrete carries a real footprint. The way we use less of it, and the way we make what we use stay, is the work.
We'd rather make one table that lasts a hundred years than ten that last ten. Make less. Make it last. That is the whole environmental position, and most of the design one too.
How a commission works
Four steps, no rush.
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Consult
We talk through the space, the use, and the piece you have in mind.
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Sample
We draw it, then cast a sample so colour and texture are agreed before the piece is made.
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Cast
The piece is hand-cast in GFRC or UHPC, then cured and finished by hand.
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Deliver
We deliver and place it. Most commissions run four to eight weeks.
Ready to begin
Commission a piece.
Every commission starts with a conversation. Tell us what you are building and we will take it from there. Pieces are quoted per project, and most take four to eight weeks.
Start an enquiry