Canadian artisan David Umemoto has teamed with Cemvision, Stockholm-based developer of portland cement alternative binders, on a demonstration of low carbon concrete interpreted in a sculpture whose eight pieces representing building blocks toward a sustainable future.
While better construction materials are critical, Cemvision officials contend, a broader movement among designers, suppliers and regulators is needed to transform the present production and specification system. The Umemoto sculpture serves as a rallying cry for change at scale and a tool to counter doubt about green cement as a replacement for traditional binder, notes Chief Marketing Officer Max Larsson von Reybekiel.
“Concrete is a versatile and beautiful material that has shaped iconic works of art and architecture throughout history. Cemvision’s green cement is the scalable solution that I, and I think the entire architectural community, have been longing for,” adds Umemoto, who holds a degree in architecture from Laval University, Quebec, and has logged art exhibits in North America, Europe and Australia. Returning in recent years to his architecture roots, he has focused on concrete sculptures, particularly miniature architectural pieces that evoke Brutalist structures. Pragmatic and poetic, his current practice bridges the spirit of architecture, sculpture and design.
