In the Works...Steeplechase Plaza

Either we have a thing for carousels or they have a thing for us. We pour concrete around the bottom of them to give the horses solid footing, and then stand back to watch the inevitable magic happen.

For this Coney Island project (yes, this Coney Island), GRS poured a new concrete slab in a custom color

and then we polished it.

The B&B carousel at Steeplechase Plaza is due to open this season. You can find out more about the project here. Also, this explains the significance of the carousel and has a quick video of the restoration process. 

Architect- Rockwell Group

Construction Management- Hunter Roberts

Subcontractor- Brickens Construction

Be sure to check back here for updates and finished photos. 

Done and Done...River House

This is the coolest kind of farmhouse. 

 This modern homestead, built on a 90-acre farm overlooking the Hudson River, was designed by Basil Walter Architects (BWA).

Located in Coxsackie, NY, it is primarily a mixture of concrete and wood. Clearly we're responsible for the latter. 

Get Real poured and burnished the concrete flooring throughout this light-filled residence. Burnishing concrete gives it a more muted finish, in contrast to diamond polishing, which has a more high gloss sheen. 

 We precast the fireplace and log holder in the main living area...

and troweled a water resistant, concrete finish onto the bathroom walls.

Additionally, this residence boasts geothermal wells and rooftop solar panels, making it modern, efficient, and clean, in more ways than one. 

Local Love

We've been writing about local love for some time and highlighting businesses and organizations in our local community (that's why we love them). We think it's important to talk about this because it can impact us all in a positive way.

We've talked about Greek food, CSA's, Mom and Pop shops, and Our Walkway. Anyway, we found an organization whose goal is to "co-create a better Hudson Valley" by supporting and connecting local businesses, and we're super psyched about it.

So, today's local love is about the people at Re>Think Local.

Check them out because you're going to hear more about them in the future and it's going to be real good stuff.

Done and done...Jet Blue

The Jet Blue Headquarters project is complete. 

The photo below shows the concrete treads that we precast for the stairway in our dusty finishing department. 

The finished project was featured in Interior Design Magazine. You can see a slide show, a video tour of the offices, and complete list of credits here. 

We have to say, besides the custom concrete staircase (which is our favorite), the fact that Jet Blue literally put their company values all over the walls - safety, integrity, caring, passion, and fun- is super cool. What better way to remind the "crew members" why they're there and what their focus should be. 

Good for you, Jet Blue. 

Cue the applause...

Our friends over at Joel Sanders Architect have recently been recognized for two amazing projects. Interior Design Magazine included the Julian Street Library at Princeton University, as well as the Bedford Residence in New York, in their Best of 2012 Honoree list. 

We're proud to say that we contributed to the Bedford Residence project. The list of products from Get Real include...

interior poured concrete flooring...

precast concrete steps...

countertops in the kitchen, 

 and a sunken concrete tub in the bathroom. 

Additionally, we poured concrete flooring and countertops in the exterior pool house and coated the interior and exterior of the pool house with our Cement based Microtopping.

Unfortunately our photos of this project do not do it justice. Joel Sanders Architect has photos and a description of the project on their website. With minimal effort you can check it out (under projects, residential, Bedford Residence). You will be blown away, promise. Try not to disturb your co-workers with your applause. 

To see the full list of Best of Year 2012 Project Winners go here. 

What goes around

We posted this about the water rising around Janes's Carousel, just after Hurricane Sandy hit. Things seemed bleak, to say the least. However, just as we had hoped, the horses are spinning again. 

Check out this letter from Jane Walentas, which gives an update and confirms that there is still a place on the Hudson river waterfront where children (of all ages) can whirl, where they wave at someone every time around, and people wave back.

Love that. 

Saving the day...

This floor had seen better days. So we did what we could to rescue it. 

The project was a basement floor in Brooklyn, NY. It was uneven and rough, as you can see.

Our challenge was to get the floor level and smooth, and of course it had to look nice. We brought in our crew, floor polishing machines, and applied some real muscle.

 We like the result, as did our client. 

If you have a floor that looks something like those before pictures and you're wondering if it can be saved, give us a call because chances are, it can be. We're the concrete superhero(s) your looking for.