Ongoing innovation in high-strength concrete and proprietary formulas for ultra high-performance concrete (UHPC) have made the material stonger, thinner, and more malleable than ever before. This year’s jury was taken with a UHPC formulation called Taktl, made by a company of the same name launched as a separate entity five years ago by architectural-products manufacturer Forms+Surfaces. The jurors were impressed by the company’s commitment to innovation and its eco-minded manufacturing model, which sources local materials. Taktl engineers focus on performance testing and the development of materials such as formulations, coatings, reinforcements, and pigments. An in-house team of designers uses modeling software to find new applications for the materials. Juror Julie Eizenberg praised the “dedication to experimentation with the product, which came through really clearly.”
