Sep 04 2015
Chris Ostrowski, owner of Mountain Wave Concrete Designs, first became interested in concrete design while working as a project manager for a custom home builder in Park City, Utah. To develop this interest, Chris went to train under Brandon Gore, with Gore Design Co. and Concrete Design School, in Phoenix, Arizona. After completing the training, he returned to Park City and became a concrete countertop contractor. Not long after, Chris and his wife decided they wanted to move to Sayulita.
“We were living in the midst of million dollar homes and high end SUVs, and my wife and I just wanted to simplify and raise our children with a little different perspective. We were frequent visitors to Sayulita and we liked that it was familiar, has a small town feel, and is very close to an international airport. We could also see that Sayulita was on the cusp of moving in a bigger direction. But, the question was what was I going to do for work,” shared Chris.
To test the waters prior to moving to Sayulita, Chris placed an advertisement in SayulitaLife.com to determine interest and need for higher end concrete work and design in the area. The response from the ad was well received and he realized that there was demand for this type of work. “It was a look that wasn’t available locally. A friend saw pieces in a nearby showroom that were somewhat similar, but they were being brought in from over 10 hours away. That's when I realized I could make this business work in Sayulita. Now, I have now been making "fine concrete" products in Mexico for fours years already,” said Chris.
All the work Chris does is custom made and he designs a variety of pieces, including countertops, vanities, sinks, planters, furniture, and large format tiles and wall panels. We work exclusively with GFRC concrete or ‘Glass Fiber Reinforced Concrete.’ Rather than relying on steel and mass to provide strength in our concrete, we use a matrix of high strength glass fibers. By doing this we can achieve more complex shapes, create pieces that are incredibly strong for their thickness and be able to cast lighter weight pieces using less concrete,” said Chris.
Chris has completed numerous local projects, including designs at Costa Verde International SchoolVilla RosettaVilla Cherimoya, Casa Tres Vistas, Punta Sayulita, and Villa Cainito.
Chris also offers two types of hands on creative workshops. The first, Low Stress, Big Mess, is designed to teach the basics of concrete design. Participants walk away from this workshop with a creation they made themselves. The second type of workshop, You are the Artisan, is one in which the participant already has a vision of what they would like to create, and the vision is made a reality working along side Chris at his workshop.
For more information about these workshops or the design work Chris does, contact Mountain Wave Concrete Designs.