20 Sep Future of Terrazzo
Future of Terrazzo
Terrazzo flooring consists of marble, glass, and decorative aggregates set in cement or epoxy and polished to a smooth surface. Created during the 15th century by Venetian construction workers, the building material has a long history. At certain points in history, terrazzo was a popular material to use. This is evident during the Art Deco Movement of the 1920s and during the introduction of epoxy terrazzo in the 1970s. Today there is a renewed interest in terrazzo, trending among interior designers and architects as a sustainable flooring system. With terrazzo trending once again today, we question the future of terrazzo.
We will address the future of terrazzo through an analysis of market research studies and our own analysis on the trends we are noticing as a company.
Terrazzo in the 21st Century
To get a better outlook of the terrazzo industry in the next decade, we have to understand why terrazzo is gaining steam in the architectural and design community presently.
One of the main factors contributing to a renewed interest in terrazzo is its importance in green construction projects. Architects review a building material’s efficiency and determine whether to specify a product in their designs. Terrazzo is a green product that incorporates recycled materials and contains zero volatile organic compounds (VOCs). The sustainability of terrazzo along with its high-performance characteristics such as durability, low maintenance, stain resistance, and antimicrobial growth gives it an advantage over other flooring systems.
Another reason for the rise in popularity in terrazzo is its design flexibility. With new technologies improving the performance of epoxy terrazzo, there is a transition from a traditional to a more customized look with terrazzo. Especially for large commercial spaces, designers have the freedom to create beautiful displays of art with epoxy terrazzo. Terrazzo is easy to work with and offers a great variety of colors and aggregates options to decide on.
Lastly, people love the look of terrazzo. The speckled appearance is eye-catching and is used today not only as a flooring system but also for countertop and wall designs. People enjoy the appearance so much that you can even see similar patterns in product designs for print t-shirts, book covers, stationery, and web elements. With terrazzo, the customization puts people in full control of their designs. From monochromatic designs to unorthodox styles, there’s something for everyone.
Market Trend Studies
Marketing Research Reports projects significant growth for the terrazzo industry over the next decade. A shift in technological advancements to assist in developing customized flooring designs is driving the market in the future.
Terrazzo is a customer-centric product that benefits buildings with beautiful aesthetics, durability, and low maintenance costs. Many manufacturers are focusing on providing more opportunities for collaboration with customers on a custom pattern or design.
The reusability and recyclability of terrazzo create demand for the product. Its sustainable features are viewed positively among professionals in the architectural and design industries. Because of the terrazzo’s extremely low maintenance costs, the flooring system is inexpensive; therefore, is often specified in projects that require a longlasting surface. These projects include places with high foot traffic like educational institutions, healthcare facilities, metro stations, and retail outlets.
Key Findings
According to market research studies, here are the key findings suggested:
a) Epoxy terrazzo is the most widely used flooring system accounting for over 60% of the total market volume in 2015. Projections indicate that epoxy terrazzo will increase its total market volume by 2025. Epoxy terrazzo offers the most flexibility in comparison to sand cushion, bonded, and monolithic terrazzo systems. Schools, airports, and government buildings are common buildings installing epoxy terrazzo currently.
b) Among application segments, the educational sector accounts for nearly half of the total market volume using terrazzo. Within the next decade, schools, universities, and other educational institutions will see the largest growth for terrazzo installations. With an increased enrollment of students, new construction projects have opportunities to include epoxy terrazzo. Older school buildings look to refurbishing existing terrazzo systems or replacing floors like carpet and vinyl with terrazzo.
c) Commercial sectors follow educational sectors in the volume of terrazzo installed with anticipation of growth over the next ten years
d) The United States leads all countries in global market share for terrazzo. In the next decade, projections indicate that the Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Australia, South Korea, etc) will experience the highest market growth.
Concord Terrazzo Company’s Trend Watch
With the popularity of terrazzo on the rise in recent years, Concord Terrazzo Company has collaborated and talked with numerous clients about their design ideas. Take a look at some of the trends we have noticed.
Venetian vs Standard Terrazzo
Concord Terrazzo Company has the ability to crush aggregates in various sizes. Aggregate sizes range from micro (#00), standard (#0-2) and Venetian (#3-8). Standard terrazzo designs are the most common designs we create for our customers; however, we’ve noticed more requests featuring Venetian terrazzo. Venetian terrazzo comes with larger aggregate sizes that offer a unique signature look for any surface.
This trend may be attributed to Max Lamb’s Marmoreal or David Chipperfield’s Valentino flagship stores, both examples to feature larger chunks of terrazzo. Chipperfield’s Valentino stores use a terrazzo system called Palladiana, which sets large marble slabs across a substrate with terrazzo poured in place between each slab.
Commercial vs Non-Commercial
Concord Terrazzo Company representatives speak with architects and designers from the United States and other countries around the world about their terrazzo projects. Some architects are learning about terrazzo for the first time. Schools are among the top projects requesting terrazzo, but we collaborate with architects in designing samples for projects like cafes, air force bases, sports stadiums, libraries, hotels, and other commercial projects. Among our terrazzo sample designs, architects love selecting white terrazzo finishes; however, we have noticed architects exploring more customization in their terrazzo designs opting to go with various combinations of aggregates in any color. Concord Terrazzo Company recommends the use of materials to maximize LEED points for their projects.
At times, Concord Terrazzo Company is approached by residential end-users who are looking to spice up their living, dining, and kitchen spaces. With terrazzo trending, countertops, kitchen islands, and shower stalls are often sought after.
Epoxy Terrazzo vs Terrazzo Tiles
Market studies have shown epoxy terrazzo having the largest growth of any terrazzo system for many reasons. When talking with designers and architects, they like the fact that epoxy terrazzo has no grout lines, design opportunities to implement decorative designs and patterns, and has a quick installation time.
But there are some clients who prefer terrazzo tile over a seamless epoxy terrazzo floor. This may be due to cost, size of a project, or installation.
For epoxy terrazzo, it is recommended for a professional installation team to complete a project. They inspect the concrete for the right conditions before applying epoxy terrazzo, grinding, and polishing it for a smooth finish. Epoxy terrazzo is great in covering large open spaces. Epoxy terrazzo typically cures overnight and can be walked on the next day.
Terrazzo tile may be beneficial for smaller spaces; however, the lifecycle cost and properties of epoxy terrazzo far exceed terrazzo tile. Epoxy terrazzo can last nearly a century with few maintenance repairs or replacements making it the most cost-effective flooring system available on the market.
If you are looking for the best investment in a terrazzo system in the future, Concord Terrazzo Company recommends selecting epoxy terrazzo for any institutional, commercial or industrial building.
About Concord Terrazzo Company
With the future of terrazzo looking bright, Concord Terrazzo Company collaborates with architects and designers to build a terrazzo system that is durable, beautifully designed, and sustainable. Located in Charlotte, North Carolina, Concord Terrazzo Company established TERRAZZCO Brand Products as a true single-source supplier in terrazzo building materials manufacturing precast terrazzo, epoxy resin, and aggregates.
We offer a sample development program at no cost to the architectural and design community. Concord Terrazzo Company has grown into one of the fastest-growing terrazzo companies in the United States with a focus on sustainability and innovation. Interested in learning how epoxy terrazzo can be used in your next project, call a Concord Terrazzo Company representative by filling out our online form.