THE STUDIO

The studio, Fine Concrete, is focused on landscape elements, furniture and architectural spaces through the design and fabrication of custom commissions. The design practice is engaged in construction and fabrication projects for residential, institutional and commercial applications – from urban site furniture to surfaces and screen walls - from bathtubs and sinks to fireplaces to tables - from corporate and institutional interiors to exterior building elements. Fine Concrete is a leader in the cutting edge design and material science aspects of concrete exploring the new technologies available to fabrication for production oriented architectural elements and urban furniture. Whatever the scale, the studio designs objects that are sensuous and seductive, transforming raw materials in unexpected ways, combining the uniqueness of the handmade with the precision of new technologies. 

ALEXANDER KITCHIN

Alexander Kitchin was educated at the University of Virginia and Southern California Institute of Architecture (SCI-Arc). He is a Fellow
in Architecture at the American Academy in Rome in 2001/2002 and a recipient of a Graham Foundation grant for the investigation into design and research in concrete.

Alexander teaches a design studio at the University of Virginia exploring the ways architects approach design and product development, and investigating the character inherent in materials and how the process of making informs the spaces we design. He has taught studios at the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Michigan.

As the founder of the firm and as a leading designer in concrete furnishings, Alexander brings to the firm over 25 years of experience in architecture and advanced digital and analog formwork and concrete
casting techniques. He is an expert in concrete design mixes, in Ultra High Performance Concrete fabrications, and in translating design intent into realities of form and space.

nicole sherman

Nicole Sherman graduated from the Elliott School of International Affairs at George Washington University with a degree in Russian and Eastern European Studies. She studied Russian Language at
Columbia University Language Institute. A daughter of an award- winning architect, she and her husband, Bill Sherman, founded William Sherman and Associates; her focus being the operation and financial dealings of the ten-person architecture firm. Also at this time, Nicole founded Softhardwear and NicoleNoelle, publishing two books on jewelry design and exhibiting in galleries and stores on the east coast.

In 2008, Nicole joined the firm and established a new partnership, Fine Concrete, specializing in custom casting and production lines for the urban landscape. She is an expert in product design and development, manufacturing systems and implementation.

In 2012, Alexander and Nicole established the first material research studio with Ductal®, Ultra High Performance Concrete, a collaboration with LaFarge North America, the University of Virginia and their firm, Fine Concrete. The firm continues to research and explore the ways in which Ultra High Performance Concrete intersects the design worldwith new and innovative castings.