K&L Construction

Stove Hood

Kevin Laurence has designed and created a range of awe-inspiring decorative concrete projects for a string of impressive Los Angeles and Hollywood landmarks — Hard Rock Cafe, The Coffee House, Swingers, Sushi Roku, Jones and the Cat Club. But his greatest passion is his ongoing effort to produce a house that will last 500 years. And concrete has landed the leading role.

Laurence, owner of K&L Construction in Newport, has been in the construction business since he was 12, when he was introduced to working with wood at a shutter shop. By 14 he was building homes. In high school he took part in a program in which he built four houses. By 19 he was assistant superintendent of The Housing Group in San Francisco.

Before long he earned his contractor's license, embarking on residential remodels in the Bay Area. But before he knew it, his focus shifted as he grew tired of working with wood.

"I decided to get into concrete," Laurence said. "I've always been an environmentalist and there were all the issues associated with the wood industry. And, at 28, I got bored with building homes. I had built 2,500 homes by the time I was 27."

Laurence studied the architecture of Europe and was inspired by what he saw, especially in Barcelona and Greece. He was determined to learn more about concrete and integrate those European influences into his new passion.

That was 10 years ago. For the past decade he has created an array of concrete projects, including countertops, decorative concrete, staining and coloring, and something more unique among decorative concrete contractors — oven hoods.

Concrete Countertop

Laurence initially created oven hoods for restaurants. The hoods are rich recipes — many colors blended with unique patterns and varied textures. In addition to providing a functional role, they lend a decorative frame to the cooking area. He's now incorporated the oven hood into his offerings to homeowners.

"They're more of a piece of art," he said. "I've gotten a lot of requests for hoods."

What else is popular? Laurence said scored and stained concrete floors are also popular now, as are countertops. He's even created a pink countertop. He's also working on developing concrete sinks.

Laurence admires the work of decorative concrete icon Buddy Rhodes, who began creating countertops 20 years ago and is considered the father of the concrete countertop.

Rhodes, a former ceramist whose studio is based in San Francisco, is also widely acclaimed for his manufactured concrete products — an impressive lineup that includes indoor and outdoor floor tiles, pre-cast counters for kitchen and bath, sinks and tubs, surrounds and architectural elements cast to suit individual projects.

Like Rhodes, Laurence's journey with concrete is an ever-evolving process.

"I'm continually experimenting with concrete," he said.

The fruits of some of K&L Construction's labors are evident in his many restaurant projects, including the creation of counters and coloring 2,000 square feet of floor for the Coffee House, owned by actor Christian Slater and the music group the Counting Crows. One of his most nerve-wracking jobs was the Opium Den club in Hollywood.

"A compression header was holding up the entire building," he said.

He's also built a restaurant in a museum for the Church of Scientology and has done his share of home remodeling projects for Hollywood producers and clients.

"Concrete's gone high-tech; it's pretty cool. You can do a lot of neat things with it," he said.

One of Laurence's favorite projects was one he completed last year: he designed every element of a 1,836-square-foot house.

"Out of 5,000 homes, this was my favorite," Laurence said. "I did a lot of cool concrete."

And while Laurence has won accolades from his Hollywood clientele for his impressive restaurants and clubs, his true professional fulfillment comes from something more ordinary.

"I like to see the satisfaction of the everyday homeowner," he said.

Meanwhile, Laurence, who characterizes his company as "high end," is seeing a lot of competitors popping up, inspiring him to focus on training and teaching.

In fact, Laurence is in the early phases of developing a professional concrete school.

"The concept would be similar to a union — training the work force, teaching them how to present themselves, making them more self-sufficient, and focusing on concrete issues like the different finishes and mixes," he said.

Laurence said one of the most vital things he's learned in working with concrete is the importance of preparing the job. Concrete doesn't offer the luxury of a second chance.

"It has to go in right the first time," he said. "It takes a lot of prep and pre-production."

He's also creating a concrete tool to help in making countertops.

And although he is trying to focus his business efforts more sharply on concrete, Laurence's company also provides the services of construction management to its customers.

These services include scheduling of all subs from start to finish, and checking their credentials and history. They also add all subcontractors to their insurance to ensure the protection of their clients' homes. Their services include on-site management, all inspections with the building department, and hauling of debris.

Growing from his passion for concrete, Laurence is now focused on changing the way homes are built. He wants to see a kitchen that will last 100 years or even a "500-year home." A home that means you won't have to replace or remodel anything.

"I'm basically a guy who's always worked with his hands," he said. "I've made a conscious decision to change the way I build. You build a better house for a better world."

Kevin Laurence Design Build Inc.
DBA – The Art of Concrete
Lic. # 599288
Kevin Laurence
13429 Western Ave
Unit B, Gardena 90247
(310) 323-7490
Send Mail Now - Click Here
www.kevinlaurencedesignbuild.com

Michele Dawson writes each week on one of the contractor members of The Concrete Network (www.concretenetwork.com). She has written about the home building industry for several years and was on the public affairs staff of the California Building Industry Association.