There’s nothing more inspiring that hearing stories of creative folk who take the leap to leave the safety of a big city and corporate job to chase the dream of building their lifestyle around creating more time with the family and getting back to nature. This is the story that Toby from RAW Concrete has created for himself and he has well and truly found his place in the raw world of concrete. We were lucky enough to find out more about how RAW came about.

Winding back the clock, how did Haumoana become the home for your studio? Was there a special connection to the area beforehand? It’s not a typical location, although we’re pretty envious!

We were based in Auckland previously, but when our first child Barnabas was born we made a decision that we didn’t want him growing up in Auckland, spending half his life stuck in traffic. My brother and his family are based in Te Awanga so several weekends away visiting over the years convinced us that this was a great place to live and a fantastic place to raise a family

You’ve really changed the way people view concrete in the home. Can you share a bit about ‘why concrete’ and how you have been inspired to push the traditional boundaries of concrete as a product?

I’ve always had a bit of a fascination for concrete as a material, as weird as that might sound. I love the natural, raw texture that it creates and also the fact that every piece is truly unique – even when you try to make two of the same, they never are which is perfect. Concrete is also very versatile being that it begins as flowable material which then sets as a solid object. So as long as you can form up a design you can pretty much create any 3d object. There are very few boundaries on what can be created, particularly with GFRC, as it mitigates the need for traditional steel reinforcement and allows for a lighter, thinner and ultimately a stronger product. This has enabled me to challenge a lot of the common misconceptions about concrete and at the same time push the boundaries on what most people think is possible with the material

Sticking with the inspirations... despite using a ‘raw’ product that creates unique pieces by default, a lot of your work follows very clean lines. Has this been a purposeful direction, do you draw inspiration from your surroundings and/or are you inspired by the client style?

I wouldn’t necessarily say that I draw inspiration through my surroundings but my eye, for whatever reason, seems to be drawn to simplicity, clean lines and carefully considered detail. I then like to add to this with colour, because again, it challenges what most people think concrete should look like. Additionally, I get a lot of enquiries from architects and designers so it is nice to work with the experts and develop a design together.

Well-considered design and handcrafted products really excite us and we’re so grateful for artisans like yourself. But there must be challenges that arise from a boutique approach - what keeps you motivated and energised to keep delivering?

Concrete can be a very fickle material so yes, it absolutely has its challenges. In fact it has nearly broken me many times already. But in the same token, it is very versatile, and with the large array of colours, shapes and finishes – there is always an exciting project around the corner which keeps things interesting. Demoulding every piece is like unwrapping a birthday present, you never truly know what you are going to get – this makes it exciting keeps you coming back for more. I have also always enjoyed new buildings/architecture so it's always a joy being able to be a small part of / adding our work to the bigger picture.

The home, interiors, architectural industry is like a lot of other industries where often you get started due to a connection you have, whether that be a friend or family member. Can you tell us a little about who, if anyone, influenced you to get started with concrete?

Initially the drive came from wanting to get away from the corporate world. It then became about deciding on what I could possibly do that I could make a living from and it be stable enough to support my family. Concrete had been on the radar as I had an old school friend who had a very similar business in Queensland. When we had moved to the Hawkes Bay and I was looking for a change, researching ideas etc I had a few conversations with him about whether it would be possible for someone with next to no experience in the industry to have a crack. He encouraged me to just go for it and was extremely helpful in the startup phase – to the point where I called him regularly over the course of my first year in business. He has since moved on from the industry but I still, 5 years later, have the odd yarn with him about various ideas/issues.

Concrete is a material that naturally creates beautiful pieces, as witnessed by the exquisite pieces we’ve seen you create. But can you tell us if there has been a stand out piece or project that has been particularly memorable for you and what about that piece/project makes it special?

This would have to be the Rotoiti bath. Never in my life did I think I would be making baths, but here I am. It was a fairly lengthy process getting from concept to manufacturing bath’s - a serious amount of time, money and head scratching went into it. I have to give a plug to my cousin Barnaby Ward here who is a very clever industrial designer and was a huge help with the initial design of the bath. But the Rotoiti bath really encapsulates what has been mentioned above in terms of pushing boundaries and highlights what is possible with concrete. It’s extremely satisfying making every single bath and to say that Raw is the only company making concrete baths in New Zealand (currently) makes me very proud.

You’ve experienced success in both the corporate environment and now a wonderfully creative environment. No doubt you have learned some lessons from both that you apply to your craft, what would you say are the key lessons that you attribute to the success of RAW Concrete Design?

From a very practical sense, my previous life in the corporate world has helped me to deal with managing customers/stakeholders, juggling competing priorities, generally being busy and getting sh*t done.
From a creative perspective and particularly being completely new to the field, the biggest lesson was getting comfortable failing – I was largely teaching myself so there was a lot of trial and error - ALOT. A flow on effect of this has meant I’ve also become better at letting go and moving on. When a benchtop, bath or basin etc doesn’t turn out as well as you’d like or chips or cracks etc it is absolutely heart breaking, but you learn to pick yourself up pretty quickly and get back on the horse.

Final Words

* I’m best at...procrastinating
* I’d love to...play a round of golf at Augusta
* I can’t stop laughing at...nicknames on the rock and listening to jay and dunc laugh at their own jokes.

Hear more from Toby at RAW in the below video.

Photography Credit: Hazel Redmond