North & West Vancouver · Architectural Concrete
Curved & Radius Concrete Walls on the North Shore
How sweeping concrete curves get built, and why so few contractors take them on. A curved concrete wall can be the feature that makes a modern home unforgettable. Straight walls go up with standard panels. A curve has to be built by hand, one form at a time, to the exact radius on the drawings.
How we form a curve
- Lay out the radius on the footing from the architect's drawings and survey points.
- Build curved forms from flexible sheathing bent around closely spaced studs, cut and fitted to the arc.
- Brace it hard. Wet concrete pushes outward on a curve unevenly, so the bracing has to hold the radius true through the whole pour.
- Place the rebar to the curve, bent and tied to follow the arc.
- Pour and strip with care, because on an exposed wall every form joint and tie hole is part of the finished look.
Where curves work
Sweeping garden and terrace walls, curved driveway walls, circular structures, and walls that follow the natural shape of a slope rather than fighting it. A curve often suits a steep North Shore lot better than a straight run, because it can trace the contours the site already has.
Our work: one West Vancouver build, the full range
On a steep, forested West Vancouver lot, we hand-built sweeping radius forms and a full circular concrete structure. These walls are not tall, but every form had to hold a true curve through the pour. On the same site, we poured buttressed swimming pool walls more than 16 feet tall and over 100 feet long. That's the range we cover: delicate curves and heavy structural concrete, on one build. See the West Vancouver project →
See more of our architectural concrete work, or read about concrete retaining walls for steep lots and board-formed concrete.
Frequently asked questions
Why do curved concrete walls cost more than straight walls?
Straight walls go up with standard panel forms. A curve has to be built by hand, one form at a time, to the exact radius on the drawings, then braced hard enough to hold that radius through the pour. More hand work and more bracing means more time, and the extra care shows in the finished wall.
Can a retaining wall be curved?
Yes. Curved driveway walls and walls that follow the natural shape of a slope are some of the most common places we use a radius. The wall still gets the rebar, drainage and footings any retaining wall needs; the curve is how it meets the site.
Can you build a full circle in concrete?
Yes. On a West Vancouver build we hand-built a full circular concrete structure alongside sweeping radius walls on the same site.
Do you do curved walls in North Vancouver and West Vancouver?
Yes, across North and West Vancouver. Our office is at 3063 Lonsdale Ave, North Vancouver.
Have a design with curves other builders won't touch?
Bring us the drawings and we'll tell you honestly what it takes — with a fixed quote before any work begins. Call Twin Peaks Construction at 778-882-8001.