Scott System
Case Study
Organic Forms in Cast Concrete: EPS Formwork for a Major Theme Park Renovation
Project
Overview
In 2022, a globally recognized theme park destination underwent a massive renovation that included a garden gathering space where guests could connect with the surrounding landscape in an environment designed around organic, flowing shapes. The planter and seat walls anchoring that space needed to feel as though they had grown from the ground rather than been poured and formed.
Scott System partnered with Baker Concrete to engineer and fabricate the custom EPS foam formwork that made those shapes possible in cast-in-place concrete. The project was developed in close collaboration with the client’s design and construction teams throughout the design and execution phases, with every component held to the exacting quality standards the client required.
The Challenges
Organic geometries are difficult to produce with conventional wood forming. Flowing curves and compound surfaces often result in faceting and visible seams when using straight-lined wood forms. The project required seven large assemblies with over 50 unique components. Each had to maintain strict dimensional accuracy to ensure a monolithic appearance in the finished concrete. The formwork needed to be easy to assemble on-site while remaining rigid enough to hold its shape during the concrete pour.
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The Vision
The seat walls and planters were designed to soften the boundary between the built environment and the natural landscape. By avoiding hard edges, the forms flow seamlessly with the garden, appearing as continuous, organic shapes rather than constructed elements.
Functionality guided the design as much as aesthetics. These planter walls double as park seating, requiring comfort, durability, and dimensional consistency. To achieve a monolithic look, the components had to assemble without visible joints or breaks.
Proposed Solution
Scott System developed a user-friendly negative formwork system using EPS foam, with the casting face reinforced by a durable Hard Shell Polycoat. Designed for field precision, the system accurately preserved organic shapes during casting while remaining simple to assemble on site without specialized equipment.
- In-House 3D Design: Scott System handled all 3D design in-house, ensuring a seamless transition to fabrication. By managing both modeling and manufacturing, they eliminated translation errors between digital files and finished formwork.
- 5-Axis CNC Milling: Each of the 50+ unique components was precision-carved on a 5-axis CNC mill to achieve complex organic geometries and smooth transitions without hand-finishing. This process ensured repeatability and reached angles impossible for 3-axis equipment.
- Hard Shell Polycoat: The casting face of every EPS component was reinforced with Scott System’s Hard Shell Polycoat, protecting the surface through the concrete pour and ensuring the finished concrete captured the geometry and surface quality the design called for.
- Dry-Fit Verification: Prior to shipment, each of the seven assemblies was individually dry-fit to ensure dimensional accuracy and perfect alignment. This pre-validation confirmed the pieces met the design intent, eliminating on-site assembly risks.
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Components for Success
- 5-Axis Precision: CNC milling produced complex organic geometries and repeatable accuracy impossible for conventional wood forms.
- In-House Workflow: Managing design and fabrication internally eliminated handoff risks and ensured rapid, verified adjustments.
- Dry-Fit Validation: Pre-shipment checks ensured perfect alignment, allowing field assembly to proceed without dimensional surprises.
- Integrated System: Combining lightweight EPS foam with a Hard Shell Polycoat created durable forms for high-quality architectural concrete.
Products Used
Custom EPS Foam Formwork: Seven large assemblies, 50+ unique components, 5-axis CNC-milled
Hard Shell Polycoat: Casting face reinforcement and protection
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The Outcome
The finished planter and seat walls read exactly as designed: flowing, organic forms that feel continuous and monolithic in the finished concrete, softening the transition between the built environment and the surrounding garden landscape. Seven assemblies, more than 50 components, and zero visible discontinuity in the finished surface. The complex organic geometry used to form the cast-in-place concrete is the most direct measure of value. Scott System’s EPS formwork system delivered on consistency, reuse, and seam-free shapes at scale, all of which were validated before they reached the site.
“I will say that after working with Scott System formwork compared to trying to create the shapes of some ‘easier’ walls using traditional wood forms, we were much more successful with the walls that used Scott System.”
– Baker Concrete