Lascelles, William

SUBJECT AREA: Architecture and building, Civil engineering

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fl. c.1895 England

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English pioneer in methods of construction utilizing concrete panels.

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In 1895 Lascelles patented a system of pre-cast concrete panels that were affixed to wooden framing. This type of construction was intended for low-cost housing, and a number of examples were constructed in the Croydon area of Surrey, where Lascelles lived. The panels, in the fashion of the day, were decoratively moulded with classical borders and floral or geometric patterning. They were large, being about 1 1/2 in. (38 mm) thick and measuring about 3 ft×2 ft 6 in. (91 cm×76 cm), and were manufactured from Portland Cement mixed with powdered coke. The system was adopted by several architects.

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Further Reading

Christopher C.Stanley, 1979, Highlights in the History of Concrete, Cement and Concrete Association.

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