Slippery Rock Gazette

Commercial Exterior
Grande Arche de la Defense
Paris, France

Located on the edge of Paris, the Grande Arche de la Defense is the work of Danish architect Johan Otto von Spreckelsen.

Completed in 1989, the resolutely modern design of “the window on the world” resembles a giant minimalist door frame.

The concrete, granite, marble, and glass arch houses a restaurant and event spaces and is a modern workplace containing 35 floors of office space.

It’s also gigantic—large enough to fit the Notre Dame Cathedral inside its 348-foot span and 361-foot high rooftop terrace.

While beloved for its striking design, the exterior of the structure began to show signs of serious deterioration only three decades later.

The Arche was originally clad in Italian marble, but that stone proved too porous, succumbing to the effects of climate and acid rain.

Recently principals on the project noticed that the exterior Carrara marble was deteriorating at an accelerated rate.

Drastic changes in temperature were causing extensive cracking and spalling.

The restoration team scoured the world to find the right stone to reclad the structure and found a natural choice in the flawless character, even grain, and purity of color of white Polycor Bethel White® granite, quarried in Vermont.

Up close granite and marble are clearly two different stones, granite having a more variegated interlocking crystalline structure and marble a milkier composition, usually with more veining.

A detail photo of the granite shows how the pinhead taupe grains are slightly visible up close, but from a distance visual blending registers the surface as a pure white.

The result is a clean and sleek white surface with no worries of durability.

Natural Stone Institute
Member Company

Polycor Inc. 
Quebec City, Canada
Stone Supplier/Fabricator

OTHER PROJECT TEAM MEMBERS

Valode & Pistre
Architectural Restoration Team 

EDM Paris
Uni-Marbres S.A.
Stone Installers

Granitos Ibericos
Levantina
Stone Suppliers

STONE

Bethel White^® granite

Judges’ COMMENTS

The jury was encouraged that stone was chosen as the new cladding material for this piece of iconic architecture in Paris. It is very compelling that the monolithic, heavenly nature of the arch with the original Carrara marble was still possible to achieve with the Bethel White® granite. The jury also appreciated the amount of coordination needed to achieve the replacement of the stone, for such a beloved landmark.

Architectural Carving/Lettering/Sculpture
Arizona State University Barrett & O’Connor Washington Center 
Washington, DC

Arizona State University’s Washington Center is a historic building located just two blocks from the White House and is home to various ASU programs and research facilities.

As a homage to its home in the southwest desert, a 40 foot by 10 foot metaquartzite feature wall greets visitors in the lobby.

This wall largely pays tribute to two significant women, Ambassador Barbara McConnell Barrett and Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, for whom the center is named.

Conceptually, the idea of the feature wall was to simulate if a slice of a canyon was extracted and displayed.

The sculptural windswept finish on the feature wall was as much a process as an idea.

It all revolved around knowing that a specific expression was desired.

With this in mind, the blocks were selected for uniformity to mirror the tectonic intersections found in nature.

Sandblasters undertook the carving of the stone the same way a sculptor would. They carefully raked each panel in an undulating motion, creating a wave effect very similar to what Mother Nature does over centuries.

Time was taken transitioning from panel to panel to create the continuity needed for a continuous flow. Dramatic lighting is used to highlight the sculpted stone, capturing the relief and detail of the surface.

The result: a hybrid of digitally developed modeling and hand-finished circumstance that bridges the line between natural and computer-generated form.

The design was modified with the addition of a logo wall, which was also carefully accomplished.

The logo was designed to be disguised within the panels, only revealing itself when caught by the meticulous eye of visitors.

As a result, the vibrant stone was crafted into one of the center’s most integral design features. Fusing nature and urbanity, the captivating stone allows visitors to experience a microcosm of the beautiful desert landscape native to the university’s home.

Natural Stone Institute
Member Company

Las Vegas Rock
Jean, Nevada
Stone Fabricator

OTHER PROJECT TEAM MEMBERS

CORE Architecture + Design
Architect

Stone Source 

Stone Supplier  

Boatman & Magnani  

Stone Installer

STONE

Metaquartzite

Judges’ COMMENTS

Excellent in all four criteria.
Unique, individualized expression in a vertical plane. Bas-relief is impressive with its expression of a sense of place, a sense of land forms.

Great appreciation for the artistic hand of the sandblaster. If the wall makes me want to touch it, it is meaningful and successful.

Renovation/Restoration
Christ Cathedral
Garden Grove, California

The task of reinventing Christ Cathedral in Garden Grove, California was led by a desire for a clean modern look with materials that would be fitting for a building of such importance.

The scale of the project also required materials that would be durable and cost effective.

Natural limestone and marble were the clear choices. Four types of limestone and two types of marble were extensively used throughout the sprawling sanctuary area.

The walls and cap surrounding the sanctuary consist of 6,500 square feet of Thala Grey limestone from Tunisia, assembled in contiguous columns of various geometric shapes, each comprised of three pieces separated by 1/32-inch joints and meticulously matched for color and tone to achieve a monolithic look.

On the 18,000 square feet of sanctuary floor, Grigio Alpi limestone from Italy makes up the majority, providing a pleasing natural background to the dark wood pews.

Fossil Grey limestone from Turkey and Jura Grey limestone from Germany add accents to the paving around the altar and in the areas of the adoration chapel, main entrance, and baptismal font.

Transforming this building into a cathedral are the ecclesiastical furniture pieces made from Breccia Atlantic Grey marble from Turkey, which include a 14,000 pound altar with its top assembled into one solid piece using four 8-inch thick diamond matched panels, a cantilevered 7,000 pound ambo assembled from 6-inch thick shaped panels, a cross shaped baptismal font, and an 11,000 pound cathedral chair framed by a wall of Arabescato Cervaiole marble from Italy.

Mixed with abundant natural light from the glass walls and ceiling, this stone interior has an almost ethereal look to it and stands as a testament to what is possible with natural stone.

The beauty, durability, and flexibility of natural stone as a building material are all evident on this project.

Natural Stone Institute
Member Company

Carnevale & Lohr, Inc 
Bell Gardens, California
Stone Contractor 

OTHER PROJECT TEAM MEMBERS

Catholic Diocese of Orange 
Client

Johnson Fain  
Architect Designer 

Grassi Pietre Srl 
Piero Zanella Srl 
MarmiMar 

Stone Suppliers  

Trade International 

Stone Consultant 

Custom Building Products 

Installation Products

STONE

Thala Grey limestone
Grigio Alpi limestone
Jura Grey limestone
Fossil Grey limestone
Breccia Atlantic Grey marble
Arabescato Cervaiole marble

Judges’ COMMENTS

The contemporary use of stone in the redefinition of this Cathedral is award-worthy. Particular favorites of the jury were the ambo and the altar due to their massive nature that appears light.

The fabrication and installation of these elements required significant talent and expertise. The stone has a luminosity that adds a focus to a very large space with other materiality.

Commercial Interior
Chapel of the Holy Cross
Tampa, Florida

Located on a newly formed quadrangle at the center of Jesuit High School campus, the 900-seat Chapel of the Holy Cross was designed as a transcendent space for sacred liturgy and for daily convocations of the student body.

The façade features a limestone portico with 24-foot-tall Doric columns. The triglyphs in the six-foot-tall entablature are interrupted by a carved and gilded inscription in the center of the frieze.

The façade has a monumental central doorway and two side doors framed in limestone. A six-foot-tall hand-carved limestone escutcheon is located above the central door.

Atop the chapel, an octagonal lantern articulated by eight Corinthian columns rises 125 feet to a gold cross, which is illuminated at night.

The rectangular exterior encloses an octagonal interior.

Four shrines on the diagonals feature paintings of martyrs from around the world flanked by Rosso Levanto and Verde Issorie marble columns with Carrara marble bases.

Carved Verde Issorie palms are displayed on the front of the four Arabescato marble altars.

The sanctuary floor is designed as a classic tessellated pattern comprised of Rosso Verona, Bianco Carrara, and Nero Marquina marbles.

The raised sanctuary features both a freestanding altar and a high altar composed of Arabescato marble from Carrara, Italy, with intricate classical carving.

Sourcing and fabricating four nine-foot-tall Rosso Francia high altar columns and pilasters as single pieces required a dedicated effort.

Below a three foot tall tabernacle is an octagonal tempietto fabricated in Spain from Bianco Carrara Venatino marble.

To ground the large interior volume, a Bardiglio marble wainscot ties the interior spaces together.

Reflecting the principles of geometric order, verticality, and tectonics, the Chapel of the Holy Cross is built in a timeless style so that it can contribute to the academic and spiritual formation of students for the next hundred years.

Natural Stone Institute
Member Company

Booms Stone Company
Redford, Michigan
Stone Installer

OTHER PROJECT TEAM MEMBERS

Duncan G. Stroik Architect
Architect

Stone Consulting
di Roberto Pagliari & Co.
Stone Supplier

Bybee Stone Company 

Exterior Stone Supplier

Talleres de Arte Granda, S.A.
Marble Tabernacle

STONE (all marble)

Arabescato 
Rosso Francia 
Bianco Carrara 
Giallo Reale 
Breccia Violetta 
Bianco Carrara Venatino 
Nero Marquina 
Rosso Verona 
Giallo Siena 
Rosso Levanto 
Verde Issorie 
Bardiglio  

Judges’ COMMENTS

The more I look at, the more I am rewarded. This is not something we do anymore. It’s all about the jewel-like altar. Like pieces were plucked from a basilica. The jury appreciated the loving care in the unexpected detailing, including non-jointed columns. Reminiscent of Old World craftsmanship.

Renovation/Restoration
London House Hotel
Chicago, Illinois

Built in 1923, The London Guarantee and Accident Building is one of Chicago’s finest landmarks.

After ninety-one years of operating as an office building, new ownership converted its usage to retail and lodging, creating The London House Hotel.

The façades are primarily clad in Standard Buff Indiana limestone accented with decorative terra cotta coursing at the upper floors.

The building is capped with a prominent 70-foot limestone and terra cotta cupola overlooking Michigan Avenue.

Given the significant extent of limestone spalling and deterioration, a comprehensive rehabilitation program was prepared to revitalize the neglected façades.

The repair program focused on restoring the limestone to its natural beauty and appearance. Approximately 400 tons (5,000 cubic feet) of Indiana limestone were provided for the project.

Over 1,200 limestone units of varying profiles and sizes were replaced throughout the façades.

Project challenges included accessing and maneuvering the large replacement stones into the façade, some twenty stories above grade.

Ten limestone urns, each weighing approximately 4,000 pounds, were reset across the rooftop parapet.

The Corinthian column capitals at the building’s main entrance were damaged and missing large sections of the acanthus leaves and scrolls.

Given the level of detail required at the columns, ornate dutchmen were installed and final detailing was hand carved in-situ to match the capitals’ elegant details precisely.

A majority of the work was performed from swing-stage scaffolds; however, the degree of façade repair at the upper floors was so extensive that pipe scaffolding was erected from platforms cantilevered as a putlog system from the eighteenth-floor windows.

At these locations, entire cornices and belt courses were removed and rebuilt.

Natural Stone Institute
Member Company

Galloy & Van Etten
Chicago, Illinois
Stone Supplier/Fabricator

OTHER PROJECT TEAM MEMBERS

Klein & Hoffman, Inc.
Architect

Goettsch Partners, Inc.
Architect of Record

Independent Limestone Company
Stone Supplier

Mark 1 Restoration Company
Stone Installer

STONE

Indiana limestone

Judges’ COMMENTS

This renovation represents a skill and attention to detail in the level of stone work we hope to see every day in every city. Execution was especially challenging. When evaluating a project, I often ask myself “Do I know of someone that could have done this better?” In this case, I certainly do not. 

Residential – Single Family
L.A. Residence
Los Angeles, California 

This stunning modern home is perched high above the Los Angeles skyline and features seven stone types in an array of finishes that seamlessly flow to wood, metal, glass and other materials.

The exterior of the home is clad in split-face travertine, along with Bianco Lasa marble panels that cantilever out an amazing 30 feet.

In the home’s interior, leather-finish Cippolino marble paving was painstakingly end-matched to create the illusion of one continuous piece of stone traveling through the whole level, under a bathtub made from a single block of Cippolino marble, and transitioning into the master bath’s shower walls.

On this same level the kitchen is outfitted with a 15 foot long book-matched Lapis Lazuli island countertop shaped at its perimeter with a “knife edge,” adjacent to a countertop and sink clad in book-matched Cippolino marble.

Matched vein-cut travertine paving covers the floor and seamlessly continues through the living room and out onto the exterior sundeck, terminating at the swimming pool which is completely bordered by travertine coping containing slots for drainage that allow the top edge of the pool’s water to become perfectly aligned with the top edge of the adjacent travertine paving, thus creating a level surface from the kitchen to the infinity edge of the pool.

Accessed by way of a back-lit onyx clad elevator, the home’s lower level is paved with matched vein-cut travertine, traveling to three unique rooms.

The caretaker’s bathroom contains vein-cut Palissandro Blue marble with a distinct linear pattern that covers the floor, walls, ceiling, and vanity, merging into shower walls shaped in unique marble picture frame moldings.

The bungalow bathroom is clad in dark Pietra d’Avola limestone, and the guest’s bathroom has a travertine clad shower with a bathtub made from one single block of travertine.

Natural Stone Institute
Member Company

Carnevale and Lohr, Inc 
Bell Gardens, California
Stone Installer

OTHER PROJECT TEAM MEMBERS

 Antolini Luigi and Company
Piero Zanella Srl
S.I.T.E.M.
Stone Suppliers

Trade International
Stone Consultant

Custom Building Products
Installation Products

STONE

Roman Classic travertine
Bianco Lasa marble
Cippolino marble
Lapis Lazuli
Palissandro Blue marble
Pietra d’Avola limestone
White onyx

Judges’ COMMENTS

Not much conversation was needed, the judges were just in awe and wondered “who lives here?” When one finds themselves envious of a caretaker’s quarters, you know that this is an exquisite home.

Renovation/Restoration
645 Fifth Avenue, Olympic Tower
New York, New York

Through the use of stone, Olympic Tower’s public space was transformed from a passageway to a destination worthy of its Fifth Avenue location.

Inspired by the client’s goal for increased visibility and openness, the team designed a lighter, more welcoming environment by incorporating stone that emphasizes simplicity while creating a powerful aesthetic statement.

Mocha Crème limestone clads the lobby walls, replacing dark granite. The limestone was extracted from Lisbon, Portugal and was selected for its warmth and understated yet consistent veining. 

The wall achieved its dimensional appearance through a design that is as precise as it is unique, a contemporary approach to manufacturing that tests the limits of today’s technologies.

Each slab was fabricated with a 5 axis CNC machine allowing rotation and sculpting from all angles. The stone was then meticulously sanded by hand to accomplish the delicate and intricate details.

Challenged with supporting 200,000 pounds of limestone onto the building structure without loading on the floor, the design team created a truss system to allow for a seamless installation process.

Because of the variety of shapes and program elements, the steel truss was not uniform, yet it had to carry a consistent load.

Independent from the superstructure, the structural system transferred the load directly to the building, supporting the weight of the stone without adding any additional loads.

The basaltite floor is activated with white Calacatta Caldia marble inserts, creating a path reminiscent of the ancient roads.

Extracted from Carrara, Italy, the basaltite was selected for its durability and density which allowed for oversized panels needed to achieve the desired layout.

The flooring complements the beige walls and becomes the base plane for a harmonious composition, tying the space together.

Natural Stone Institute
Member Company

Continental Marble 
Bohemia, New York
Stone Contractor

OTHER PROJECT TEAM MEMBERS

MdeAS Architects
Architect

CSCE
Stone Consultant

Euromarble Srl 

Urmal Stone
Stone Suppliers

STONE

Basaltite 
Calacatta Caldia marble
Mocha Crème limestone

Judges’ COMMENTS

The panel deformations of the limestone walls and the use of contrasting banding of white marble within the darker basaltite floors create a project that looks effortless but is difficult to execute. Impressed by the coordination by the installer, considering the structure needed for the stone wall cladding, along with managing stone from multiple origins around the world.

Renovation/Restoration
Saint Catherine of Siena Sanctuary Alteration
Trumbull, Connecticut

Saint Catherine of Siena is a simple 1958 Gothic church. The parish sought to add a sense of magnificence to their country church.

Drawing upon the existing geometry of the sanctuary triumphal arch, the new limestone and marble retablo became the largest limestone retablo in the United States in 60 years.

The new retablo and side shrines comprise seventeen tons of carved Indiana limestone. Four 12 foot-six inch tall composite columns surround a diamond-matched Giallo Reale marble niche and crucifix.

The cornice and columns further support an upper stone pediment and volutes. Directly in front of the retablo is a hidden limestone stair that provides access to the candelabra.

A new freestanding altar in Botticino Classico and Giallo Reale marble connects visually to the retablo.

It contains a marble reliquary chamber for the display of sacred relics behind a bronze grille.

The richness and beauty of the Bianco Lasa marble tabernacle with Lapis Lazuli pilasters is a gem.

The precious Lapis Lazuli carries such a high cost that the tabernacle pilaster shafts, and Doric regula and guttae details on the tabernacle are made out of 1/16˝ veneer.

A cylindrical marble ambo and a limestone altar rail complete the renovation.

One major challenge was how to support this new weight of seventeen tons in a 1950s church sanctuary that has a full basement.

The answer was to have the stone load transfer directly downward into new steel columns and reinforced footings.

Transporting large and heavy stone pieces into the church also involved special shoring in the basement and creative scaffolding within the confines of the church sanctuary.

Due to the size and shape of the arched pediment pieces, specialty anchors and pinning were implemented so that loads would transfer correctly into the columns below without causing any overturning from the existing rear sanctuary CMU wall.

Natural Stone Institute
Member Company 

Bybee Stone Company
Ellettsville, Indiana
Stone Supplier/Fabricator

OTHER PROJECT TEAM MEMBERS

Duncan G. Stroik Architect
Architect

Stone Consulting
di Roberto Pagliari & Co
Stone Supplier/Fabricator

Aisoni & Co.
Stone Installer

STONE

 Indiana limestone
Botticino Classico marble
Giallo Reale marble 
Bianco Lasa marble
Lapis Lazuli

Judges’ COMMENTS

A handsome renewal. The stonework is subtle, yet tasteful and impressive in its detailing. Managing the new stone load in the existing foundation was a feat in itself. This kind of elaborate use of stone today is awe-inspiring and exhibited appropriately through quality workmanship.

Residential – Single Family
Boch Garden Pavilion
Norwood, Massachusetts

Well-known Bostonian Ernie Boch, Jr., the president and CEO of Subaru of New England, began rehabilitating a historic mansion in the city’s Norwood neighborhood and building out his surrounding estate in the 1990s.

A 1/3-acre garden is one of the property’s most recently developed features, and its focal point is a memorial pavilion for the interment of Boch and his family.

The pavilion’s design incorporates granite, mahogany, marble, bronze and copper.

The Greek Doric style building’s upper chamber incorporates light and color and is capped by a dome and copper cross that direct attention heavenward.

The crypt is styled in shades of gray, black, and gold to establish a more introspective atmosphere.

Charcoal Black® granite fit the specification for black stone, which was used for the outside columns, stairs, and interior and exterior cladding.

Interior columns are Italian Verdi Alpi marble and the intricate floor patterns use seven different marbles from Italy and Spain.

Charcoal Black granite is used in the landscape design as well as for benches and paving, contributing to the restful environment that will draw visitors for relaxation and contemplation.

The fabricators had the expertise necessary to partner with the architect on developing construction and fabrication plans for the intricate design.

The Doric order of classical architecture is defined by specific characteristics in the building’s columns and the band of moldings above the columns.

Triglyphs, or stylized carvings, are spaced at regular intervals along the entablature.

Historically, these pieces would have been hand-carved by master craftsmen.

For the Boch Garden pavilion, the team achieved an equally high level of craftsmanship — and did so economically — by modeling the detailed design in 3D software prior to construction and using 5-axis milling machines to cut triglyphs into the stone.

Natural Stone Institute
Member Company 

Kenneth Castellucci & Associates
Lincoln, Rhode Island 
Stone Fabricator/Installer/Supplier

Coldspring
Cold Spring, Minnesota

Piero Zanella Srl
Verona, Italy 
Stone Fabricators/Suppliers

OTHER PROJECT TEAM MEMBERS

Eric Inman Daum, LLC
Architect

Brian Frazier Design
Landscape Architect

STONE

Charcoal Black^® granite
Carrara marble
Portoro marble
Bianco Statuario marble
Giallo Siena marble
Verde Alpi marble
Nero Marquina marble
Fior di Pesco marble
Breccia Pernice marble

Judges’ COMMENTS

The monumentality and permanence of granite are celebrated and perfectly aligned with the memorial purpose of this project. Jurors noted the impressive solid columns, the Palladian style proportions, scale and form – executed with precision. A fitting tribute and welcoming environment for a family memorial pavilion. 

Public Landscapes/Parks/Memorials
Miracle Mile and Giralda Avenue Streetscape
Coral Gables, Florida

The City of Coral Gables and the local business improvement district commissioned this streetscape design project and asked the design team to “create a pair of streets like no other in the world.”

The concept for Miracle Mile was inspired by the poetry of George Merrick and the desire to create the effect of a walk in the clouds.

The paving pattern is a reflection of the sky above, as seen in the gap between the edge of the Live Oak tree canopy and storefront cornices along the sidewalk.

It is a coordinated palette of five quartzite types that were anchored by Azul Macaubas. The size of stones and module of the pattern were critical to the ability to realize the vision of the project.

Giralda Plaza complements Miracle Mile and celebrates regional climatic conditions. Its stone pattern is composed of six colors of granite, creating massive raindrops that reflect the diurnal changing colors of the sky.

Paving on both streets was installed in its natural state so that when dry, stones appear soft and muted but when it rains, the streetscapes explode in color to defy the blanket of gray skies above.

Shell Reef stone furniture was designed to double as bollards that keep cars in their place.

The sides of every piece were blasted to bring out the texture and fossils in the stone, and to remind us of the age of the pieces in honor of the timeless qualities of Coral Gables.

The tops were filled and honed so that residents and visitors are invited to touch and sit on them without worry of damaging refined clothing.

The heights of all seating tops vary throughout the project to accommodate people of all ages.

Natural Stone Institute
Member Company 

Earl Jackson
Architecture Workshop
Allenhurst, New Jersey
Architects

OTHER PROJECT TEAM MEMBERS

Cooper Robertson & Partners
Architect

Rodriguez and Quiroga
Architect of Record

Local Office Landscape
Geomantic Designs
Landscape Architects

UMI The Source
Thor Granitos
Stone Suppliers

Earth Surfaces of America
Stone Fabricator

Custom Tile and Marble
Stone Installer

Stone & Equipment
Stone Furniture

Stone Trends International 
Stone Consultant

STONE

Azul Macaubas quartzite
Navajo White quartzite
Mont Blanc quartzite
Miracle Grey quartzite
Cosmic Black quartzite
Azul Bahia granite
Giallo West granite
Venetian White granite
Venetian Gold granite
Uba Tuba granite
Bordeaux granite

Judges’ COMMENTS

Genius in urban streetscape transformation; a true inspiration. Concentric circles of stone paving with seating bollards and art, playfully layered together, create a delicate beauty, rich in texture, unexpected color, and irregularity. A ripple effect of success – just loved it.

Public Landscapes/Parks/Memorials
Drexel Square
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Drexel Square opened to the public in June 2019.

Conceived as an intimate space for the community to gather, the park serves as the gateway into University City and provides a clear transition from downtown Philadelphia’s urban grid to a lush, verdant enclave.

Taking the shape of an expansive ellipse, the 1.3-acre park completely transformed an underutilized parking lot outside Amtrak’s 30th Street station.

Its pathways are a projection of the earth’s meridian lines, with sparkling white granite contrasting the lush green grass and 23 fully-grown Dawn Redwood trees flanking the natural stone planters along the perimeter.

A deliberate mix between a plaza and park, Drexel Square is designed to be an inviting addition to the existing vibrancy of the neighborhood.

This space is the first among a network of parks that will eventually comprise 6.5-acres of the 14-acre Schuylkill Yards neighborhood.

These greenspaces will eventually connect 6.9 million square feet of workplace and lifestyle environments as part of the developer’s vision.

The designer’s brief for the stone was thoughtfully considered and precise; this special project needed a durable material for the plaza and a contrasting clean material for all the planters and walls.

To achieve the contrast element to the vast expanse of the space, the pavers were made to have two different finishes.

The planters and ellipse posed the most complexities, so a fourth generation factory was chosen that uses a combination of modern CNC technology and handcrafting to ensure a perfect result.

The planters step down from the main plaza to the roadside and the design team was passionate to have the copings follow the same shape without breaking the continuity and flow whilst it twists and turns a corner.

Natural Stone Institute
Member Company 

CED Stone North America
Montreal, QC Canada
Stone Supplier

OTHER PROJECT TEAM MEMBERS

Shop Architects
Architect

West 8 Urban Design & 
Landscape Architecture
Landscape Architect

Hunter Roberts Construction Group
Contractor

STONE

G684 Black granite 
G654 Mid Grey granite 
G365 White granite

Judges’ COMMENTS

An urban jewel – elevating the public realm experience. The stone’s gentle curves and rounded edges convey a softness that’s inviting to touch. Convex granite lattice work is a delight to look upon. Challenging compound curvature, executed without lippage, received high scores for stone cutting control. Overall, kudos for its contribution to the city.

Residential – Single Family
Hinsdale Residence
Hinsdale, Illinois

This American country house is located on a prominent street in the western Chicago suburb of Hinsdale, IL.

The main home, wing, and accessory building are sited to make the best use of a compact site.

A carved stone fountain, gardens, pool, and accompanying pool pavilion serve as a lovely setting for large scale outdoor entertaining with family and friends.

The masonry walls are a combination of Ohio sandstone and Pennsylvania bluestone.

There is cut sandstone trim and the rubble stone walls are a custom selected blend of fieldstone.

The substantial corner quoins were reclaimed from an old stone wall formed of large hand-hewn blocks.

All of the stone walls batter in slightly from top to bottom.

A large family of custom-built wood windows and doors are oversized to flood the house with light and create a sense of transparency between the house and the surrounding gardens.

This connection to the landscape is strengthened through a number of cut stone and timber porches, in particular, a dramatic cut stone loggia overlooking the backyard.

Each of these porches is paved with intricate patterns of cut sandstone and sliced up discarded roofing slates.

The cut stone balustrade sits atop the solid load bearing cut stone columns and entablature.

The owners of the home also commissioned a program of carved stone iconography to add further beauty and meaning to the project.

These remarkable carvings include a starburst fountainhead, a pair of oval windows adorned with oak leaf garlands, an oak tree carved into the keystone above the front entrance, and carvings of a boar’s head, an owl, a sheaf of wheat, and a stag’s head for each of the major gables.

Natural Stone Institute
Member Company 

Galloy & Van Etten
Chicago, Illinois
Stone Fabricator

OTHER PROJECT TEAM MEMBERS

 Liederbach & Graham Architects
Architect

Briar Hill Stone Company
Endless Mountain Stone Company 

Greenstone Slate Company
Stone Suppliers

Josef Masonry
Stone Installer

STONE

Briar Hill sandstone 
Pennsylvania bluestone
Semi-weathering Grey Green slate 
Fieldstone

Judges’ COMMENTS

The cut sandstone trims and sculptural accents, the fieldstone cladding, the slate roofs, the limestone quoins are all a vocabulary that is tasteful and well executed in a craftsman-like manner.

Residential – Single Family
Private Residence
Highland Park, Texas

This private residence involved construction of a modern architectural style estate property in Highland Park, Texas.

Dee Brown, Inc’s role came into play late in the project, when corrections were needed to some specialty stonework.

The home’s center is formed around the main entry.

The floor plan is largely open, but parallel core wall areas serve to define the foyer, kitchen, dining, and living areas.

As key areas, the architect put special focus on materials selection for the core walls.

It was decided that Indiana limestone would be the finish, and that the cladding panels would all have unique continuous horizontal grooves.

Material was received and installed by the original subcontractor.

Upon seeing the completed work, it was evident to the architect and owner that grooves in the fabricated material were not consistent, and that the installation process had left numerous chips to the panels.

It was at this point that the partially completed work was removed, and the second fabricator/installer was contacted.

Dee Brown, Inc. ordered the Indiana limestones slabs.

There, special care was taken to hold tight tolerances to the horizontal grooves as well as to the typical cut-to-size aspects.

Erection of these mechanically set panels was done very carefully.

The result was a clean finished product with none of the tolerance and chipping issues of the original installation.

Dee Brown, Inc also created and installed special stone finishes at the adjacent half-bath.

Semi-precious white onyx was transformed into a lavatory top/bowl assembly, water-closet wall cladding, and even tissue and towel holders.

Natural Stone Institute
Member Company 

Dee Brown, Inc
Richardson, Texas
Stone Installer

OTHER PROJECT TEAM MEMBERS

do+ba Architecture
Architect

Cadwallader Design
Interior Design

3D Stone Inc. 

The Stone Collection 

Stone Suppliers

STONE

Indiana limestone 
Semi-Precious white onyx

Judges’ COMMENTS

This understated, modern house celebrates limestone. Core interior walls, clad with Indiana limestone panels, align seamlessly with exterior walls – creating a dynamic relationship between outdoor and indoor spaces. Tightly spaced, continuous horizontal panel grooves accentuate the illusion of alignment with exterior masonry, while enhancing the spacious feel of the open floor plan. Jurors marveled at the precision of the stone fabrication and installation.