Architects have called it futuristic and compared it to spaceships. Envisioned and designed by late renowned architect Zaha Hadid, the 520 W 28^th Street residential condominium building in New York City’s Chelsea neighborhood features a stunning piece of wall art carved from Grigio Brasile marble that expands 34 feet. Sting and his wife Trudie Styler are reportedly renting an apartment in the upper floors of the building while Ariana Grande and her fiancé Pete Davidson dropped $16 million for a condo in the building.

“The Modern organic design from Zaha Hadid gives the building a unique and impressive dynamic shape which changes from one viewing point to another,” says Colin Addley, CEO and president of Port Morris Tile & Marble.

Port Morris Tile & Marble was tapped to engineer and execute the artistic stone feature wall and matching floor design in the building’s lobby, no small feat, to be sure. The company is no stranger to working on large scale and challenging projects that involve complex engineering throughout the New York City area. “By having an international talented and experienced team which have worked with very well-known architects on numerous projects gave us the edge to add value and bring a skilled service to compliment the [Zaha Hadid] Design team,” says Addley.

Still, Hadid’s reputation for creating unique and challenging designs wasn’t lost on Addley and his team and the question raised several times when they first reviewed the drawings and renderings was how to turn this concept design into a reality.

Sourcing Natural Stone

Choosing the natural stone to meet the needs of the space and realize Hadid’s vision was an important part of the process.

The Grigio Brasile marble, quarried in Greece, proved just the right color variations and quantities for the monochromatic design with beautiful smoky grey color tones. It also featured highly-durable characteristics which made it attractive for this project.

“The structure and the grey background of the natural marble emphasized the organic 3-dimensional shapes and made it the focal area in the space,” says Addley.

The natural stone was then shipped to Italy for a highly-detailed fabrication process before all of the feature wall stone pieces were specially and individually crated like pieces of art sculptures and shipped to New York City.

Port Morris Tile & Marble worked closely with Hadid’s design team to refine the layouts required to accommodate the block size limitations in order to allow for proper installation, which involved everything from considering different engineering options, several sketches, technical drawings, 3D modeling, and mockups.

“Full-scale mockups were required from the design team in order to ensure and check the precision of the stone to the 3D model files. The wall stone pieces were shaped using a CNC machine from custom cubic stone as the first step and then finished by highly skilled and qualified craftsmen,” says Addley, who admits it would have been very difficult to realize the same wall with the same precision, budget, and schedule without involving CNC machines.

“The latest technologies represented in CNC machines played a big role in achieving this extraordinary design and vision,” he shares.

To reduce the waste factor, the stone was divided to custom cubic measurements to match with each stone piece.

Installing a Zaha Hadid-Designed Sculpture

The installation process took about three weeks to complete the wall stone pieces, which required between four and five mechanics from Port Morris Tile & Marble’s highly skilled union stone craftsmen and seven weeks to install the complete lobby stone (floor and wall) under direct daily supervision of its staff.

“We used a classic anchoring system, as recommended by the engineer,” says Addley. “The anchors were used around the stone pieces in different angles and were epoxied to the marble and bolted to the concrete substrate wall.”

The installation sequence of the expansive and very heavy organic curved stone with odd and pointy edges was the most challenging aspect of this project. The stone was rigged and installed in a creative planned process to put the wall puzzle together and turn the project into a reality.

The design of the lobby feature wall as a new standing landmark in New York City represents how an inspired vision combined with skill and engineering can push natural stone design and the industry standards to new limits by the integration of the latest technological innovations.

Having the once-in-a-lifetime chance to work on Zaha Hadid’s last designed project was an honor for Addley and his company. It recently was honored for its work by the Natural Stone Institute’s highest honor, the 2017 Grande Pinnacle Award for Best Overall Project and a Pinnacle Award of Excellence in the Commercial Interior category. These highly-coveted awards are given to projects whose beauty, creativity, ingenuity, and craftsmanship exemplify professional mastery in the use of natural stone in commercial and residential applications.

Looking Ahead

Technology helped make this project possible and Addley believes we’re going to be seeing more work pushing limits as a result.

“The stone industry is in the process of pushing the limits of stone design to a higher level and creating a new realm of possibilities by integrating the latest technology,” he says.

Working on a project designed Zaha Hadid might have been a personal and professional highlight for Addley and his team, but working with challenging projects and buildings designed by architects pushing the boundaries is their trademark.

For those who want to get a glimpse of Zaha Hadid’s space age 11-story residential building, it can be seen hugging New York City’s High Line. It’s worth a step off the beaten path to stroll through the lobby and see the landmark and masterful craftsmanship created using natural stone.

TAGS:  wall technology installation inspire megy karydes

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Today’s natural stone fabricators and installers have an impressive arsenal of technology at their disposal. Some say new machines and techniques let them work more efficiently, avoid mistakes, and achieve greater precision. That means they can get better finished products to customers faster.

Technology also makes it much easier for customers to visualize what their countertop or mantlepiece will look like, or even participate in the design process. Here are some examples of how cutting edge digital tools are fitting into the age-old stone industry.

Connecting with the Internet of Things

Eliot Mazzocca, owner of Lido Stone Works in Calverton, NY, used to have to fly in technicians from northern Italy, where his stone cutting machines were made, to fix mechanical glitches. Not only was that incredibly expensive, it meant he could no longer make countertops, pool decks, walls, and architectural accent pieces until the technicians solved the problem.

Today, his machines have sensors that collect data and send it to the manufacturer through a cloud-based software system. Technicians can see what the problem is and guide Mazzocca’s factory manager to a solution from afar.

The machines are now automated and can run unattended, letting workers move on to other tasks. Sometimes Mazzocca runs them while he’s having dinner at home. In especially busy times, he has them going all night.

Lido Stone Works operator and programmer Edgar Jaramillo uses a CNC machine.

He also uses the IoT system to track inventory, which is photographed and barcoded as soon as it comes in. Using a phone or tablet, employees visiting a customer’s home or project site can show them pictures and provide specific information about any piece of marble, granite, onyx, quartz, or limestone in stock. As the design develops back in the shop, workers put together detailed digital photos showing clients where each piece of stone will go before it is cut.

“With the photos, they can see all that beautiful veining and graining as it will appear in their living room,” Mazzocca said. “What they see on paper is what they’ll receive.” Some clients suggest changes, or even download the digital CAD files and create their own designs.

Digital Templating

IoT is still rare in the stone industry. Much more common is the use of digital templating.

Until five or six years ago, when you wanted a marble or granite kitchen countertop, a worker would go to your home, take measurements, and build a full-scale model with cut-outs for appliances and cabinets. Then they would load the model into a van and take it to the shop, where it was placed over the stone for cutting.

Fusion CNC machine at Brekhus Tile & Stone.

Today, many have switched to digital template machines, which use a laser to accurately record measurements. It’s faster and comes in handy for tight spaces where it’s hard to fit a tape measure. At Brekhus Tile & Stone in Denver, “tape measures are a thing of the past,” said Josh Dacek, the company’s operations general manager.

Digitized measurements from the company’s templating machine are used to program a CNC router and a saw/waterjet machine. The CNC saves time compared to a bridge saw, and the fine-cutting water jet allows workers to use more of a stone slab. “A job that may have taken two full slabs may fit on one because you can nest so much tighter,” Dacek said. That gives customers counters without seams, which many prefer.

Digital equipment also allows Brekhus, like Lido, to show customers photos displaying their countertop design overlaid with the stone before the cut. “The old way, if the customer was looking for vein matching, they would have to come into the shop,” Dacek said.

Digital—or Not?

Wood strip templates from Seattle Granite.

For all its merits, digital technology isn’t for everyone.

“We make templates out of wood strips and hot glue. It’s pretty caveman,” said Jarren Cheha, owner of Seattle Granite. He uses a bridge saw for cutting. “It’s pretty foolproof as long as you make your templates right. It’s not rocket science,” he said.

He is still able to serve customers remotely—but in a very different way. Some live in Alaska, where stone companies are few and far between. They send him drawings with penciled-in measurements, and he cuts according to their specifications, then packs the finished countertops with great care and ships them off. So far, customers been happy with the results.

Advanced technology isn’t necessary for every job. But if you’re particular about how your stone countertop, wall, floor, or stairway fits in with your décor, it’s nice to know you have options.

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Technology has become so prevalent in society that we take many everyday wonders for granted. Tools, apps, and gadgets that improve the energy efficiency and security of our homes, remind us to exercise, allow us to download the latest novel and communicate with friends and colleagues around the world instantaneously, have changed how we live and work. Technology is also impacting the natural stone industry and it opens up a world of possibilities for your projects and saves time, money, and resources throughout the process.

Today stone can be quarried using less energy, processed in only a few minutes, and fabricated using less water, reducing the overall impact on the environment. These benefits are all possible because of the latest technology, including a few high-tech fabrication techniques discussed here, such as Computer Numerically Controlled (CNC) machinery, water jet, 3D modeling, and sandblasting. Having some knowledge of these techniques will help you more clearly define your choices and expand your design options in ways you never imagined before.

Selecting a Stone

It starts at the point of selecting the right stone for the project. What type of stone would best fit your personal taste, budget, and style? With almost endless materials, colors, and finishes available, even choosing a stone for a kitchen countertop or bathroom flooring can be a tedious and overwhelming task. But now you can gain access to practical and technical stone information at the touch of a button.

Selecting a stone by hand can be enhanced by learning about the type of stones and their characteristics online first before heading to the stone yard or showroom. Left: Stone slabs stacked in a stone yard waiting to be chosen and finished for a project. Right: Stone samples to choose from in a showroom. Photos courtesy of Stephanie Vierra

Like a favorite new novel that you can download and read anywhere, you can also search and download resources to learn about different types of stones and how they should be installed and maintained. This convenience puts a great wealth of knowledge at your fingertips–from swatches to design books and testing information–which is extremely useful in eliminating guesswork and preventing costly mistakes. An excellent place to conduct this research is online. Many companies provide comprehensive information on their website. The Natural Stone Institute is a great resource with a wide range of documents available for purchase or download. The site directs you to the information you need as a consumer or professional in the stone industry. Be sure to ask questions and bookmark stone samples, designs, and installations that you prefer. This will help you select the stone you want more easily and communicate more effectively with your stone supplier or installer.

CNC Machinery

After you have selected the stone, the next step is to fabricate it into the correct size, shape, and finish. A widely used technology at the fabrication stage is computer numerically controlled (CNC) machinery.  CNC makes it possible to develop a design in the computer first and refine it before applying the design to the material.  What began as a simple block or slab of stone can end up with curves, impressions, texture, and shapes carved into it.

While you are interested in the end result, you can feel good knowing that the CNC technology saved time, increased the precision of the cuts, and reduced waste. Talk to your local stone fabricator and ask if they are using this technology. Consider personalizing and customizing the design to make the project uniquely yours. Perhaps your initials or favorite sports team’s name carved into the side of a sink, or your company name etched into a work surface.

An example of CNC machinery being programmed and tweaked at the control side before the machinery implements the final design. Photos courtesy of Stephanie Vierra

Various patterns that can be cut into natural stone using CNC technology. Photos courtesy of Stephanie Vierra

Water Jets

Water jet technology has also become more widely used in the natural stone industry. While the water jet has been around since the late 1800s, the technology keeps improving and is used with such accuracy that it saves more money and time than ever. Aria Stone Gallery documented some of these advantages in their blog post “Cutting Natural Stone with Water Jet Technology.” They found that the “water jet has the ability to create intricate detail with the utmost accuracy, with less maintenance and lower costs than traditional laser cutting devices. Depending on the settings, the water jet can produce different results. The details may be subtle to transform smooth, earthy stone to appear as though it has a linen textured finish. On a larger scale, the natural stone may be cut into many different shapes and details to create sculptures and large-scale art installations. As this technology continues to advance, artists and engineers will find endless creative possibilities.” Imagine an elaborately carved bathtub or bar feature that will provide many years of enjoyment.

Examples of the intricate detail and sculptural art that can be created using water jet technology on natural stone. Images courtesy of Aria Stone Gallery.

3D Modeling

Renovation projects where existing materials or designs must be matched can bring a host of challenges that technology such as 3D modeling can help meet. To match a serpentine pattern of 120-year-old stones in a historic church in Virginia, 3D scanning technology was used by the granite fabricator. A complete scan of the church produced a 3D model, which was then converted into 2D documents used to trace the pieces. Next, the granite fabricator used the 2D drawings to create a 3D Revit model. The extensive efforts ensured the new façade would replicate the existing with accuracy. This same approach can be used to match an existing or historic façade or other stone elements, especially if you are interested in preserving the character and original design intent of the stone. Perhaps instead, you want to emulate the look of the French Cháteau you recently visited or the Tuscan Villa that you saw in a magazine in your new home. A 3D model can be created from pictures that would replicate the design with accuracy and precision and the most appropriate stone and finish chosen to match the design and make it look historic.

Example of 3D and 2D scanning technology used by the granite manufacturer to match the existing serpentine pattern of the historic stone at St. Francis of Assisi Church in Staunton, Virginia. Photo courtesy of ©Coldspring.

Sandblasting

When a project’s design calls for images to be etched into stone, high-tech sandblasting capabilities can bring the vision to life. Such was the case with the granite entrance to Boston Children’s Hospital, fabricated by Coldspring. Intricate dot matrix stenciling and a sandblast process transferred the artist’s images to polished gray-black stone. The 1,200-square-foot, L-shaped wall greets visitors with playful images of animals and foliage that includes dragonflies, butterflies and flowers and provides a different view with each experience. Through the sandblasting process, various shades of gray were produced and recessed into the stone. Each adjacent piece was carefully laid out and lined up to ensure the image flowed correctly across the entire wall. Stone selection is a critical decision for a sandblast project. Typically, a dark-colored stone provides an effective and necessary contrast against the images inscribed into the stone. Mesabi Black granite provided such a contrast, offering the ideal background to allow the animals and foliage to shine through. Additionally, the grain structure and stark gray-black color has a beautiful appearance in many different finishes, which allows designers to achieve a contrast in color without the use of different stones. Imagine this idea applied to a feature wall or countertop in your next project.

The 1,200-square-foot, L-shaped wall of the Boston’s Children’s Hospital greets visitors to the hospital with beautiful artwork and imagery including playful images of animals and foliage transferred to a gray-black granite background. ©2016 Amesse Photography

New technologies will only continue to expand and grow in importance and ease of availability. As designers and consumers continue realizing the benefits of technology, the demand for digital craftsmanship in stone design is expected to increase. The design world and consumers will have even more opportunities to see fine, detailed stone work in more applications. The possibilities are only limited by one’s imagination. Ultimately, the use of sustainable, natural stone in project designs will become the norm. So take advantage of the latest technology when designing with natural stone. You will find your knowledge expanded and the total process of selecting, fabricating and installing natural stone a more seamless, creative and positive experience.

Advancements in technology, machinery, and transportation have made natural stone more accessible and affordable than ever before.

Bluestone outcropping and irregular natural cleft bluestone, full range color. Photo courtesy of Lurvey Landscape Supply.

It would seem like a misnomer to think technological advancements have helped improve a product like natural stone valued for its organic look and properties. Yet those advances are among the reasons natural stone is becoming more popular among homeowners looking to add a timeless classic into their landscape projects.

Technological Advances to Natural Stone

Many homeowners love the look of natural stone but want more options. Thanks to recent technological advances in stone fabricating equipment, once very labor intensive surface treatments being applied to natural stone are now done through computer automated equipment.  This automation provides us increased flexibility in aesthetics and shorter production time due to faster processing. “You could have sandblasted, bush-hammered, natural-cleft, thermalled, honed, polished, the list just can go on and on,” says Daniel Wood, LEED GA, of Lurvey Landscape Supply. The company, with locations in Illinois and Wisconsin, sources natural stone from more than 50 quarries around the world and is one of the largest natural stone suppliers in the country. “We move a huge amount of natural stone,” Wood admits.

Pennsylvania Fieldstone. Photo courtesy of Lurvey Landscape Supply.

Those textural options are just skimming the natural stone surface. “They have ones that they’re making that look like linen,” he continues. “Ones with little chevron patterns in them, and there’s a lot more. Then you can mix and match those designs, too. You can have part of the pattern with one texture, and some with another, and I’ve seen that trend start to appear within the concrete realm, too. They have about five different surface textures and some installations being blended on the same job and it looks really cool.”

It used to be that if homeowners wanted the look of natural stone but couldn’t afford it, or sought options that just weren’t available in the marketplace yet, they’d opt for faux natural stone in the form of concrete.

Pennsylvania Fieldstone. Photo courtesy of Lurvey Landscape Supply.

However, the cost of concrete is rising. This, coupled technical advances for natural stone and the fact that the production of cement (which forms the binding agent of concrete when mixed with water) contributes approximately five percent of the planet’s greenhouse gas emissions have made the real thing more attractive than concrete alternatives.

On the surface level, choosing natural stone might seem straight forward. Wood says it’s anything but and comments on how amazed people are to learn how vast the selection of natural stone can be when considering incorporating it on a project. He admits that even he, a veteran in the landscape design industry, is surprised at how much there is to learn about opportunities that incorporate natural stone with plants, drainage, irrigation, lighting, fabrics, and fertilizers, among other variables. “It’s just constantly evolving and growing, and changing as new technologies are coming in,” he adds.

Valders dovewhite rock faced veneer, Thermal Lilac bluestone paving, coping, and treads. Photo courtesy of Lurvey Landscape Supply.

There is even variation within a certain type of stone to consider, notes Kris Barker, a registered landscape architect, LEED-certified designer and co-founder of Chicago-based Barker Evans Landscape Architecture, who works with clients all over the country. Within bluestone alone you can have a blue bluestone, or a mixed color of bluestone which has some russet coloration in it and is more variegated, not to mention the range of finish options, she says.

Natural Stone Is Eco-Friendly

Valders dovewhite rock faced veneer, Thermal Lilac bluestone paving, coping, and treads. Photo courtesy of Lurvey Landscape Supply.

By definition, natural stone is eco-friendly but looking beyond the fact that it’s a natural product, natural stone can also make a space more eco-friendly. When undertaking a project, Barker takes note of how integrating stone into projects can be part of a solution rather than just aesthetically pleasing.

In areas like California, for example, the drought is affecting hardscapes designs. In some cases, rather than creating tight joints, they’re integrating gravel with stone so there are opportunities for the water to infiltrate in the location rather than allow the water to inundate an area because they’ve put so much impervious surface down. Or they’ll integrate vegetation within the hardscape or look for opportunities to capture water within the hardscape. A side benefit of these types of solutions is that the final product often comes across looking softer and more appealing, Barker says.

On the opposite side of the country, you have other types of climate issues, including heat and rain, with which to contend. Local natural stone is a good option in Florida since decks, in general, are expensive to build and often need to be on pylons.

Natural Stone is an Affordable Sustainable Material

Valders dovewhite rock faced veneer, Thermal Lilac bluestone paving, coping, and treads. Photo courtesy of Lurvey Landscape Supply.

Everyone can afford to have some stone on their projects, says Wood, whether one is planning to blend it into the landscape, as steps, or for something more elaborate like a sculptural piece. Depending on the project, most stone can also be cut to a specific size off-site. The benefits of having the stone cut off-site are significant, according to Wood.

• You get a precise cut. If you order a 12” x 12” stone for a project, it’s really going to be an 11 ½” x 11 ½” stone, leaving a half inch border for a joint or other type of jointing material.
• More environmentally friendly. Less dust and debris on the jobsite.
• Less Labor = Lower Cost. Since the cutting can be done in advance, it’s more cost-effective than cutting on-site because installers can focus their time on installation, not cutting to size. Having the stone pre-cut to a specific size makes it easier to line up stone on-site, making it less labor intensive and, therefore, less costly to install.

Another benefit most homeowners don’t consider when choosing natural stone are its inherent sustainable qualities including that it’s a totally reclaimable resource. “From cradle to cradle, you can continue to use stone again, and again, and again,” notes Wood. “You can’t do that with almost every other material.”