“Multicolor Brazilian slate has a huge range of color to it. It can have lots of red it in with a little blue, or have very little rough rust color,†said Uchitelle, adding that the owners were very particular about limiting the color range of the material.
To meet the desired aesthetic, Uchitelle took a trip to Green Slate Mining's quarry in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, to see the color range of the slate. “It was beneficial that I speak Portuguese because it helped facilitate the process when I was meeting with people,†he explained. “Rather then pull the material out in slabs, it came out in layers, which made for a very interesting process.
“Since it was such a large order, we really had to set aside a good portion of the quarry in order to pull out the right range,†he continued. “The whole process took about six months. We even had material flown in to see if it was acceptable or not.â€
Green Slate Mining supplied Global Granite & Marble with two different sizes of the material - tiles and large slabs, which were used for the stairs. The color range and timeline posed some minor problems for the crew, according to Uchitelle. “It was challenging to keep within the range we wanted,†he said. “During the first couple months, we weren't sure we could do it, but then we hit some good phases in the quarry.
“Green Slate knew it was going to take a long time to get us the material we were looking for,†he continued. “We had to push hard to keep things moving in order to get the job done on time. Green Slate was great to work with. They were more than happy to accommodate us, and really bent over backwards for us. The project worked out very well in that sense.â€