The 35-story Trump Tower at City Center in White Plains, NY, features marble and granite throughout its 460,000 square feet of space, which houses over 200 luxury condominium residences, encompassing a total of 440 bathrooms, 200 powder rooms and 212 kitchens.
For several years now, the stone industry in the U.S. has enjoyed tremendous growth, and fabricators expect this trend to persist in 2006. Spurred by their local markets, consumer awareness and construction trends, fabricators believe that demand for stone - particularly granite kitchen countertops - will continue to rise, and they are supporting this notion by investing more money into their businesses.
Simply known as the “House in the Blue Mountains,†this Eastern Pennsylvania retreat designed by renowned architect Peter Q. Bohlin, FAIA is a showcase of natural stone that has garnered a host of awards, including a 2004 Tucker Award from the Building Stone Institute (BSI). The project utilizes limestone from Bayer Stone of St. Mary's, KS, as well as Bluestone from Endless Mountain Bluestone of Susquehanna, PA.
Recent changes have been implemented on the grounds of
The Washington Monument, including the addition of a granite
security wall, as well as granite benches and walkways
With offices in Portland, Seattle, Los Angeles and Washington, DC, Zimmer Gunsul Frasca Partnership (ZGF) is a 400-person firm nationally recognized for its broad-based design practice. Current clients include a broad range of corporate, institutional, government, civic and health care entities, and it works on projects throughout the country. The firm has been recognized with more than 300 design awards, including the Architecture Firm Award, the highest honor given to a firm by the American Institute of Architects, and a Presidential Design Award.
As standard sizes and styles of stone and tile maintain their popularity, new shapes, colors and textures continue to enter the market in order to expand design options for homeowners and designers
Today's architects and designers are finding that the use of stone and tile in residential applications can go well beyond kitchens and bathrooms, as they can meet both aesthetic and practical needs within living areas
Through publications, study tours, seminars, architectural awards, meetings and conventions, Building Stone Institute (BSI) has met several objectives: promoting the use of natural stone; educating designers and masons and the clients they serve; and providing an environment for members to share ideas and profit from the experiences of other members and to form lasting friendships.
The concept of “building green†is gaining momentum and becoming more widespread in the design and construction industries. Inevitably, building green - with its emphasis on the environmental impact of building residential, institutional and commercial structures - will have an effect on the stone industry. Will the effect be a positive one or a negative one? It all depends on how the stone industry reacts to the issue.
Large-format natural stone tile is in demand for a variety of reasons. Designers like the aesthetically pleasing, open look it gives floors and walls in residential and commercial applications. Consumers like the natural beauty of a large stone expanse and appreciate the easier maintenance resulting from fewer grouted joints. But large-format tile also has its installation challenges. Working with large-format stone requires tighter tolerances in the substrate. In addition, its weight makes it harder to handle in both floor and wall applications.