The use of terra-cotta tile and local Duke Stone for the exterior design of a new parking garage at Duke University maintains campus tradition while adding a modern twist.

Duke University's recently completed 1,900-car parking garage has become the first freestanding parking structure in the U.S. to achieve LEED certification. Bill Browne, FAIA, LEED AP, Principal and President of RATIO Architects Inc. in Indianapolis, IN, led the architectural team, and Todd Lohman of Walker Parkign Consultants, Inc. led the overall project team.

Design of dimensional stone veneer is a straightforward process when the stone sizes are similar, utilize the same material and are connected to an appropriately framed structural backup. However, if stone panels of different sizes and shapes are part of the architectural vision and the existing backup wall limits the location of anchors, the designer must be creative and meticulous in the cladding design.

A palette of natural stone was selected for the exterior of a private residence in Texas to create a contemporary look, while at the same time unifying it with its neighboring landscape.

With an exterior featuring honed Anamosa limestone from Iowa, an upscale condominium in the historic Old Town district of Pasadena, CA, maintains a distinctive look among its neighbors.

Comprised of brilliant hues that reflect the colors of a rainbow, the new West Beach Promenade in Benidorm, Spain, has assisted in revitalizing tourism in the area azed, it wouldn’t have such color.”

Built with indigenous travertine, the Museo dell’Ara Pacis in Rome, Italy, was recently honored with a Marble Architectural Award for its outstanding use of natural stone.

Nestled in the North Georgia mountains since 1886, Young Harris College has experienced some significant changes in recent months. While the school has been a two-year college since its beginning, it is now in the process of evolving into a four-year institution. With this transformation has come a surge in student attendance - causing a need for more space. As a result, Enotah Hall, a new 200-bed residence dormitory, opened in time for the fall 2009 semester. The new building, which was designed by the Atlanta, GA, office of Lord, Aeck & Sargent not only complemented the campus’s existing architecture, but it has received LEED silver certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. And the use of Tennessee flagstone in a thin stone veneer format for architectural and landscape elements contributed to the overall character of the exterior design.

Able to naturally complement the stone color of an historic building in Salt Lake City, UT, Valders Buff limestone from Valders Stone & Marble, Inc. in Valders, WI, was also fabricated to match different finishes throughout the exterior of a restoration project that would become O.C. Tanner Flagship Jewelry Store. Additionally, the company's Valders Dove White dolomtic limestone was used for the interior redesign.

Lord, Aeck & Sargent was created in 1989 when two Atlanta, GA-based practices, Aeck Associates, which was founded in 1942, and Lord & Sargent, started in 1983, made the decision to join forces. Since that time, the firm has demonstrated a strong commitment to keeping sustainability at the forefront of its designs.