Stone & Tile: Architecture Design & TrendsResidential

Oklahoma Stone Provides a Tranquil Getaway at Austin Waters Pool

Oklahoma Natural Stone, sourced from Quality Stone Quarries, was specified for the fireplace, playground, fire pit and patio of the recreation area at the Texan community of Austin Waters

The public spaces at Austin Waters — During the six months it took to construct the public spaces at Austin Waters, there were of course challenges. In Texas, the weather in the spring can change at a moment’s notice, and any rain puts all production on pause. Crews have to be mindful of this and work quickly before the weather turns.

Austin Waters outdoor fireplace — The color of the stone looks amazing and because it is a sandstone, it was easy to work with, which meant that it was easier for the contractor to be creative and utilize small details to make the job,” said Luis Juarez, general manager of Caprock Hardscape Supply.

Landscaping outside Austin Waters community pool — “Master planned communities are very popular in many areas of the country,” said Gary Nazerenus, COO for Quality Stone Quarries and Caprock Hardscape Supply. “Aside from just having a pool, homeowners expect additional amenities and enhancements. You have to be unique, thus setting yourself apart from everyone else.”

Austin Waters community pool area — The job itself includes many elements, such as a pool, a 25-foot fireplace taking up about 450 square feet and 12 tons of stone, a playground, fire pit and patio, but it’s the stylistic elements that bring the job to life.

Austin Waters amenity area — “Some of them are doing insane things like putting in giant beaches modeled after Cabo-San Lucas,” said Sarah Ratliff. “The competition is rough out here, but I think this job and amenity area will definitely make Austin Waters stand out.”

Caprock Hardscape Supply of Lewisville, TX, delivered more than 150 tons of Multicolored Oklahoma Natural Stone, sourced from Quality Stone Quarries of Stigler, OK, over a six-month time period for the construction of the Austin Waters pool and amenity area at the new premier master-planned community in The Colony, TX. Besides being a space for residents to relax, gather and enjoy a home-away-from-home atmosphere, the structure itself is an impressive masonry feat with striking design elements and even more eye-catching stonework.

“This is one of my favorite jobs that we’ve done,” said Luis Juarez, general manager of Caprock Hardscape Supply. “The color of the stone looks amazing and because it is a sandstone, it was easy to work with, which meant that it was easier for the contractor to be creative and utilize small details to make the job.” Caprock Hardscape Supply is a hardscape and masonry supply company based in Lewisville, TX. Caprock has been family owned and operated in Lewisville since 1988.

The job itself includes many elements, such as a pool, a 25-foot fireplace taking up about 450 square feet and 12 tons of stone, a playground, fire pit and patio, but it’s the stylistic elements that bring the job to life. “The project has this feel to it that almost makes you forget that you’re in the middle of a subdivision — it feels almost like you’re on the patio at a new hip bar in Dallas,” explained Sarah Ratliff, director of marketing for Quality Stone Quarries, ranked as the second largest quarrier of Oklahoma Natural Stone.

Chic design — mixed with the warm hues within the color of the stone — bring this small community out on the map. While Austin Waters is tucked away in The Colony, TX, it is in an area that is rapidly growing. Master planned communities themselves are in high demand in a real estate market where contractors, builders and quarriers are all trying to keep up.

“Master planned communities are very popular in many areas of the country,” said Gary Nazerenus, COO for Quality Stone Quarries and Caprock Hardscape Supply. “Aside from just having a pool, homeowners expect additional amenities and enhancements. You have to be unique, thus setting yourself apart from everyone else.”

“We have great stone in our quarry and we’re very proud that we are able to mine as much volume as we are so we can keep up with the demand of the market,” said Danny Ratliff, CEO and owner of Quality Stone Quarries and Caprock Hardscape Supply. “Our quarry is not a small enterprise, we have multiple choppers and great crews — we’re digging as much rock as we can out of the ground, and it’s beautiful, the color is so multidimensional — it’s not just ‘Brown stone.’”

During the six months it took to construct the public spaces at Austin Waters, there were of course challenges. In Texas, the weather in the spring can change at a moment’s notice, and any rain puts all production on pause. Crews have to be mindful of this and work quickly before the weather turns.

Texas also has one of the fastest growing real estate markets in the nation. Builders in Dallas-Fort Worth, according to Metro Study, started over 31,000 homes in 2016 and closed over 29,000 of those homes. Texas’ market has been outpacing that of the U.S. A study conducted by the Texas A&M Real Estate Center shows Texas home sales have outpaced that of the U.S. since 2007, and Texas alone has brought in more people since 2010 than people that live in Washington, D.C.

The large growth and projected growth for 2018 only means more demand and more competition among these communities. “Some of them are doing insane things like putting in giant beaches modeled after Cabo-San Lucas,” said Sarah Ratliff. “The competition is rough out here, but I think this job and amenity area will definitely make Austin Waters stand out. The one thing I love about it, is how it’s in the middle of a busy urban area, but when you’re out relaxing by the pool or sitting next to the fireplace, you definitely feel far away from that. It’s a mix of all the stone, the color, the design — it makes you feel like you’re at home, which is ultimately what people want.”