Thai Residence Tops 2014 MIA Pinnacle List
OBERLIN, Ohio – A travertine-clad private residence in Thailand topped all other entries in the 2014 Pinnacle Awards from the Marble Institute of America (MIA).
MIA member Stones and Roses International Company Ltd. Of Samutprakarn, Thailand, won the Grande Pinnacle Award as part of the annual competition.
The Pinnacle Awards recognize excellence in commercial, residential and renovation/restoration of natural stone projects worldwide. Projects selected as winners must demonstrate exceptional beauty, creativity, ingenuity, and craftsmanship in the use of granite, marble, travertine, limestone, and other natural stones.
The Grande Pinnacle noted the use of Thai travertine and basalt with the Navathani residence in Bangkok. Award judges commented that the project excels with a large variety of stone finishes and combines well the travertine color with the sleek design. They also praised the project for its gorgeous, juxtaposition of materials and inventive use of stone.
Architects49 House Design Limited of Bangkok, architect for this project, also received a Grande Pinnacle Award.
Judges for the 2014 Pinnacle Awards competition were:
- Daniel Lobitz, Partner, Robert A.M. Stern Architects LLP, New York;
- Hana Kassem, AIA, LEED, AP, Director, Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates PC, New York;
- Christian Pongratz, Pongratz Perbellini Architect, Verona, Italy;
- Jonathan Zanger, Immediate MIA Past President, Walker Zanger, Amboy, N.J.; and
- Chuck Muehlbauer, MIA Technical Director.
Sponsors of the Pinnacle Awards are: Marmomacc for the Grande Pinnacle; MAPEI for the Commercial awards; Blanco for the Residential awards; and Coldspring for the Renovation/Restoration awards.
The competition is open to MIA members around the world.
All award honorees were noted at the MIA’s Annual Awards Luncheon during StonExpo/Marmomacc Americas in January.
The 2014 winners are:
(Click thumbnail images for photo galleries)
Award of Excellence / Grande Pinnacle Award: Residential Interior/Exterior
Residence Navathani
Bangkok, Thailand
Stone Supplier, Fabricator, Installer: Stones and Roses International Co. Ltd., Samutprakarn, Thailand (MIA member honoree)
Architect: Architects49 House Design Limited
General Contractor: Teamvis Construction Co. Ltd.
Stone:
Thai Travertine
Cream Limestone
Grey Basalt
Thai travertine as the main stone for the building, displays a strong natural character with contrasting color hues and crystalline veins, which contribute to blending the architecture into the landscape. And, the design of the stone provides a sense of unity to the building.
The façade of each wing displays an array of columns of various widths and spacing, and there is an alignment of the columns between the two wings. The texture is rough on the outside face of the columns and honed on the sides as it continues through the window to the inside of the house. The two wings are connected by a long screen wall that separates the drop-off area from the private areas. This wall is pierced with square openings which helps to show a relationship between the two areas.
The façade facing the entrance features stone in contrasting but related ways: the right hand wing is clad with honed stone on top of a large window, while the opposite wing displays a chiseled stone wall on the bottom with a large window on top. The architecture extends to the outside of the right-hand wing with a private theater of a modern contemporary design. The stone featured on the façade changes to a minimalist grey basalt, while continuing the column concept with the alternate textures grooved on the facing and honed on the sides.
Award of Excellence: Commercial Interior
Antero Resources Corp.
Denver
Stone Supplier: Las Vegas Rock Inc, Jean, Nev. (MIA award honoree)
Client: Antero Resources Corp.
Architect/Designer: McPherson Architecture
General Contractor: MATT Construction
Stone Fabricator, Installer: YK Stone Center (MIA member company)
Stone:
Metaquartzite
For the relocation of a exploration/production company in downtown Denver, McPherson Architecture was tasked with creating a geological theme that spoke to the Earth, its strata, and the valuable resources within. The design team created an atrium with spiral stairs to connect four levels of office space and facilitate communication between departments, and specified Las Vegas Rock’s Metaquartzite stone, quarried in the Nevada desert near Jean.
Metaquartzite s pure silica bonded by quartz making it a “glass grade silica sand,” with the Jean quarry as is the only specific deposit of this type of stone known of on Earth. The material has a high threshold for resistance to wear and has an extraordinarily high slip resistance in the polished finish. The stone was selected because it was dramatic and emotional, but not lavish. The organic feeling of the stone set the tone for the office design, and people connected to the stone’s rich, bold colors and natural characteristics.
Award of Excellence: Commercial Exterior
Conrad N. Hilton Foundation Headquarters
Agoura Hills, Calif.
Stone Supplier, Fabricator: Las Vegas Rock Inc. (MIA award honoree)
Architect: ZGF Architects
General Contractor: MATT Construction
Stone Installer: Italian Marble & Tile Co.
Stone:
Metaquartzite
For a two-story office building that’s net-zero energy and LEED-Platinum registered, the split-face stone cladding enhances the synergy between nature and technology by echoing the texture and color of the surrounding local stone. The rectangular building clad in strips of auburn, burnt orange, and deep-yellow Metaquartzite, pay homage to the area’s vivid landscapes and tile roofs. The exterior façade and landscape are juxtaposed with a neutral interior color palette and materials.
Las Vegas Rock Metaquartzite is Silver Cradle to Cradle certified natural stone, with tangible and credible measurement of achievement in environmentally-intelligent design.Las Vegas Rock practices ecologically-conscious manufacturing. There is zero waste in production and 100% of the Las Vegas Rock by-product is repurposed.
Due to the sustainability initiatives associated with the production of the Metaquartzite stone Las Vegas Rock provided for this project, there were several points awarded towards the LEED Platinum registration with Regional Materials and Innovation in Design credits.
Award of Excellence: Commercial Exterior
Massachusetts Maritime Academy
Bourne, Mass.
Stone Installer: Kenneth Castellucci & Associates Inc., Lincoln, R.I. (MIA award honoree)
Client/Project Owner: Division of Capital Asset Management
Architect: Perry Dean Rogers Partners Architects
General Contractor: W.T. Rich Company Inc.
Stone Supplier, Fabricator: A. Grebelsky & Son (MIA member company)
Stone:
Ramon Grey Limestone
The proposed building needed to be directly in-line with the primary wind direction for an existing wind turbine. A wind study determined that the roof should be asymmetrically tipped to create a more a-aerodynamic form, thereby increasing wind speed and reducing power loss.
This atypical shape made choosing the exterior material a key component in blending old and new with an iron spot brick and gray limestone panel. The iron spot brick compliments the existing brown brick and the variegated grey limestone compliments the existing precast concrete. The typical 2’ X 7’ stone panel size is nice counterpoint to the smaller brick unit, and is far more sympathetic in scale to the existing concrete.
The stone panels run vertically with each panel being supported on its own relieving angle creating a solution that is specific to the building shape. The angle at the top of each panel is derived from the slope of the roof on that respective orientation.
Award of Merit: Commercial Interior
Center for Strategic & International Studies (CSIS) Headquarters
Washington
Stone Supplier, Fabricator and Installer: Rugo Stone, LLC, Lorton, Va. (MIA award honoree)
Architect: Hickok Cole Architects
General Contractor: Hitt Contracting Inc
Stone Supplier, Fabricator: Tennessee Marble Co. (MIA member company)
Stone Fabricator: Santucci Armando Srl (MIA member company
Stone Fabricator: Structural Stone LLC (MIA member company)
Stone:
Tennessee Pink Marble
Statuario Venato Marble
Fior Di Bosco Marble
The building achieved LEED Platinum certification, and is fully occupied by the owner.
The interior space is completely clad and paved in elegant marbles. The walls are clad in Tennessee Pink marble with a sand blasted finish. The design allowed for the same appearance of the exterior stone finish to pass through into the interior space at all the curtain-wall intersections. This helped create the appearance of a floating glass wall.
The interior public space is open from the garden basement level, through the first floor, and open to the ceiling of the third floor. This open space is completely clad with Tennessee Pink marble; the stone is used on all nine levels of the interior.
The interior floor was fabricated in Statuario Venato honed marble in large format parallelograms with accents of a soft warm grey Fior Di Bosco. The interior paving stone was fabricated in Carrara, Italy by Santucci Armando. The lobby desk and numerous fireplaces utilize sawn small strips, laid with tight joints, to create a unique modern appearance.
Award of Merit: Commercial Interior
Petersburg Public Library Medallion
Petersburg, Va.
Stone Fabricator: Appomattox Tile Art Co., Petersburg, Va. (MIA award honoree)
Client: Petersburg Public Library
Architect: Enteros Design, PC
General Contractor: EDC
Stone Installer: Travis Cobb
Stone:
Marble, Granite
Limestone, Onyx
The project was designed by the architects at Enteros Design and handmade by mosaicists at Appomattox Tile Art; both companies are located just a few blocks from the Petersburg library. The image incorporates 48 of the city’s landmark buildings, stylized books, trees and sky, railroad lines, the river, and historic scenes. The design was produced using 100% post-industrial Bohemian-style marble, granite, limestone and onyx. All 138,000 pieces of organically shaped tesserae trimmings were sorted by color to provide a cost-effective product. The 21’-diameter medallion is located in the rotunda at the front entrance to the library, which opened last year.
Award of Merit: Commercial Interior
Céline
Beverly Hills, Calif.
Stone Installer, Fabricator: Amalfi Stone & Masonry Inc., Sun Valley, Calif.
Architect: B+A
General Contractor: Alain Hirsch Construction
Stone Supplier: Owner-supplied material
Stone:
Roman Travertine
Fire Red Onyx
Jade Onyx
Brown Wood Onyx
For a luxury boutique on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills, lead Céline designer Phoebe Philo chose the stone. Samples were reviewed prior to selection by the design team in France and purchased by the owner.
Mechanically attached 5’ x 6’ panels of Turquoise Blue quartzite form the store’s exterior cladding, which wraps into the interior entryway. The store interior has 3” thick cross-cut Roman travertine walls and matching display shelves. Fire Red onyx is used as an accent material on the shelves, while Brown Wood onyx is used for the honeycomb door panels.
The store’s feature wall is a book-matched Jade onyx, which continues to clad the changing-room door panels in a honeycomb system. The wall is 14’ tall, with piece sizes measuring 4’2” X 6’.
Throughout the process, the team from Amalfi Stone & Masonry faced and overcame several challenges. One obstacle was the City of Beverly Hills’ tough construction constraints; delivery of the large pieces of Turquoise Blue quartzite and Green onyx was difficult as Amalfi had limited sidewalk space to mobilize and lift the pieces to the height of the storefront for installation. Also, with no on-site material storage, Amalfi had to make multiple trips for delivery of the stone. Lastly, the brand was eager to unveil the store, which called for a tight fabrication and installation schedule to meet the grand-opening deadline.
Award of Merit: Commercial Exterior
Film Archive and Preservation Center
Santa Clarita, Calif.
Stone Supplier, Installer: Carnevale & Lohr Inc., Bell Gardens, Calif. (MIA award honoree)
Client: Packard Humanities Institute
Architect: B.A.R. Architects
Consultant: Trade International Inc. (MIA member company)
General Contractor: Morley Construction Co.
Stone:
Trani Biancone Belmonte
Trani Fondola, Pietra Serena
Carrara White Marble
The new building for the Film Archive and Preservation Center, inspired by the ancient Greek Stoa of Attalos with its two story colonnades and classical pediments, consists of nearly 105,000 ft² of handset honed Biancone marble. Along the colonnades of the building are 64 fluted columns that are 14’ tall, and 58 fluted 10’ columns. They are installed over the buildings structural columns, interspersed with 62 intricately carved lattice handrails.
Dividing the floors of the colonnade is a 5’ tall entablature with massive 8’ X 2’. beams at its bottom, metope and triglyph carvings in its center, and 800-lbs. moldings at its top. Crowning the colonnade is a 4’ cornice consisting of 8’ long beams below five courses of 4’ long moldings. On four elevations of the building are classical Greek pediments comprised of cubic stone.
More than 70,000 ft² of wall cladding covers the building, all mounted with stainless-steel clips attached to stainless-steel framing.
Surrounding the building is 11,000 ft² of honed Biancone paving, 6,000 ft² of 6” thick honed Biancone cubic stair treads, and 6,600 ft² of 3” thick tumbled Fondola limestone paving in random modules (the largest being 36” X 30”.). A special machine was manufactured to achieve such large tumbled modules.
Lining the bottom of the building is 5,000 ft². of natural roughback Fondola limestone. Set at a 5° angle, it replicates the look of a stacked block foundation like those found in many structures from antiquity.
Award of Merit: Commercial Exterior
Spotlight on Broadway Map, Times Square
New York
Waterjet Stone Fabricator: Creative Edge Master Shop Inc., Fairfield, Iowa (MIA award honoree)
General Contractor: Tully Construction
Architect: Snøhetta Associates
Graphic Design: Doyle Partners
Graphics Specification: Dale Travis and Associates
Stone Supplier: Granicor Inc. (MIA member company)
Stone:
Stansted Gray Granite
Peribonka Black Granite
The “spotlight” map is located outdoors in the granite pavement in a section of the “Bow Tie” that forms the heart of the Broadway theater district.
The graphic is a stylized map of the 40 official Broadway theaters, showing the locations of “Amsterdam, Sondheim, Majestic, Ambassador… etc.” and their main doors and locations in the district. The map depicts the area between 41st Street and 54th Street, centered on the intersection of 7th Avenue and Broadway.
The color scheme is a light gray granite, with the darker gray of stainless steel lettering and black granite for the streets. The low key gray-black theme was developed by Snøhetta Architects throughout the renovation area as a neutral palette to form a contrast to the extreme color and liveliness of Times Square.
One technical challenge involved the potential of the stainless steel to be a slip hazard. This was addressed by a stainless bead applied by hot weld to the stainless surface. The result is an attractive, permanent, non-slip finish. Also, attachment and inlay methods of stainless steel into the granite were engineered for the intense traffic and weather conditions.
The granite blocks were cut to size and shape, and inlaid at the Iowa facilities of Creative Edge Master Shop. Installation was completed by the employees of Tully Construction.
Award of Merit: Residential Interior/Exterior
Residence Bangsen
Chonburi, Thailand
Stone Supplier, Fabricator, Installer: Stones and Roses International Co. Ltd., Samutprakarn, Thailand (MIA member honoree)
Architect: Jon Somton
General Contractor: Lock-Build Group
Stone:
Thai Travertine
This house sits along an array of lakes and canals which highlights the landscape of a golf course;the house has been set high on stilts, a clear reference to Thai traditional architecture.
The house seems to float in the air. The large cantilevered openings are framed by the stone cladding. Another objective of the architecture is to blend itself seamlessly into the landscape.
The two objectives of the stone work were to focus on the large framed openings and to blend into the landscape. The travertine chosen by the architect has a smooth and warm color which blends well with the wood cladding and landscape. It displays complex movements, crystalline veins, and color blends which accentuates its natural character.
The challenge was to display this natural character, while ensuring a perfect continuity in the opening frames. The color and pattern of the stone had to continue seamlessly along the four sides of each frame, while still featuring the natural character of the stone. This required long drying times in our factory, and detailed piece-per-piece touch-up to smooth outstanding features of the stone.
Award of Merit: Residential Interior/Exterior
Hadstan
Paradise Valley, Ariz.
Stone Fabricator. Stone Installer: Picasso Tile & Stonework. Tempe, Ariz. (MIA award honoree)
Designer: David Michael Miller Associates
Client/Builder: Desert Star Construction Inc.
Stone:
Blue limestone
Cream limestone
Gray limestone
Gray limestone is used on all horizontal surfaces and cream vein-cut limestone on all vertical surfaces. The gray-limestone flooring was mud-packed to meet 1.5” wood flooring areas using uncoupling membrane throughout. Numerous hours went into the layout to insure architectural detail lines were met. Oversized tiles were planned to ensure all layouts met crucial lines per the design.
Blue limestone was used in setting the path to the front entry. All pieces at the edges were mitered to appear to be thick block stone. The veneer walls were alternated in size to reach the exact width at the top band of the walls. The edge detailing created interesting shadow play, both day and night, at interior and exterior locations.
This detail is also noted on the fireplaces. Blue-limestone hearths, which floated at all locations, used the same quirk mitered edges.
Five showers throughout the main house share the same veneer and flooring materials. Blue-limestone slab benches were fabricated to rest on a stainless-steel frame. The shower floors were mapped out to the exact dimensions so there were no cuts; with same-size pieces continually framing the space to the center drain.
Award of Merit: Renovation/Restoration
Capital One Plaza
Houston
Designer: Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates, Inc., Houston (MIA award honoree)
Client: CBRE
General Contractor, Stone Installer: Western Waterproofing
Stone Supplier, Stone Fabricator: Mariotti, Carlo & Figli SpA
Stone:
Roman Classic Travertine
The exterior wall consists of ribbon windows and 3cm-thick travertine panels connected to precast concrete spandrel panels. The travertine panels are mechanically connected to the precast concrete panels with stainless-steel wire-loop anchors. The height of the travertine panels are approximately 4’, and the length of the panels vary between approximately 5’-7’.
The 30-year-old travertine exterior wall panels and plaza pavers exhibited distresses such as cracking and spalling. A comprehensive evaluation was performed on the exterior wall and pavers at the building, including field observations, laboratory testing, structural calculations and mockup repairs to understand the condition of the travertine exterior wall panels. The study led to design repairs, selection of replacement stone, and establishing stone-repair criteria required to maintain the building’s original appearance.
The repairs consisted of removing and replacing approximately 250 exterior wall panels and 90 pavers, along with in-place repairs of approximately 1,000 additional exterior wall panels. Repair anchors were designed and tested per current ASTM standards to determine the capacity of the anchors under a tension load. A custom-made mortar mix was designed and implemented to parge the travertine panels and pavers to limit dirt accumulation within the voids in the stone, and provide the building owner the desired clean appearance.
Special Pinnacle Award of Merit for Architectural Element: Commercial Interior
Nu Skin Innovation Center
Provo, Utah
Stone Installer: KEPCO+, Salt Lake City (MIA award honoree)
Client/Owner: Nu Skin Enterprises, Client/Owner
Architect: Bohlin Cywinski Jackson, Architect
General Contractor: Okland Construction, General Contractor
Stone Supplier, Stone Fabricator: Henraux Spa (MIA member company)
Stone:
Carrara White Pencil Vein Marble
One of the center’s most impressive features is the massive, one-of-a-kind marble desk, which greets visitors upon their arrival in the building’s atrium. Shaped like the hull of a boat, the desk is 26’ long and 5’ wide at the thickest point. A feat of modern design and innovation, the desk curves in such a manner that only a strip of stone 8’ long and 3” wide makes contact with the floor.
The desk was fabricated from two very large blocks of Carrara Pencil Vein marble. Because the shape of the desk was computer-generated, the stone had to be shaped using a 5-axes CNC machine and then hand-cut to achieve the desired finish. The stones were dry set and only a small amount of hand finishing was necessary to fine-tune the shape of each stone to match the adjacent stone. The blocks were carefully oriented so that the veining was random. Installation of this unique feature also took great care and planning.
Three layers of plywood were used to protect the atrium floor from receiving any damage during the desk’s installation due to the significant weight of the stones (7,700 lbs. each) and the large forklift required to lift the stones into place. Special jigs were created out of steel to support the stone while it was being installed. The two end stones were connected via a stainless steel frame hidden beneath the matching stone countertop in the center of the desk. Three-quarter inch stainless steel anchors were used to attach the stone to the frame. Once adjusted, the frames were removed and the desk was free-standing.
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