Masonry Magazine September 2005 Page. 19
Natural stone offers a certain image that no competitor can quite match, which is one reason it tends to show up on award-winning buildings.
OPPOSITE PAGE: First-place winner in the Industrial/Commercial category was the TPC Craig Ranch building in McKinney, Texas.
BOTTOM RIGHT THIS PAGE: First-place winner in the Education College/University category was Grinnell College Residence, East Campus building in Grinnell, lowa.
For example, the first-place winner in the Industrial/Commercial category was the TPC Craig Ranch building in McKinney, Texas.
The TPC Craig Ranch design by Three Architecture, Inc. of Dallas uses the natural stone as the main design element; all other materials-slate roof tiles, stucco color and other elements - were selected after the stone. Robert "Rob" Barnes III, Executive Vice President of Estimating/Marketing with Dee Brown, Inc. in Garland, Texas, says that the design centered on three Oklahoma sandstone products.
"The owner, David Craig, selected the materials by traveling throughout Oklahoma, searching quarries to find the right mix," Barnes recalls. "The TPC Tournament Players Club had a say in the selection as well. After building the initial mockup, the materials were selected. Even so, the final blend and mixture of these three materials wasn't done until after we began installation." Barnes notes that, other than maintaining the correct mixture of the materials, installation issues were few and far between.
"There was little challenge for us in procuring the material since Craig had pre-selected the quarries," Barnes says. On the jobsite, the owner continued to be involved, discussing the project with the field foreman and making adjustments on how he wanted the stone laid. Barnes says, "He had our guys essentially lay the rock so that the face would move in and out more prominently."
Judges of the MCAA International Excellence Awards rightly cited the "overall craftsmanship to construct a project of this caliber as a clear reason to award first place to the ranch project. Barnes adds, "The battered columns and stone archway, outdoor full masonry fireplace and featured walls on the interior portion of the clubhouse were some of the elements that made this project special."
Higher Education
ANOTHER FIRST-PLACE WINNER in this year's MCAA awards was the Grinnell College Residence, East Campus building in Grinnell, Iowa. Judges noted that: "This project pushes the edge of design and uses masonry to achieve it."
The mason contractor on this envelope-pushing project was Forrest & Associate, Inc. of Des Moines, Iowa. Dick Felice, President and CEO of Forrest & Associate, says the College chose Anamosa limestone, a dolomitic limestone, deposited approximately 420 million years ago across the Midwest during the geological Silurian Period of the Mesozoic Era.
"Anamosa limestone has a uniform texture, uniform banding, uniform color, durability and distinct delicate