Case Study #1
530 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY

Photos by Colin Miller, courtesy of Perkins Eastman

Interior Lightweight Reinforced Stone Panels Used for a Major Building Upgrade

Jamestown Properties and Rockwood Capital purchased this prominent midcentury building located in an upscale Manhattan location. The block-long, 24-story building was found to be unattractive when it was purchased in 2012 and the entry in particular was showing signs of wear. Over the building’s history, at least 10 different renovations had taken place but most of the stone and finishes in the original lobby had cracked and aged with use and abuse. Further, the lobby lighting was poor and the building had very little street presence.

S9 Architecture, a Perkins Eastman Affiliate Company, was retained to provide a new high-quality interior facelift that included the renovation of the main lobby. The scope of the project also included a new street entry façade with a small, specialty coffee shop located outside of the secure access to the elevator. This retail amenity was provided for the tenants but it also created a sense of place that engaged the public along the very busy Fifth Avenue.

The timing of the renovation became one of the driving factors for the choice of materials for the renovation. In order to maximize the capital investment, the client requested that the building be open as quickly as possible and that the renovation should be phased.

According to Principal-in-Charge John Clifford, “Reinforced stone panels were a logical choice for this project since they could be directly attached to the existing wall structure without the significant demolition and reconstruction of a new structural wall that traditional dimensional stone would require. This permitted an accelerated construction schedule which was important to the client to minimize disruption to building tenants in the occupied building during the renovation.” The reduction of weight and the precision manufacturing and engineering process provided by the reinforced stone panels provided many cost advantages particularly because the existing wall structure could be retained.

To emphasize the quality of this newly renovated office building, mocha cream colored limestone with a honed finish was selected for the interior lobby and elevator cores which brightened up the interior and provided some needed durability. On the exterior, pewter colored limestone with a honed finish was selected to change the street appearance and make the overall façade more appealing. Both of these stones were fabricated as lightweight reinforced panels with an aluminum honeycomb backing. Using natural stone on the face of the panels provided a maintenance-free, elegant, and durable solution for both the interior and exterior of the building. Reinforced stone panels were also used to clad the built-in front desk in a furniture type of application. All of the panels were carefully detailed to emphasize the horizontal courses thus replicating reveals in dimensional stone. The architects worked with the manufacturer to develop a variety of details to achieve the desired design aesthetic with precision and dimensional accuracy.

The renovation was completed in less than nine months and achieved the client goals for the creation of an elegant new design for 5th Avenue.

Case Study #2
Veterans Memorial, McAllen, TX – “To Honor Those Who Served”

Memorial Features 105-Feet-Tall, Five-Sided Spire Clad in Lightweight Stone Reinforced Granite Panels over a Steel Structure

The Veterans War Memorial in McAllen, Texas, has been built to last for centuries by the Veterans War Memorial Foundation of Texas. Colonel Frank Plummer, who serves as president of the foundation, also played the role of memorial designer. Having served in the U.S. Army for 32 years, Col. Plummer is proud to have conceived of this durable monument to all those who served.

Everything in the Veterans War Memorial tells a story. The centerpiece of the monument is a five-sided spire with each side representing one of the five branches of U.S. armed services. The history of each branch is written on its designated side including a list of the many battles and wars fought by U.S. veterans from 1775 to today. Located around the spire throughout the five-acre memorial park are military themed statues and walls that provide lists of those specially honored for their service to the country.

In order to achieve the design and functional needs of the 105-foot-tall spire, 300 lightweight reinforced granite panels were used. These panels included an aluminum honeycomb backing and were mounted onto a galvanized steel substructure. This approach meant that durable, but affordable, granite panels could be etched to provide a lasting backdrop to the histories, images, and names of service members. It also means that the maintenance budget is almost zero since the watertight panels are expected to perform consistently well for decades to come.

The entire monument is a testimony to the dedication and service by members of the military. According to Colonel Plummer “to our knowledge this is the only monument built like this in the United States, dedicated to over 1.4 million men and women who served in our wars. The purpose of the monument is to honor all of the men and women who fought in wars to make this country.” The memorial and their stories are provided to educate the community on their contributions to wars thus serving as an outdoor classroom visited by children and adults alike.

Case Study #3
899 West Evelyn Street, Mountainview, CA

Designing with Stone for Seismic Loading

The historic city of Mountain View, located in the San Francisco Bay area, is one of many places in the earthquake zone that surrounds Silicon Valley. For safety, historic, and sustainability reasons, there are strict review guidelines for all new construction. Commercial buildings are required to submit either a LEED® or Green Point checklist to document the environmental features of the plan. The planning department requires building concept sketches and reviews building materials to assure that they will fit within a neighborhood context. Each preliminary submittal to this community requires that the designers submit a narrative that discusses materials, colors, and sustainable aspects and construction methods.

The 70,232-square-foot Class A office building at 899 W. Evelyn Street was designed and approved as part of a transit hub and completed in 2014. The architectural firm Brick LLC designed the building to LEED® Platinum standards, the highest level for LEED® certification. Some of the elements in this building include a green roof, water-efficient landscaping, high-performance glazing, bike storage, access to the Cal-Tran train, and low VOC materials. They also recognized that for many in the real estate market, a Class A building must represent permanence which most often means that the buildings contain durable materials as a symbol of its character.

The materials selected for this project reflect the community and market values for permanence and tradition while being engineered to meet the highest technological standards for performance. Lightweight reinforced stone panels were chosen since they allowed a greater freedom of expression for the designers who wanted natural stone finishes but needed to address earthquake zone requirements for high-rise buildings. The reinforced stone panels are engineered to meet seismic codes and provide a flexibility that is not possible with solid stone panels. The design team knew from the beginning that they were selecting this system not only for performance and aesthetic reasons, but also because the cost was approximately five times less by weight for transportation.

The final building design demonstrates how earthquake code requirements for stability and durability can be met while meeting community standards for quality, contemporary facade design using a sustainable and permanent material like stone. In the end, the project exceeded all community standards and provides an example of how lightweight reinforced stone panels contribute to great design.