Gallegos was contacted by a client about a project where stone was not just to be an accent material, but the main visual and perceived structural element to create a timeless architectural composition. To further the endeavor: all veneers and dimension stone must be locally sourced and sustainably quarried. The design called for a moss rock veneer with cut stone trim. Sourcing the sandstone moss rock was simple because there were several local quarries to use. The problem was with the trim pieces. Gallegos selected Colorado Buff sandstone for the trim since the buff body was a good contrast to the moss rock and it is a stone that can be cut to size. One main concern with any sedimentary stone is hitting what is known as a “dry” layer in the ledge. This is an area in the stone between sedimentary layers that has not solidified or cemented. It is still granular and can lead to future stone failure as water penetrates these layers and creates freeze/thaw issues. To avoid this, they used an epoxy injected into the dry layers to help solidify the material and prevent any future failures. The client also wanted sustainable materials for their countertops and bathrooms. Many of the interior stones were either reclaimed materials or were sourced from Colorado quarries – Calacatta Lincoln was used extensively. Gallegos sourced tiles from reclamation projects in Europe and Asia for use in the master bath and front entry areas. For many of the countertops, the owner’s interior designer spent hours looking through remnants and applied several throughout the residence. Willow Court is a spectacular and dramatic nod to stone masonry, something the owner, architect, and builder can be proud of and, for the most part, was built with the environment in mind.

This Brooklyn street-corner property had a storied past as a butcher’s shop and antiques store before being purchased by the designer's client. The client’s vision was to convert the property into a unique, modern industrial townhome. The first step in maximizing the building's interior livable space was the arduous task of excavating the basement. This resulted in a large recreation room area with a truly one-of-a-kind, oversized wine room accessible via a blackened steel sculptured doorway — a modern take on the traditional wine cave holding 688 bottles. A Grand ARDA for indoor living goes to Dixon Projects Designer: Dixon Projects From: New York, New York

To facilitate the builder's desire to create a successful model home in this large site development with expansive natural preserves, this design creates a sense of presence far greater than its actual size. This was accomplished by a wide yet shallow layout that allows most rooms to look out to rear of home and preserve views beyond. Designed with a West Indies flavor, this thoroughly modern home's layout flows seamlessly from space to space. Each room is bright with lots of natural light, creating a home that takes fullest potential of this unique site. An ARDA for Model Home Design goes to The Stater Group, Inc. Designer: The Sater Group, Inc. From: Bonita Springs, Florida

Photography by Mariko Reed Nestled in the hills of Mill Valley, California, this spectacular custom home is on track to be the first LEED for Homes certified house in Marin County, and the second LEED Platinum house in Northern California. This project represents the collaborative efforts of a visionary group of partner companies, who have come together to bring this first-of-its-kind project to Marin County. Scott Lee, President & Principal of SB Architects, designed this home as his own residence and in the process produced a definitive statement of what is possible in combining high design with high sustainability. The steep hillside site necessitated a very vertical design, balanced by strong horizontal elements and details. A striking stairway core vertically links the spaces, while the efficiently designed spaces and attention to detail create a home that lives much larger than its footprint. Balconies and covered terraces off of every room promote an indoor/outdoor lifestyle, connection with the site and sense of serenity reminiscent of a luxury resort, and capitalize upon the stunning views of the trees, San Francisco Bay and city skyline.

HNA Hardscape Project Award Winner Packer Residence Harrisburg, Pennsylvania PA Landscape Group, Inc. The Packer Residence sits on a sloped, mountain side. One drives up a curving driveway to the entry and is welcomed by retaining walls and natural boulders. Guests receive a sense of arrival and the owners have open usable space. On the entry level, one walks through a breezeway to view the expansive valley, as well as the relaxing fireplace and living area below. Walking down the stairway of natural slab cut stone, one enjoys a landscaped garden patio. This 6,200 square feet project uses concrete pavers. On the other side of the living area are raised planters and a greenhouse. Leaving the fenced area, natural slab stone risers along a waterfall flows down to a natural firepit to view the lower front yard and property entrance.

When United Marble Fabricators was hired by builders Adams & Beasley Associates to furnish, fabricate, and install all of the stone and tile in this unique two-story penthouse within the Four Seasons in Boston’s Back Bay, the immediate focus of nearly all parties involved was more on the stunning views of Boston Common than of the stone and tile surfaces that would eventually adorn the kitchen and bathrooms. That entire focus, however, would quickly shift to the meticulously designed first floor wet bar nestled into the corner of the two-story living room. Lewis Interiors and Adams & Beasley Associates designed a wet bar that would attract attention, specifying ¾ inch Honey Onyx for the bar countertop and full-height backsplash. LED panels would be installed behind the backsplash to illuminate the entire surface without creating any “hot spots” traditionally associated with backlighting of natural stone. As the design process evolved, it was decided that the originally specified glass shelves with wood nosing would be replaced with PPG Starphire ultra-clear glass that was to be rabbeted into the ¾ inch onyx backsplash so that the floating shelves would appear to be glowing as they floated, uninterrupted by moldings of any other materials. The team first crafted and installed the backsplash, which was fabricated from shop drawings, delivered to the 15th floor by elevator, and installed prior to any base cabinetry. The countertops were fabricated with a 2 inch mitered edge with an eased edge profile, and a 4 inch backsplash was installed to meet the illuminated full-height backsplash. The spirit of collaboration was alive and well on this project as the skilled fabricators and installers of both stone and millwork worked interdependently with the singular goal of a striking wet bar that would captivate any and all guests of this stunning penthouse unit and rival the sweeping views of Boston Common

When this non-descript three-story brick row house was purchased by the client, it was stripped completely bare. The owner sought to add additional space, which was achieved by extending the rear of the home by a full 16 feet on the parlor, second and third levels. This not only provided roomier living spaces indoors, it created the opportunity to outfit each reconfigured floor with identical balconies. These outcroppings, finished with matte black railings and full NanaWall folding glass doors, provide the ideal outdoor space for relaxing and entertaining, while creating a harmonious uniformity to the rear façade. A Grand ARDA for Renovation Design goes to Dixon Projects Design: Dixon Projects From: New York, New York

This Brooklyn street-corner property had a storied past as a butcher’s shop and antiques store before being purchased by the designer's client. The client’s vision was to convert the property into a unique, modern industrial townhome. The first step in maximizing the building's interior livable space was the arduous task of excavating the basement. This resulted in a large recreation room area with a truly one-of-a-kind, oversized wine room accessible via a blackened steel sculptured doorway — a modern take on the traditional wine cave holding 688 bottles. A Grand ARDA for indoor living goes to Dixon Projects Designer: Dixon Projects From: New York, New York

HNA Hardscape Project Award Winner Packer Residence Harrisburg, Pennsylvania PA Landscape Group, Inc. The Packer Residence sits on a sloped, mountain side. One drives up a curving driveway to the entry and is welcomed by retaining walls and natural boulders. Guests receive a sense of arrival and the owners have open usable space. On the entry level, one walks through a breezeway to view the expansive valley, as well as the relaxing fireplace and living area below. Walking down the stairway of natural slab cut stone, one enjoys a landscaped garden patio. This 6,200 square feet project uses concrete pavers. On the other side of the living area are raised planters and a greenhouse. Leaving the fenced area, natural slab stone risers along a waterfall flows down to a natural firepit to view the lower front yard and property entrance.

To facilitate the builder's desire to create a successful model home in this large site development with expansive natural preserves, this design creates a sense of presence far greater than its actual size. This was accomplished by a wide yet shallow layout that allows most rooms to look out to rear of home and preserve views beyond. Designed with a West Indies flavor, this thoroughly modern home's layout flows seamlessly from space to space. Each room is bright with lots of natural light, creating a home that takes fullest potential of this unique site. An ARDA for Model Home Design goes to The Stater Group, Inc. Designer: The Sater Group, Inc. From: Bonita Springs, Florida

A new home for their growing family prompted owners to construct a seven bedroom – eleven bath, eclectic Italian renaissance-style home, featuring natural stone prominently throughout. Beginning in the entrance foyer, a diagonal checkerboard pattern of Italian white Carrara and grey Bardiglio marbles trimmed with Bardiglio borders spreads out across the majority of the first floor traveling through corridors and filling the kitchen, dining room, and great room. This paving was installed on traditional drypack mortar beds with tight 1/16" joints. This honed marble paving then transitions into flamed finish Blue Nobile limestone on the exterior. Bardiglio and Carrara marbles used on the interior floor are also on all the counter tops in the kitchen area including a feature island, and the dining room table. Three fireplace surrounds also received natural stone: two with Italian Arabescato Cervaiole marble, and one with Italian Portoro marble. All eleven bathrooms in the home are clad in marble, with each uniquely different. Marbles used in these rooms were Piana Carrara, Fior Di Pesco Capria, Grigio Carnico, Arabescato Cervaioli, Nero Marquina, Aliveri Grey, Thassos White, and St. Laurent Noir. Of these eleven bathrooms, one is the showpiece of the residence, the Master Bath. With its walls clad in Arabescato Cervaioli book matched at key points, and its floor a combination of Arabescato Cervaioli, Aliveri Grey, and Nero Marquina cut into geometric patterns, it surrounds one completely in natural stone. Even the sink interiors are clad in marble. This home was not originally intended to have as much natural stone in it, but as many do after being exposed to natural stone’s beauty, the owners fell in love with it and expanded its presence. Villa Florence is a great example of what can be accomplished with a homeowner who found the passion for natural stone.

This Brooklyn street-corner property had a storied past as a butcher’s shop and antiques store before being purchased by the designer's client. The client’s vision was to convert the property into a unique, modern industrial townhome. The first step in maximizing the building's interior livable space was the arduous task of excavating the basement. This resulted in a large recreation room area with a truly one-of-a-kind, oversized wine room accessible via a blackened steel sculptured doorway — a modern take on the traditional wine cave holding 688 bottles. A Grand ARDA for indoor living goes to Dixon Projects Designer: Dixon Projects From: New York, New York

Home design - transitional home design idea in Houston

HNA Hardscape Project Award Winner Carter Residence Council Bluffs, Iowa Paver Designs, LLC This project was built by Jim and Justin Hampton of Paver Designs LLC, a father and son company with no other employees. This multi-level patio/entertainment area is approximately 2,200 square feet. Pavers were placed over one inch of bedding sand and 9 in. of crushed, recycled concrete base. Designs were laid out on the pavers, all cut individually, then filled in with red and gold pavers. A sealer was the applied to the paver surface to enrich its colors. A polymeric joint sand stabilizer was used during the final compaction. A fireplace, wood boxes, and grill island were installed in lower patio area. The two level backyard patio is connected by sidewalks to a front courtyard.

Purchased by the current owner in 2013, this property had been gutted to exposed brick and subfloors, leaving nothing but an open shell behind. While an extensive remodeling project was undertaken across the property as a whole, a brand-new cozy cocoon was meticulously crafted within the property’s cellar. Originally described as "A cold, dark, damp cellar where people kept mechanical equipment and not much else," this below-ground level is now a premier swim/spa/steam/sauna oasis. A Grand ARDA for indoor living goes to Dixon Projects Designer: Dixon Projects From: New York, New York

Tucker Design Awards celebrate the innovation and vision that designers bring to their projects through the specification and use of natural stone materials. For members of the Natural Stone Institute, acknowledgment as a contributor to a Tucker Design Awards winning project is a genuine tribute to their traditional values, physicality of work, and dedication to precise specifications required in the realization of such accomplished architectural design. Landscape Architect Design Workshop, Aspen, CO Landscape Contractor/ Installer Landscape Workshop, Carbondale, CO Stone Installer JD Masonry, Arvada, CO Stone Suppliers Coldspring, Cold Spring, MN Gallegos Corporation, Vail, CO Through a collective dialogue between landscape, architecture and interior design, a new vision reimagines the disturbed site into a livable landscape, emblematic of our American West. The residence – an ensemble of structures designed in a modern ranch vernacular – is effortlessly unified through layered, interconnected outdoor gathering spaces and regional materials that elaborates upon the experience of moving between structures, heightening and renewing one’s sense of place. Upon entering the courtyard, one is immediately aware of seamless and unfolding relationships between architecture and landscape through a sophisticated, regional palette of natural stone, water, and plants. Set upon architectural focal points, two perpendicular sandstone paths descend into the space and converge upon a monolithic, hand-carved granite fountain. The design of the fountain is purposefully quiet, both in its detailing and operation. The feature includes a recessed interior, allowing water to become still before it reaches the surface, with lightly cleft sides, allowing the water to delicately bounce as it descends into the geometric lower granite basin. The landscape architect’s selection of various stone material extends the tones of the home’s granite walls and contextual surroundings into the garden, but also be detailed in a manner that balances rural and modern qualities. The majority of the paving is constructed of rectilinear gray sandstone with a natural finish and snapped edges, laid in a staggered running bond organization. Throughout the garden, thoughtful attention was also given to the configuration and layout of terraces, pathways, and steps. In doing so, this ensured that the edges of the terrace and its interface to other elements were designed so that no “leftover” stone paver pieces would be found. Within the central courtyard, split-faced stone stairs descend into a rectilinear plinth of lawn, punctuated by a carved granite fire pit. Leveraging the property’s existing topographic relief, a shallow infinity-edge dipping pool abstracts the transparent and cavity-like pools found throughout the Rocky Mountains. The design purposefully achieves the illusion of a larger water feature with the distant pond and offers a refreshing recreational element. Containing the infinity edge, a designed granite escarpment emerges from the meadow, juxtaposing the geometric water feature and providing informal seating ledges. The site’s prior use required the landscape architect to incorporate a highly technical and complex sub-surface structural system. The initial geotechnical report identified the building envelopes rested on 12 feet of man-placed fill. Assuming a 1 percent settlement, the team faced concerns that the terraces would settle up to 12 inches. In response, a grid of structural micro-piles provides the necessary foundation for the construction of terraces immediately outside of the architecture, under the water features and site walls. The solution enabled the crisp detailing and design resolution of the architectural structures to seamlessly connect with the horizontal stone terraces.

Lueders Buff limestone was selected and fabricated for all of the cut stone material used in both the interior and exterior of the home. Architect - Ken Tate Architect Stone Fabricator - Continental Cut Stone Stone Supplier - Continental Quarries Stone Carver - Texas Carved Stone Stone Installer - Williams Masonry

Despite the billion-dollar views, premium homes are scant atop the Palisades. When the designer set out to create the perfect Palisades aerie, complete with a private pool, it proved to be quiet the undertaking. This property is situated just behind the cliff's edge with fantastic views, but equally as many challenges. After nearly three years of arduous renovations and improvements, it's now a sophisticated retreat with modern, industrial finishes throughout. Without a doubt, the crowning achievement of this spectacular renovation is the 10 foot by 12 foot stainless steel pool and hot tub situated on the roof. The 2017 Global Choice ARDA goes to Dixon Projects Designer: Dixon Projects From: New York, New York