Reimagining Tradition: Step into A Modern, Monochromatic Indiana Limestone Home
INTRODUCING: THE SPRINGFIELD SANCTUARY
As you travel through Central Illinois, you might not expect to see a sleek new modern residence in a neighborhood featuring more traditional, colonial architecture. But that's exactly what you'll find with this recently completed Indiana limestone-clad, Springfield, Illinois sanctuary that seamlessly blends classic and contemporary elements. Masonmade is proud to have played an integral part in the completion of this striking residence alongside a talented team of architect, design, and building partners.
THE STONE
This monochromatic masterpiece is a prime example of how traditional materials like Indiana Limestone can be used in contemporary design. Masonmade partnered with renowned architecture firm, Bower-Leet Design, to bring this beautiful sanctuary to life. When approaching the design and material selection process, Principal architect Susan Bower noted that context was key. Residing in the state capital, the clients drew inspiration from the city’s many historic Indiana limestone buildings. They were seeking a durable yet “soft-looking” material that could be used both inside and outside the home. With its proven resilience and subtle tone-on-tone color palette, the native limestone was an all-around perfect choice for their project.
INDIANA LIMESTONE CLADDING
Quarried in Bloomington, Indiana, this is a tried and true favorite limestone for architects, builders, and designers alike. Its fine-to-medium grain and subtle veining character have made it the standard material for architectural projects ranging from custom residential homes to iconic buildings across North America including Rockefeller Center and the Pentagon. The Indiana Limestone quarry in Bloomington has been in operation since the early 19th Century and geologists estimate that Indiana limestone will be available for another 1,000 years. Advancements in quarrying technology combined with new, innovative processes have made extracting and cutting Indiana limestone even more efficient. Additionally, with no embodied carbon contained in the stone itself and no added ingredients, the quarrying process is incredibly sustainable.
“We love the purity of Indiana limestone. Clients consistently find the color palette appealing regardless of what style or aesthetic they’re focusing on, and the geological properties of the stone allow for it to be used in a variety of applications, so it’s extremely versatile from both a design and installation perspective. Indiana limestone is truly a classic choice. ”
When selecting a paving material for this project, the client’s top priorities were maintenance and aesthetic. Masonmade's Pierreux blasted limestone paving, with subtle earthy grey tones, complemented the Indiana limestone cladding, providing a low-maintenance and visually stunning solution that kept with the monochromatic design theme. Our Pierreux limestone, with its high density and low absorption rate, proved ideal for both design and functionality. The blasted finish softens the stone’s organic marbled appearance and makes it a natural pairing with the Indiana Limestone. Slightly more dense and less absorbent than Indiana limestone, the Pierreux limestone does not have to be damp proofed or sealed to work well in a paving application,making it a low-maintenance winner.
PIERREUX FLEURI - BLASTED PAVING
Our Pierreux limestone is quarried in Missouri. This highly versatile and durable stone can be used in a variety of applications across building projects including paving, veneer, pool coping, hearths, and countertops. The stone’s characteristics make it a top choice for a paving material because of its high density and low absorption rate. The stone can be cut across the stone’s natural layers to reveal a vein-cut appearance, or fleuri-cut across the bed of stone that gives a marbled look that can uncover the presence of fossils.
“Masonmade is always there to help- with samples, with deliveries, and with selections. They have a wealth of technical knowledge, and everyone is polite and helpful. It’s a pleasure to work with their team.”
THE PROCESS
Masonmade thrives on being part of early conversations about the conception and realization of ideas. The more information shared about design intent and structural goals, the better equipped Masonmade is to identify products, uncover efficiencies, and predict obstacles. For this Springfield Sanctuary project, the owner and architect were highly collaborative from the outset, allowing Masonmade to offer recommendations and alternative solutions throughout the process.
One learning we discovered during the construction process was the need to educate everyone involved about the drying or curing process of Indiana limestone. The stone is cut from the earth using water and can take months, even years, to dry out. Steele Crissman, owner of Masonmade, shares, "We learned that you can never over-communicate how wet Indiana limestone will look when it first arrives at the project site. This can be jarring and cause unnecessary concern for clients who aren’t properly informed. It’s our job to set accurate expectations and educate customers about the details of stone fabrication so they understand the process and know what to expect at each step." With patience and reassurance, the clients were ultimately delighted with the final result.
Photos courtesy of Susan Bower
Though we are based in St. Louis, this project demonstrates our ability to collaborate with partners based in different parts of the country thanks to our team’s high level of service, communication, and attentiveness.
“This project is an example of a job that was not in our hometown. The architect was a local architect, but the clients, the mason, and the builder were all out of town. Our team collaborated with all of them for shop drawing approvals, mock up approvals, deliveries, changes during construction, and maintained a high level of responsiveness even when materials were ordered on the fly.”
We are thrilled to have played a role in the successful completion of this unique architectural project that proves traditional materials and modern design can coexist beautifully. We could not have done it without the collaboration and support of the many skilled partners who made this project a success.
If you are an architecture or design firm based in the US looking for answers about natural stone and brick building materials, our team of stone experts would love to work with you. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help bring your vision to life.
Learn more about The Springfield Sanctuary project on Bower-Leet’s featured projects.
THE DETAILS
Indiana Standard Buff Cladding | Limestone | Bloomington, Indiana
Pierreux Limestone Paving - Blasted Finish | Limestone | Missouri
READY TO START YOUR NEXT PROJECT?
We’d love to hear about your next stone project and how we could help! Contact us and let’s get started on bringing your vision to life.
