Rolling Stone Excursion

Shout out to ABC Stone who hosted a wonderful Fall getaway to Vermont, filled with a group of its passionate staff and architects. Lyndsey Belle, VP of Marketing + Creative Director at ABC Stone, explains why it was important for the company to engage the industry. “At ABC, we believe in the power of experiential learning. We've always believed in immersive, high-touch events.” The excursion, which was initially planned for 2019, took shape after the initial waves of the pandemic subsided. “When we were finally able to circle back to this plan at the top of 2021, we realized that we were in a much better position to execute it well than we would have been in 2019 and we knew that with proper planning, it was going to be substantive, educational, and a lot of fun.”

All of that planning culminated in a get together that began on a warm Tuesday September morning at ABC’s Flatiron showroom location. We kicked off the day with a tour of their beautiful showroom- it is truly a work of art. Check out their samples and newest products below. I have personally never seen this many stone samples in one place in my life! Additionally, there are some neat stone features throughout the showroom including the stone reception desk and stone vestibule entry door into the showroom gallery. Of note for the company operations is that ABC Stone launched a comprehensive digital gallery in 2019, so that an interested client can view high resolution images of samples from the comforts of their own home. I am sure this was a blessing in disguise for continued operations during the pandemic!

After touring the showroom, we boarded a luxury liner bus and headed to Manchester, Vermont. Arriving at the Equinox Resort & Spa, we quickly fell in love with the property. I would describe it as a luxurious bed and breakfast embedded with a colonial charm. It’s a 19th century hotel embedded with Lincoln history! The town center is a walk or quick drive away. It’s safe to say that this property is an architectural haven filled with some neat building features and cool renovation extension history. It is just the perfect quiet retreat for anyone needing an escape.

That evening, ABC Stone held a private dinner at the Equinox overlooking the property’s golf course. Manchester’s colonial property style lined streets and marble-paved sidewalks all provide unobstructed vistas to the surrounding mountain-scape. It was fun to watch the clouds hover at the level of the mountain peaks. It was the perfect cocktail event to network and learn about each individual’s professional experiences in New York, Vermont, and beyond. I appreciated the opportunity to hear about the specialty of landscape architecture, as well as the marketing perspective from the folks who deal with stone on a regular basis.

The next morning, we departed for Vermont Quarries, boots, hardhats, and all! This was absolutely the highlight of the week. After receiving a quick orientation, we walked into the shaft of this magnificent beast, the same entrance that has been used for a century. Essentially, we were walking into a piece of living history. A huge cavern with floor, ceiling, and walls all made from marble, Vermont Quarries is actually the largest underground marble quarry in the world! There’s also a full fabrication shop underground too on the same site, just a walk away- the largest fabrication shop of its kind in North America.

I truly came to appreciate the rawness of stone material. After being extracted, the stone is cut and receives a polish finish, after which the slabs are ready to go. It’s about the most natural material you can place into your space. The variations of stone were incredible, with each and every cut diverse from the next. I also appreciated the automation of the equipment inside- the production is truly fascinating and it was one of those intangible experiences that I really appreciated as an architect. I am so grateful that Vermont Quarries allowed us to visit.

After the tour, we ate lunch outside in a designated area with a marble table and seats!

We then headed to Borderline Farm. The approximately 300 acre property contains stone walls which serve as retaining walls and to mark pathways and boundaries on the site. We toured some of the native plant species and learned about the art of dry stone wall erection. After a 20 minute hike, we reached a small lake and residing barn, which serves as a dual residential and event space. Awesome appetizers supplemented great views on an upper deck of the Big Barn. The owners shared information about unique building features, including their solar PV array, Tesla storage walls, and stone wall construction.

Photo Credit: Peter Mauss, Esto Photographics (above and below)

That evening, on September 21st, we welcomed in the Fall season through a wonderful Autumnal Equinox feast at the Big Barn, sponsored by ABC Stone & Vermont Quarries, and prepared by a local chef. The sustainable farm to table dinner and wonderful company made for the perfect evening. I appreciated all the locally sourced food prepared and served by the chef and his crew.

Photo Credit: Peter Mauss, Esto Photographics

The next morning, we woke up bright and early for yoga to kick off the day in good spirits. We then participated in two continuing education presentations Natural Stone and Green Design and Natural Stone Vs. Manmade Materials: Exterior Applications to understand the basic design and application principles of stone as well as some of the regulatory standards of stone.

I then led a roundtable discussion on Sourcing Sustainability, which yielded some discussion on how different clients present sustainability as part of a core value in their firm practices and as part of conversations with clients. There were some really interesting takeaways which have inspired me to continue educating design professionals about prioritizing the communication of sustainability as a value by educating clients.

I couldn’t have asked for a better Fall getaway or a more sensory experience for continuing education as a green architect. Throughout the week, ABC Stone presented the education of stone through several lens, which sparked even more interest from the attendees. “We wanted to be conscious of presenting a few different angles of the material - a quarry tour, a walking tour, a garden tour - these were some of our events and the variety enabled us to present stone holistically so our guests were able to come away with a more fulsome knowledge base than they might have had we just done one or two activities,” explains Lyndsey.

I believe the holistic experience that ABC Stone provided was a truly fantastic way to showcase its operations and engage more professionals into the stone niche of this industry. It has personally influenced my own views on this beautiful building feature. I walked away with a bigger appreciation for stone as a building material and hope that we can continue to nourish our living spaces by bringing natural elements like these into our own spaces.

Sourcing Sustainability

“Sourcing sustainability begins with the education of your clients”