JRE IN THE NEWS

Maintaining the Tradition of Stone in Exterior Architecture

As architects and designers continue to find ways to work with stone, the ancient material also continues to maintain its conventional characteristic.

Remaining Traditional

When it came time for a private residence in Lake Anna, VA, to expand construction on its property, stone would again be used to create the facade of a guesthouse. The homeowner explained that the whole architectural concept was to create a Pennsylvania farmhouse look for his land.

"With Pennsylvania farmhouse architecture, usually what happens is that its structures are built over time and added on to," he said. "Many years ago, they would have a small detached house where they kept their carriages, so we wanted to build a guesthouse that looked like a carriage house."

And to make the guesthouse look authentic, Charles Burke, a custom builder from Lake Anna, VA, who specializes in building new things that are supposed to look old, was recruited for the project, according to the homeowner.

As part of keeping with the Pennsylvania farmhouse architecture, Pennsylvania fieldstone was selected at the Charles Luck Stone Center in Richmond, VA. "Traditionally, you only used what was available to you on the land where you were building your carriage house, which is why we went with a fieldstone versus a granite or a limestone," said the homeowner. Charles Burke followed by saying, "We picked through a lot of stone to get the look that we wanted."

There were clearly some challenges in achieving the classic Pennsylvania farmhouse look with a new structure, according to Burke. He explained that in the back of the carriage house there is a single-story shed addition, which makes for the different dimensions of the upper and lower level of the structure. The variation of the two dimensions however, did pose complexities, said the builder.

Other details requiring Burke's expertise were the metal roof, copper gutters and how both of these were incorporated with the stone on the exterior. The over 30-foot-tall chimney required additional thought for both the builder and the stonemason.

Another element requiring careful thought was the dry-stack stone-setting style, which resulted in a trial-and-error process. "Instead of a sample wall, we worked out the details right on the house," said the homeowner. "Shane Burnette, who is the Vice President of James River Exteriors, was very willing to let his masons put up a pattern, take it down and start over, which ultimately took three days to get right.

The carriage house, which began construction in July 2006 and was completed in January 2007, has been praised by its owners and others. "I'm amazed how well we all feel about the stonework and the quality," said the homeowner. "People insist to my wife that the carriage house on our property must be 100 years old. Charles and Shane were able to create that effect. It's fantastic."

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