A study in masonry

Masonry Construction, March, 2004 by Diana Granitto

A new all-masonry student center enhances the 104-acre campus of the Hopkins School, a New Haven, Conn., private facility for grades 7-12. The Commons and Dining Hall exhibits a medley of brick, stone, and ornamental precast concrete.

Design concept

The 28,000-square-foot, two-story structure had to complement the existing buildings while establishing its role as a social hub. The design accomplishes these objectives by using a palette that mirrors the original brick, combined with distinguishing ornamentation.

"It's a place for the whole school to come together," says architect Steve Ansel of S/L/A/M Collaborative. "We used a more formal level of detail to convey its importance." That detail involved flat and round brick arches, four large brick chimneys with cast stone caps and keys, and hundreds of other cast stone pieces, including columns, sills, headers, running bands, entablatures, window casings, and keystones.

Matching the brick to the older buildings was tricky. "We had to blend two different brick in a 3:1 ratio," says Ansel. To determine the ratio, the architect mapped out an area of the wall on an existing building and counted the brick. In addition to the two different colors, one brick had a sandstruck surface and the other a waterstruck surface. "It was up to the masons to create a random pattern with the two brick," says Ansel. "It's harder to do a random pattern than a set one, but they did a beautiful job."

Construction challenges

Installing more than 75,000 brick in a flemish bond arrangement with a random color pattern was just one of the challenges for masonry contractor Sebastian J. Damiata, his son and partner, Joseph, and crew of about 15 craftsmen.

"Many special shaped bricks were fabricated for the job and installed over windows, on arches, and on angle irons," says Damiata. "Brick rowlock courses were installed above each band of precast, and recessed bands of brick added aesthetic detail."

The focal point of the Commons is the radius front wall, which features precast columns and entablatures, as well as large appadium windows arched with brick accents and keystones. "Every piece of the curve had to fit just right," says Damiata.

Coordinating the project's many cast stone pieces was another challenge. Damiata subcontracted a crane and operator to handle the heavy precast pieces, which were then set by the masonry crew using forklifts.

Retaining walls were crafted of Old Moss Ashlar fieldstone in a dry-laid appearance. A small section of stone veneer placed below the brickwork in some areas simulates a stone foundation. Damiata crews also installed bluestone patios leading up to the building entries.

"This project is a true showcase of all the different masonry applications we have incorporated into our business over the years," states Damiata. Begun in September 2002, the building was tented so work could continue through the bitter winter. The $800,000 masonry contract was completed in July 2003.

Project Participants

Masonry Contractor: Sebastian J. Damiata Mason Contractor LLC, Cromwell, Conn.

Architect & Structural Engineer: S/L/A/M Collaborative, Glastonbury, Conn.

General Contractor: Enterprise Builders Inc., Newington, Conn.

Cast Stone Supplier: Sun Precast Co. Inc., McClure, Pa.

Brick Supplier: Mack Brick Co., Enfield, Conn.

Stone Supplier: Better Stones & Masonry, East Hartford, Conn.