Earth sciences building grounded in stone

Masonry Construction, March, 2006 by Diana Granitto

A gothic-style exterior of granite and limestone belies the state-of-the-art scientific facilities housed within the Earth and Planetary Sciences Building at Washington University, St. Louis. Like seven other projects Leonard Masonry has completed for the university, the three-story, 59,000-square-foot building is designed to complement the traditional architecture on the Hilltop Campus, originally built in the early 1900s.

Several shades of Missouri red granite were used to emulate the effects of weathering and aging in the original buildings. "Light, medium, and dark shades were taken from different parts of the quarry," explained Brad Kasten, vice president of Leonard Masonry. "At the beginning of the job, we worked out the percentage of each color that would be needed to blend with the existing buildings. The granite was palletized in the right percentages."

Some 45,000 square feet of granite was supplied in three course heights and random lengths. The skilled craftsmen hand-picked the stone pieces, selecting and arranging sizes and colors to create a continuous appearance.

Leonard Masonry obtained the granite from a quarry in southern Missouri that might have supplied the stone a century ago for the original campus buildings. The use of these local materials not only provided design integrity, but also contributed to the facility's designation as a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) structure.

More than 6000 pieces of profiled limestone adorn the granite facade, including multi-story limestone window surrounds. The limestone quoins are wide at the base and stair-step in toward the center, widening again toward the top of the building. The building also features gables with limestone edging and finials, as well as limestone arches and canopies at the east and west entrances. All the limestone pieces were numbered and installed according to shop drawings.

The crew of about 20 worked seven months on the Earth and Planetary Sciences Building. Their achievement was recognized by the American Institute of Architects/Construction Products Council with an Honor Award for Masonry Craftsmanship, one of 13 awards Leonard has earned for its work on the Washington University projects.

Project Participants

Masonry Contractor:. Leonard Masonry Inc., St. Louis

Architects: Tsoi/Kobus & Associates, Boston, and Paradigm Architects. St. Louis

Masonry Supplier: St. Louis Stone & Supply

Construction Manager:, Tarlton Corp./ML. Johnson, St. Louis

Structural Engineer: EQE-Theiss, St. Louis