Paved With Intention

An earlier version of this article originally appeared in the Fall 2024 edition of Building Stone Magazine.

In the heart of one of Virginia’s most charming residential districts lies a neighborhood rich with over a century of history. It’s filled with Federal style houses, period architectural details, and historic brick homes along tree-lined streets with a vibrant community life. 

In such a storied environment, any renovation project walks a fine line between honoring the past and embracing the present. This delicate balance is precisely what water street studio, a Virginia-based multi-disciplinary environmental design firm, achieved in one of their recent projects: a stunning transformation of a historic home’s backyard and front stoop into a contemporary natural stone oasis. 

The clients, creative entrepreneurs with a keen eye for design, had previously collaborated with the design firm on a former residence. Now, in their new home, they sought to turn their attention to their outdoor living space, with a vision of crafting an area that was functional and visually striking. 

Granite curbs, slate roofs, and masonry steps contribute to the area’s distinctive character. Many homes feature granite or limestone porch steps, reflecting the available material choices of the region, according to Jake Fox, ASLA, PLA, project director and landscape architect with water street studio. The clients wanted to explore a design that was in keeping with the traditional palette of the houses in the area while still infusing the overall design with a contemporary look. They were especially interested in incorporating bluestone into the project, a material often seen in this historic community. 

NAVIGATING SPACE & HISTORIC CONSTRAINTS 

The design process began in the backyard, where the homeowners requested a thoughtful space that could serve both as a living area for their family and a venue for larger social and work events. “There was a real interest from the homeowners to create a space that was both for living and working and could flex between a smaller intimate space for a family of four but could grow to include larger work events that they host at their home,” Jill Nolt, principal and landscape architect with water street studio, says. “It needed to have some flexibility and some merging between spaces to allow for that kind of varied type of activity.” 

One of the design firm’s initial challenges was finding a way to incorporate everything on the clients’ wish list within a relatively small footprint. The project is situated within a 5,400 square foot site. Their wish list included practical solutions such as bike storage, placement of trash cans, and a place for their dog to walk around, as well as more flexible entertainment-focused needs such as seating options for family hangouts, business meetings, or even entertaining guests at a larger party. 

They needed to find a way to blur the space between being comfortable for a few people and one that could work for a larger professional event, according to Fox. Another challenge dealt with the home’s geographic location and the clients’ desire to update their front porch and stoop to a more contemporary design using natural stone. “All work done that is visible from the public right-of-way is under the purview of an Architectural Review Board,” says Nolt. The Architectural Review Board ensures that those changes remain in harmony with the historic character of the area. The front porch and stoop, clearly visible from the street, initially seemed like a hurdle. Part of the backyard, also visible from the sidewalk, had to be addressed, too. 

To pull together the design between the front area, and the back part of the house, thermal finish bluestone pavers were used throughout the courtyard and carried through the renovated carriage house. This extends the useable space of the outdoor garden intentionally blending the indoor and outdoor through the implementation of continuous bluestone paving.

As Nolt and her team were reviewing how to renovate the front porch, they discovered its design was not authentic to the early 20th century house. Rather, they determined the porch and stoop were built in the 1980s. “Once we were able to show the Architectural Review Board, through documentation, historic drawings, and photographs, that this porch was not historic to the original home, then the approach of coming up with a more dynamic contemporary design to the porch and the steps and the seatings spilling down to the lawn was very much accepted,” Nolt says. 

Most of the stone used in this project was regionally sourced. Bluestone, prevalent in Virginia and extending up through Pennsylvania, was selected for its local availability and environmental benefits, as well as for its durability and aesthetic appeal. Thermal finish bluestone pavers would become an integral part of the overall design and influenced the materials used for the front porch and steps to help create a cohesive look throughout the property. The team chose monolithic bluestone and thermal finish bluestone pavers for the stoop and entryway. While the overall aesthetic makes it clear that it is a contemporary intervention, it is also in keeping with the historic fabric of the neighborhood, Nolt adds. 

The design firm met with a local stone supplier, Empire Granite and Marble, specifically seeking types of bluestone to use. Since waterstreet studio was also looking for stone for the custom fireplace they were building in the courtyard, Empire helped them narrow their options of bluestone, and also recommended black premium Brazilian soapstone to complement the bluestone, according to Fox. 

Bluestone pavers were used heavily throughout the overall design. In addition to using them between the front and throughout the courtyard, the material was installed through the renovated carriage house which extends the useable space of the outdoor garden intentionally blending the indoor and outdoor through the implementation of continuous bluestone paving. The pavers were laid in a skewed east-to-west axis to give the impression of more space and an open floor plan. 

While visiting a local stone supply yard, the design team noticed smaller units of thermal and variegated bluestone pavers, approximately four by three inches in size. While bluestone pavers are common in this part of the country, Nolt says these were a bit different and the team began to think of a unique way to use the available stock. The team incorporated the full color range bluestone pavers at the bottom of the back stairs like a welcome mat, as paving on horizontal surfaces, and vertically in both the back and front entry stairs. 

The black premium Brazilian soapstone flanks the benches adjacent to the poured-in-place concrete fireplace and countertop, adding a contemporary feel, while the bluestone provides practical, durable, and slip-resistant surfaces. 

STONE AS INTERACTIVE AND SCULPTURAL ART 

A custom fireplace was on the clients’ wish list, and they again looked to the design firm for something unique. Nolt and Fox learned they didn’t want to add a traditional log set into a gas fireplace and asked to see different solutions. The final design includes a poured- in-place concrete fireplace with black premium Brazil soapstone for the countertop, bench, and fire box. The soapstone adds a touch of luxury, while the bluestone provides durable and slip- resistant surfaces. 

Natural stone used for fireplace surrounds isn’t unusual but waterstreet studio suggested they make their own fire set. The soapstone became the “logs” in the fire set a piece of sculptural art.
As part of the mock-up, Nolt had the contractor cut wood sticks and place them as logs in the fire set. “We sculpted it like an interactive art piece that we were building in the firebox,” Nolt adds.
Each “log” was numbered and as they disassembled the pieces, they photographed the process. Then they had the contractor cut the planks out of the soapstone and reassembled the design loose. It looked a little like a game of pick- up sticks.

Thermal finish bluestone pavers would become an integral part of the overall design and influenced the materials used for the front porch and steps to help create a cohesive look throughout the property.

For the main parts of the fireplace, including the integrated seating, the firebox, and the stone logs, Fox modeled every single piece. “We did a lot of three-dimensional modeling to make sure we were understanding all sides and worked with a structural engineer on how to have the firebox open on two sides,” Fox explains. “When it came to construction, in many ways, it was very low tech, it was very hands on, and it took a handful of really skilled craftspeople to put this together in the way it needed to all fit together.” 

According to Jeff Fastige, sales manager, and Paul Dungee, production manager, at Empire Marble and Granite, the recommendation to use black premium Brazilian soapstone for this part of the project was influenced by the need to match specific color requirements that better aligned with the bluestone used in other parts of the project and because it is a material renowned for its heat resistance and ability to retain warmth. According to Fox, in addition to its heat resistance properties, they were drawn to the soapstone because it provided the type of tactile qualities they were seeking. It also looks beautiful and creates a comfortable, informal seating space. 

When they were fabricating the stone for the project, Dungee says they did a lot of hard templating rather than relying on just measurements to make sure everything fit perfectly. “It was a staged project,” he says. “We had to do a few pieces, measure a piece, set a piece, measure a piece, set a piece.” Empire is known for its ability to handle custom stonework and has a solid reputation among contractors, architects and designers. 

Empire’s parent company has been around since 1936. Their stonemasons are true craftsmen and employees like Dungee have been with the company for decades. “A lot of these contractors, especially the ones involved in the higher-end projects, once they find out we have a fabrication shop, it makes sense for them to use us,” Fastige says. 

Fabricating and assembling the stone logs in the firebox wasn’t difficult, but Dungee admits it was a meticulous process. The logs were placed very gingerly in the exact position as they were in the wood mock-up version. The logs aren’t glued together so the interior could be accessed, cleaned or service could be conducted, if necessary. The way they are intertwined helps to keep them in place. The outdoor fireplace surround including benches and grill tops totaled 133 square feet of soapstone with eased edges and laminated edge details. The sticks were added on later and those, along with the riser they sit on, accounts for another six square feet of black premium Brazilian soapstone. 

The result of careful planning and execution was a fireplace that not only serves as a functional source of warmth but also as a centerpiece of the home’s exterior and courtyard design. The combination of the Brazilian soapstone and the thermal bluestone pavers create a harmonious blend of textures and colors that enhanced the overall aesthetic of the space. 

Natural stone, when used creatively, can transform a standard fireplace into a work of art. The combination of careful material selection, expert craftsmanship, and innovative installation techniques resulted in an exterior living space that is as beautiful as it is functional.

CRAFTSMANSHIP AND COLLABORATION 

When used creatively, natural stone can transform a standard fireplace into a work of art. The combination of careful material selection, expert craftsmanship, and innovative installation solutions resulted in an exterior living space that is as beautiful as it is functional. The teams collaborated with the clients to transform this historic Virginia home into a modern oasis that perfectly meets the diverse needs of its creative homeowners. It serves as inspiration for the endless possibilities that natural stone offers in residential design and sets a precedent for future renovations in historic districts. 

SIMILAR ARTICLES: