Architectural Stone for Construction, Landscape & Design

Natural Stone

Architectural stone for construction, landscape, and design brings timeless beauty and lasting durability to projects of every scale. Architects, designers, and homeowners who want longevity, eco-friendly design, and unparalleled character choose natural stone for their projects.

Quarrying, transporting, and installing natural stone adds to its cost, making it seem more expensive. However, when you consider the life of the finished project, whether it is a private residence or public plaza, those who invest in natural stone for architectural and landscape applications, find the material’s permanence and character to be well worth it.

The value of natural stone is beyond monetary. It involves longevity, ease of maintenance, permanence and stability that far exceed the initial investment. Natural stone provokes the designers’ imagination.

Natural stone’s variations in color, patterns, and texture are visually interesting and impossible to replicate in other materials. Buildings, monuments, and landscapes that leverage natural stone in their composition provide the people who experience them with a calming, emotional connection. Natural stone continues to be the chief product for creating a legacy. If you wish to create a legacy, you’ll want to consider using natural stone in your project.

Eco-Friendly Architectural Stone

Explore sustainable design practices using architectural stone. LEED credits are available for salvaged and recycled materials, including natural stone. Learn more at the US Green Building Council. See also our blog post: Reclaimed Stone Gives Projects New Life.

A Sampling of Architectural Stone

Basalt | Granite | Marble | Limestone | Sandstone | Slate | Travertine

Basalt Architectural Stone

Basalt is a durable, versatile natural stone with a long history in architecture and landscape design. From ancient Roman streets and stadiums to modern residential and commercial projects, basalt is prized for its strength, longevity, and distinctive dark tones. It is commonly used for paving, cladding, pool coping, stairs, water features, and custom dimension stone applications. Explore our full range of basalt colors, finishes, and applications on the Basalt Pavers and Dimension Stone page.

Granite Pavers and Architectural Stone Applications

Granite has long enjoyed use as an exterior cladding and pavement material, and its inherent strength, abrasion resistance and superior weathering durability are likely to keep it one of the preeminent material selections available to today’s architects.

Marble Architectural Stone

Marble with its inherent warmth, adds a sophisticated element to the area in which it is installed. Its naturally random appearance, engineering characteristics, and ease of maintenance makes it a premium choice for floors, wall claddings, table tops, wainscot, floors, and vanity tops.

Limestone

Featuring their soft earth tones, decorators integrating these stones into their design have great flexibility in selecting complimentary colors for other interior elements.

Sandstone

The durability and performance of sandstone is not as greatly influenced by the sand sized particles, as it is influenced by the cementing agent that binds these particles together. Many types of sandstone are used in cubic sections as sills, coping, watertables and other exterior features. Exterior cladding is also a common application, although this stone variety is typically used in thicker sections than other stone types due to lower bending strengths.

Slate Architectural Stone

Slate, one of the softer varieties of dimension stone, is valued for its natural beauty and versatility. While it is not highly abrasion- or scratch-resistant, it is commonly used for flooring and countertops. Additionally, slate is a traditional roofing material, especially for steep-slope roofs, thanks to its fire resistance, long lifespan (often 75–200 years), and low water absorption. Beyond floors and roofs, slate is also used for wall cladding, facades, steps and stairs, water features, retaining walls, and landscape edging, making it a versatile choice for both architectural and landscape projects.