2345 House

Reno, NV

Mason Contractor: Sartorial Masonry
Architect: Cathexes
General Contractor: Dianda Construction
Suppliers: Basalite Concrete Products, LLC

Project Description

Attention to detail was extremely important to our clients, from the massing of the house to the finest of details. They wanted to pay homage to Old World stonework and incorporating industrial materials in an Old World manner. The balance of building materials is a major aspect of the overall design...between the concrete masonry, streamlined steel design, cedar siding with a deep profile, glazing, and zinc siding. Being a passionate gardener, our client felt it very important to surround the home with landscaping and pockets of different local species. Harnessing the intrinsic nature of materials, while exploring the artistic potential, was absolutely vital to the project.  We created a rigorous process for the design layout, textural selection and execution in the spirit of masonry as art.  While a delicate balance had to be considered with the natural hues of all the exterior materials – which meant using only one color for all the block and pavers – it was important to create richness within.  Shadow-play, block orientation (i.e. soldier-coursing in bands), and careful attention to composition were used to achieve this. Each course of the Concrete Masonry, for every wall, was designed and selected.  Bands and angles were placed specifically to balance and layer the composition.  Four different finishes or face textures were carefully selected and located – using typical precision face block, split face block, plus honed and shot-blast.  Each texture absorbs and reflects light differently, thereby giving each wall and space a visual richness that evolves throughout the day and over the course of the year.  

Date of Project Completion: January 2014

Awards

2015 NCMA/ICPI Concrete Masonry Design Award of Excellence