Design Philosophy
Stone is not a building material
…well not in the modern sense of the words anyway. Most contemporary building materials arrive packaged up in regular sizes and colours ready to be applied as quickly and as easily as possible. Natural stone will never fit that category. Each piece of stone that we build with has to be individually shaped and created before it can be used. Each stonemason will also have his or her own unique way of bonding or creating a piece of work. That’s why it’s really important that you speak with the craftsperson who you will be working with.
At Terraforma, we’re guided by a number of design principles:
Simplicity
Stone is already a naturally highly detailed material. Adding unnecessary design detail can sometimes detract from the beauty of the stone itself. In our design work we like to use stone in large substantial elements that play to its natural strengths.
Locality
It might sound a little new age, but stone is at its best when it is used in the area in which it has been quarried. We have even built houses out of stone that has been excavated from the house site itself. Apart from the benefits to your project, using local stone also protects the architectural integrity of the area in which you build by retaining regional character.
Specificity
There is no such thing as a one size fits all approach to stonemasonry. We pride ourselves on being able to tune into the uniqueness of each site, and more importantly, each client.