Stone Reflects Western Landscape at New Smithsonian Museum

Local 1 MD/VA/DC member August Williams, a veteran stonemason, applies his years of experience to NMAI’s exterior cladding project.

Crews of up to 40 Local 1 MD/VA/DC members are setting stone at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI) in Washington, D.C. Working from Klimer mast-
climbing platforms, members will clad 85,000 square feet of poured concrete and block back-up with a skin of Kasota stone. The butter-colored stone, an architectural departure from the gray limestone common to the city’s landmarks, was custom cut by Vetter Stone of Minnesota to imitate the textures and patterns found on canyon walls in the West.

To accommodate the museum’s design, Vetter Stone engineered a new process to produce the curved, split-face stone. A stainless steel anchoring system secures NMAI’s Kasota stone skin to its concrete expanses. The cavity wall system makes use of spray-on insulation over a Blueskin air barrier and extensive flashing to provide uniform protection against the elements. Staggered control joints keep materials in check, while providing a smooth, unbroken aesthetic effect.

Located at Fourth St. and Independence Ave., S.W., NMAI’s exterior is receiving 85,000 square feet of specially engineered curved split-face stone.

“We’re scheduled to receive 196 loads of stone on this job. Each load weighs roughly 40,000 pounds and since we’re very limited in terms of staging areas, we’re closely timing production with material deliveries,” says GA Masonry Project Manager Channing Strom. Two-thirds of the stone has been fabricated to date, with several truckloads scheduled to arrive at the site every week during the next nine months.

Kasota stone will also be used inside NMAI. The museum’s interior walls will receive 15,000 square feet of tapestry finished stone, and an additional 3,000 square feet of paving stone. In addition, GA Masonry and Local 1 members are scheduled to build an outdoor welcoming area resembling the opening of a cliff dwelling.

Local 1 MD/VA/DC bricklayer Arturo Valles tools a joint on NMAI’s exterior.

Scheduled to open in 2004, NMAI will be the nation’s foremost venue for American Indian ceremonies, performances, and educational programs, as well as a primary exhibition space for arts, history, and culture.