"It's a very international group," said Rodell. "The Stone Carving Studio really is a little United Nations - Germany, South America, Ukraine, Romania - men and women representing all skill levels, from master carver to apprentice."
These carvers use tools that have been around for centuries, but Quarra also puts the latest technology to work. For instance, a 3-D scanner guides architectural projects from the concept stage to mock-ups and models to production. And Quarra can scan a piece of stonework that's been damaged and use the technology to create a design to match the original piece.
Its 36,000-square-foot facility contains the latest CNC sawing, milling, and finishing equipment. Its computer-run blocksaw is large enough to cut an SUV in half, and the six-axis robotic milling machine roughs out hand-carved pieces before more intricate work is done. Instead of a saw blade, this machine uses several diamond-tipped router bits.
The balance between the use of technology and hand-craftsmanship works well for Quarra.
"Equipment is important but it only goes so far," said Rodell. "A lot of it boils down to the individual hand-tooling. Our customers want and expect a high level of detail."
Of course the whole process starts with the stone. There are thousands of types of stone found throughout the world, varying in color, texture, and strength. Finding just the right one for a project is one reason Durham got into this business.
"I found I was most interested in architectural cut stone, and the more elaborate the better, as well as the variety and type of stone," he said.
Durham travels the world looking for new types of stone. In some cases, Quarra is the exclusive North American provider of stone. For instance, Quarra has a partnership with Truffer AG in Switzerland to distribute their high-end designer stone Valser Quartzite in North America.
Finding the right stone for a project proves especially tricky in historical restoration. In these cases, Quarra tries to return to the original quarry that provided the stone. Some of those sites have long since closed.
"It's interesting and fun to try and find the original stone, even if it means wading through weeds and mosquitoes to find stone in a farmer's field, but the main reason we do it is to be accurate," said Durham.
They may not always find the original quarry, but their research allows them to get the best possible match. Recently one of Quarra's clients needed Tennessee Pink Marble for a project. By visiting quarries in Tennessee, reading up on the literature, and doing other research, Quarra found just the right match for the project.
Quarra has built a database of more than 300 dimensional stone quarries throughout North America. Last year, Quarra got the help of several business school interns to combine information from the Internet, Google Earth, maps, interviews, and Quarra's archives to organize a usable database for use by Quarra clients. It enables architects who specify natural stone in their projects to earn points toward LEED certification.
LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is a national certification program for the design, construction, and operation of sustainable, green buildings. Current guidelines allow the award of one point toward LEED certification for builders who use dimensional stone quarried within 500 miles of construction. Quarra's clients can use the database to find exactly what type of stone is available within 500 miles. This dramatically reduces shipping costs, which can make up as much as 20 percent of a project's costs.
"Natural stone is an inherently earth-friendly building product," said Durham, adding that the quarry database will now allow their clients more options in providing sustainable building.
Above: John Rodell, Executive Vice
President Above, right: Jim Durham, Founder and President of Quarra Stone
Above, top right: There's nothing like having the right tool for the job. When several exact duplicates are required, the six-axis Kuka 500 Robot delivers with precision for Quarra. Above: The Book of Knowledge, Yale University Bass Library (detail, Gothic Pavilion) Below, left: Jura Limestone facade, Williams College 1962 Center for Theatre and Dance by William Rawn Below, right: United States Capitol Visitor's Center, Washington, D.C.
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