Payette’s Young Designer’s Core traveled to the Granites of America (GOA) quarry and facilities on April 24, 2012 in Westford, MA. Highlights of the trip included a tour of the large shop facility where diamond-blade cutting machines and large radial saws are used amongst a variety of other machines for finishing and sculpting the Chelmsford granite that is extracted from the quarry just across the street.
A single mine generally extracts a single type or pattern of stone. Although only a handful of GOA’s nineteen mines across the U.S. are in operation at any given time, they have the capability to re-activate dormant mines depending upon market trends or job-specific needs. This can be particularly beneficial in situations where stone is being restored or replaced on older or damaged buildings where there is a need to match the existing condition.
Northeastern EXP features an organic pinwheel design, shaping research and classroom neighborhoods with shared community spaces radiating from the core to define each area. The building façade was tuned to achieve a 78% reduction in peak solar heat gain and a 62% reduction in cumulative solar radiation leading to energy use reductions and reduced mechanical system sizing. The use of stainless steel further leads to an embodied carbon reduction of almost one million tons when compared to aluminum while the natural stainless surface reflects light in a natural and warm tone giving the building an inherent energy.
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