Around the end of 2014, we noticed architects, engineers, contractors, and other talented professionals struggling to represent our products in their designs. We literally had some of the most ambitious and respected talent in the industry investing their valuable time into the painstaking process of expanding limited product swatches into Tile-able Seamless Textures, oftentimes settling for patterns lacking in variation and randomness due to our subpar contributions.
I’m not going to lie. Even after identifying the dilemma, we initially excused ourselves from the problem. Our moment of clarity happened on a video call. When Autodesk walked us through a beautifully rendered virtual environment and showed us all of the specification and technical data stored in the models, we knew we had to set higher expectations. In other words, we stepped up and started acting like the company we needed to be for the people we respected most.
You can learn a lot from Little Golden Books. I grew up on them. “The Little Red Hen” was one of my favorites. I admired that hardworking hen and wanted to jump into her story and help her myself. It turns out that there’re a bunch of people at Buechel Stone that feel the exact same way. That’s why today, we’re helping architects and engineers work smarter and faster with more visualization and specification resources than ever. Here’re some of the most important ones (we saved the most critical #4 for last – Go Hens!):
1. Wall Detail Drawings, Elevations, CAD details, and 3D Models
We’ve already created seamless textures, hatch patterns, and wall system dwgs (for both full and thin stone veneer) for our newest 2017 products because they’re such a timesaver for architects and designers. Seamless textures can be used in almost any visualization software. But we’ve even gone so far as to have them integrated and added as texture and data models native to the libraries of programs like ChiefArchitect, SoftPlan, and SketchUp. Softwares like these help architects and designers bring the owners’ visions to life through the use of renderings, 360° panoramas, 3D viewer models, and even virtual walkthroughs.
2. General & 3-part Specs, ASTM Test Results, Material Safety Data, Install & Maintenance Details
Along with more detailed aesthetic information (color variations and sizing/dimensions), the details of the material and install information can serve as valuable assurances. This data provides proof of durability, adherence to building material requirements, a system of structural integrity, and sustainability.
3. Autodesk-certified BIM Content (As Hosted on BIMobject & CADdetails)
Building Information Modeling (BIM) is an intelligent 3D model-based process that equips architecture, engineering, and construction professionals with the insight and tools to more efficiently plan, design, construct, and manage buildings and infrastructure. BIM creates more than just digital 2D or 3D models, BIM models use objects that have intelligence, geometry, and data. The power of BIM lies in the information stored in the model. Buechel Stone has supplied all of the background tech and spec data available (for our Building Stone Veneer products) to Autodesk-certified technicians for insertion into models for use in the Autodesk Revit software. Buechel Stone and BIM are all about streamlining design intent, information accessibility, and knowledge transfer for everyone on the project team.
4. Best, Most Dependable Service and Experience
Besides just making it look good on paper and having the tech and spec data to back up the products, you also need a company that’ll be there for you. Buechel Stone is there from concept to completion, with people that personalize your vision as their own. We rely on only the finest quarriers, artisans, and experts to craft your stone with pride and care through every step of the process – from extraction to packaging and final inspection. With every stone installed, we are literally giving you a piece of our company. That’s something we don’t take lightly. So we’ll be with you every step of the way. Our mission is to make sure you’re receiving the best, most dependable experience in the natural stone industry – guaranteed!
Thanks in advance for making us one of your project selections. Cheers to a future filled with inspirational project successes!
Tracy Lisowe
Marketing Director
Buechel Stone Corp.