How A Stone Specialist Can Translate Vision Into Reality

When developer Related Midwest announced in 2024 that it had begun construction of the first of two long-awaited residential towers at the confluence of the Chicago River and Lake Michigan, Ann Thompson, executive vice president of architecture and design, emphasized that a project of this magnitude would require a true team effort.

“The vision for 400 Lake Shore combines our expertise in building multifamily towers in Chicago with the design prowess of dozens of professionals for a thoughtful solution that will benefit the entire city,” Thompson said.

One of the design experts on the project is GI Stone, a 30-year-old Chicago-based supplier, fabricator and installer of ​​interior and exterior stone cladding, floors, countertops, furniture and custom projects. Stone will be a prominent material in many of the 72-story high-rise’s interiors. 

“In multifamily, we talk a lot about how you make a building, particularly its public spaces, feel like home,” Thompson more recently said. “We want to bring warmth and a connection to nature in those spaces. Natural stone provides a kind of texture and organic quality that helps amplify that feeling of home in our buildings.”

For 400 Lake Shore, Related Midwest sought a material that would wow residents and guests and “push the limits a little bit” aesthetically with details such as scalloped surfaces, she said. GI Stone helped Thompson’s team with material specification.

As any design team knows, translating vision into reality with a product that must meet budget, workability and other important criteria can be easier said than done.

“Conceptually, we may have a general idea of the stone that we’re looking for,” Thompson said. “GI Stone will ensure that when we make the final specification, we really understand the kind of figuring and coloring we can expect.”

Unlike choosing a stone counter for a kitchen rehab, selecting the stone to grace a building lobby requires the purchase of many slabs. Related Midwest needs to know whether a material, in addition to looking great, can be produced with consistency, is available to meet its budget and schedule, and is easy to work with.

“We rely on GI Stone’s expertise to help us ensure that the specified stone not only has the visual qualities we want but the physical qualities that make it appropriate for that use,” Thompson said. “We want them to be at the table with us very early in the conversation with our designers and construction team, making sure that the design solutions we are crafting are actually executable.”

GI Stone President Sandya Dandamudi said it is important for a building design team to work collaboratively with an experienced stone contractor, especially as the prices of stone and other surface products, most of which are sourced globally, have become volatile due to tariffs and inflation. 

Fortunately, she added, an experienced stone contractor can help hold down costs through the use of advanced fabrication technologies and improved construction efficiencies. 

“A forward-thinking team can provide ideas that will keep the design vision intact and help with the budgeting,” Dandamudi said.

Stone continues to be a popular material for Class-A properties, and GI Stone has consulted on several recent high-profile renovations for clients that want to use it to help older properties retain their cachet and remain competitive against newer buildings. 

“High-quality stonework is crucial to luxury hospitality, restaurant and fitness club properties, as it directly impacts both the guest experience and creates a continuous brand impact,” Dandamudi said. “A stunning marble lobby can cement a first impression, and there is a sensory feeling to stone and surface products. Certain products can also add to the sense of cleanliness and hygiene that is especially important in a fitness club.”

Dandamudi said a couple of recent fitness club renovations in Chicago benefited from GI Stone’s expertise, particularly in areas such as steam showers that could stress natural stone materials and require more maintenance.

Her firm recommended the use of waterproof Dekton, an engineered composite material made of quartz, glass and porcelain that looks like natural stone but is easier to maintain. Dekton also has the advantage of coming in large slabs, which means there will be fewer visible lines on the surface.

“I love natural stone, but for this application, these composite materials will be easy for the client to maintain and will extend the life cycle of the spaces, meaning they won’t have to do another refurbishment as soon,” she said.

A team working without stone expertise might not have been familiar with that option, possibly resulting in the use of material that doesn’t age as well. But it’s the sort of know-how that Thompson said she appreciates on projects like 400 Lake Shore, which is slated for completion in 2027.

“GI Stone is a great partner because they are sensitive to what we’re trying to achieve in terms of design, budget and schedule,” Thompson said. “They're interested in being involved in the design phases all the way through the project, and that makes them particularly effective at what they do.”

This article was produced in collaboration between GI Stone and Studio B. Bisnow news staff was not involved in the production of this content. 

Studio B is Bisnow’s in-house content and design studio. To learn more about how Studio B can help your team, reach out to studio@bisnow.com.