castro office building PROJECT
castro office building PROJECT
castro office building | PROJECT
introduction
The project of the Castro Office Building is one of our biggest challenges as a company. Its volume and the required speed for production have enabled us to join a great team for the construction of this building. We are grateful for the opportunity and the learning process before, during and after completion. The opportunity to work with a Company such as Willis Construction Co. Inc., leaves us with strength to grow and expand our vision for future projects such as this. We are grateful for this shared experience and your knowledge, in every part of the process, always enabling us to maintain our quality and prestige. From the Pietra Vigne Family, we wish this book is to your liking, and it somehow cherishes the memorable moments of the construction of this great building. Best regards. Rolando Vigne
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PROJECT | castro office building
the material and the quarry
The quarry from where we extract our core materials is located in Chihuahua, Mexico close to the US border, in the proximity of the town of Ojinaga, from which the marble stone receives its name. This marble is composed by carbonated calcium, limestone and has fossil inlays. It is a metamorphic rock, which is compacted from high temperature and pressure, until crystalized. Its basic component is carbonated calcium and 10% of its composition is often considered impurities, which render its large variety in color and define its physical characteristics. Due to its composition, transient nature and solidity, marble is a great choice for construction related to its durability, insolation and withstands erosion and climate change.
For this project, we used approximately 550 tons of this stone, transported in platforms for it’s pre-processing. The extraction process in the hills is done through explosives, diamond strings and heavy machinery. The selection process for this project was highly important due to the clear-cut and hue selection, without impurities or color components.
castro office building | PROJECT
pre-process
To achieve precision in the construction of this Building, we worked on the design and completion of ad hoc blocks. Due to the volume of these blocks, the stone was laminated to reach its specified width. Some blocks were as large as 110 x 70 x 60 inches. According to the specific molding, we cut the ad hoc blocks with a bridge machine. Depending on the complexity of the molds, we profiled through a disc machine and then give it fine print with diamond cuts. If the molding is simple, artisans are in charge of its production.
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PROJECT | castro office building
artisanal production
Our artisan partners, have a proven track record of more than 20 years within our family and they know how to transform every kind of stone into true art pieces. They are responsible for the finishing touches on every stone. The artisans work the pieces, then sand it down by hand and plaster it and so, create the pieces that will be uniform when installed, as far as color and shape, quality and consistency, all the way. To finish, we apply muriatic acid so the stone shines in its own true tones.
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PROJECT | castro office building
packing and shipping
We design and create specific wood crates according to the size of the shippable pieces, under a thermic treatment and according to export regulation. The pieces are protected with casetรณn and under carpeting, and additional wooding to immobilize the stones. The wooden crates are labeled and distributed according to weight and space in the container that can handle up to 20 tons.
castro office building | PROJECT
in situ process in willis construction co. inc.
The wooden crates arrive at the storage area of Willis Construction Co. Inc. in San Juan Bautista, California, where they are pre-selected according to type of mold and priority in installing. The go through the GFRC (Glass Fiber Reinforced Concrete), where moldings are inserted in casts. Once a panel comes together, it is reinforced with structural steel and stored to be transported to the construction site.
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PROJECT | castro office building
willis construction co. inc.
Willis Construction has become one of the leading Architectural Precast manufacturers in the Western United States, providing the Contracting and Architectural professions with the highest quality design assistance and Architectural Precast Concrete products. Architectural Precast has become the leading preferred product for building skins by virtue of its durable long life, insulating capabilities, and aesthetic versatility. Willis Construction is proud to have contributed our superior
design expertise and craftsmanship to many highly recognizable California projects. The company’s beginnings started in 1979 with the leadership and passion of the founder, Larry Willis. Since that time, Willis Construction has grown to become one of the largest and highly respected design and build architectural precast producers. Our continued growth and success can be attributed to our years of experience and our dedicated employees.
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castro office building | PROJECT
pietra vigne
This family enterprise has its origins in 1976 when we began commerce of stone artisan pieces, made with Mexican hands and hearts, and exported to worldwide destinations. Soon enough we invested in a Rainbow Onyx hill in Zacatecas, Mexico as our raw material for artisan pieces. Afterwards, we became savvy in the design and construction of artisan stone pieces for interior and exterior design. We increased our projects in scale, to buildings and big format housing.
Our production ranges from columns, kitchen and bath counters, sinks, chimneys, sculptures, fountains, frames, tables, tiles, moldings, light and water fountains, staircases, water chimneys. In short, we design and construct any and all decoration articles in stone, made with Mexican hands and hearts. Our quality is high due to our expertise, and the skill in trade and craft of our artisan partners, who work with artisan grandeur our cherished stone pieces.
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PROJECT | castro office building
castro office building | PROJECT
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collaborating companies The Sobrato Organization Willis Construction CO. INC. Pietra Vigne S.A. de C. V. texts and traslation Raquel Cajiga illustrations Adriana Vigne editorial design Victor David Cruz MartĂnez digitization SANTAHIERBA / branding agency
The partial or total, direct or indirect reproduction of this book is prohibited.