The Cast Stone Institute names two winning projects from the Lone Star State in its 2002 Design & Manufacturing Excellence Award competition. Fort Worth's National Cowgirl Museum and Bank One Building were recognized by the group's Design Award Committee during the Annual Awards Banquet, held recently at the Chateau Elan in Braselton, Ga. Entries are judged each year by a panel of three independent judges, chaired this year by Bill Chedwidden of CDH Partners in Marietta, Ga.

More information on the competition can be obtained from CSI, 10 West Kimball Street, Winder, GA 30680; phone: 770/868-5909; fax: 770/868-5910; E-mail: staff@caststone.org, or visiting the web site at www.caststone.org.

The National Cowgirl Museum (Hall of Fame)
FORT WORTH, TEXAS

Architect: David M. Schwarz, Washington, D.C.
Cast stone producer: Dallas Cast Stone Co., Dallas

The project is situated in the middle of Fort Worth's cultural district. Back in the historically renowned cattle driving days, stone was often incorporated in the architecture of commercial buildings. A classic representation of the style of that period, the museum stands as a tribute to the era's historical significance.

The scalloped coping on the top incorporating a fin configuration posed the greatest challenge of the project. Coming to a point, the fin detail proved extremely difficult to cast. Accordingly, the architect's original design was modified during production.

The mural panels comprised another difficult aspect of the job. From an architectural sketch, the artwork on the panels was sculpted full-size with varying contours. Dallas Cast Stone crews used a distinctive combination of wet and dry cast with one-of-a-kind color under extremely difficult conditions. To accommodate multiple details, casting was completed in both rubber and plastic molds.

The Bank One Building
FORT WORTH, TEXAS

Architect: David M. Schwarz, Washington, D.C.
Cast stone producer: Dallas Cast Stone Co., Dallas

The 12-story building in downtown Fort Worth follows city officials' objectives to maintain the integrity of the late-19th to early-20th century architecture. This goal was achieved by using a characteristic brick pattern alongside cast stone.

The project involved two difficult elements. The L-shaped soffit panels had to be cast with cores when manufactured. Due to the considerable length of each unit, maintaining a level position during production presented a challenge. For the three-tiered cornices, constructed of very large pieces cantilevered over the building, holes had to be cast into the stone to enable each piece to be bolted down to the structure.

Looking for a color that would blend well with the brick matrix of the building, the architect arrived at a one-of-a-kind match that was maintained throughout the project. The signature color of the cast stone and the brick matrix are distinguishing attributes of the building.

Both color and design contribute to the particular aesthetics of the Bank One Building. A creative brick matrix complemented by an architectural cast stone design with a signature color lends impressive character to a conventional high-rise structure.