Photo collage by Wisconsin Concrete Masonry Association

(May 29, 2001) – The Wisconsin Concrete Masonry Association recently awarded highest honors to County Materials Corporation and Jim Kassner Construction for displaying masonry design excellence on a private residence. The Green Bay general contractor worked with Aaron Vanden Avond Masonry, Green Bay, to develop the award winning masonry home.

The association presented the Maynard W. Meyer EXCELLENCE IN MASONRY 'Best of Show' honor at the American Institute of Architects Wisconsin convention, May 2-3, 2001, in Madison. Judging in the 13th annual design competition was based on commercial, industrial and institutional architectural designs incorporating concrete masonry. Criteria consisted of design excellence, function and beauty. County Materials supplied County Stone® masonry units for the 4,700 square foot residence. The new building material was the veneer of choice over brick because the homeowners wanted a low maintenance, weather-resistant house that stood out from the others in their upscale subdivision of $300,000 to one million dollar luxury homes. The primary exterior material is four-inch thick light cream colored County Stone masonry units, with a splitrock texture and mortar to match. To avoid a whitewash effect from the home's light color, dimensional accents were achieved with a belly band of single-score splitrock units laid in a diagonal pattern around the perimeter. Window details were offset with four-inch smooth units, and accent features were highlighted with single-score splitrock County Stone.

County Materials also was honored in the 'Finalist' category for supplying masonry to the Cameron Middle School project, and the Wilderness Crossing Travel Center in Wittenberg. Landscaping with concrete was added as a new category this year with an award going to County Materials for supplying nearly 7,500 square feet of six-inch segmental retaining wall units for the Mercy Oakwood Medical Center parking lot in Oshkosh.