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CASE STUDY

Natural Stone in Design and Architecture
Armed Forces Retirement Home – Labyrinth

This project is a profound example of the use of natural stone in design and architecture. Rugo was contracted to create an open-air “Labyrinth,” which consists of eleven concentric paths made up of Bluestone inside a large circular field of Crystal Black Basalt stone, split into four quadrants and a path which leads from the outside to the inside and passes once over every track. This Labyrinth design follows the medieval Chartres pattern and is believed to help in the treatment of traumatic brain injury and associated health conditions by making the soldiers walk through the tracks of the Labyrinth.

This project involved the use of computer-aided design and waterjet fabrication. Each piece of the Labyrinth was designed to fit like pieces of a puzzle. The stone joints radiated from the center of the circles. The jointing of stone on the paths was made at 11.25-degree intervals.

Location: Washington, DC
Completion: 2013
Owner: General Services Administration
Architect: Cooper Cary
General Contractor: Hensel Phelps Construction Company
Size:
1,225 sqft
Services: Design, Waterjet Fabrication

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