Arizona Tile: Excellence in Masonry Award Recipient

Featured Image: Rumi Travertine Exterior Stone Installation at the Helios Education Foundation in Phoenix, Arizona

Since 1977, Arizona Tile has been making waves with quality products, knowledgeable staff, professional relationships, and strong ambitions – all which have led to incredible growth as a company and highlight-worthy recognition. Completed in 2021, Arizona Tile was part of a large-scale masonry project which earned them a 2022 Excellence in Masonry Award from the Arizona Masonry Council.

Image: 2022 Excellence In Masonry Architectural Award for Arizona Tile’s work on the Helios Education Foundation in Phoenix, Arizona

The Fundamentals

Awards are one-of-a-kind and recipients deserve time in the spotlight for their work. Each year, the Arizona Masonry Council honors architects, contractors, and suppliers who went above and beyond to create awe-inspiring architecture. The Arizona Masonry Council presents awards in nine different categories in both residential and commercial projects. This year, Arizona Tile won the Non-Residential Citation Award for their role as stone supplier on a collaborative, large-scale architectural project.

Being honored with this prestigious award doesn’t just say, “job well done,” but says, “outstanding work completed beyond expectations.” Regardless of if you’re the architectural designing firm, the masonry contractor, or the product supplier, working on a collaborative effort to create an exquisite structure shows how the team has perfected the craft, and that’s what the Arizona Masonry Council is seeking. Some past winners include: Hobbs Masonry Construction LLC (Gilbert Public Safety Training), Apache Stone (City of Flagstaff Municipal Court), Bullnose Masonry (Seven Clubhouse at Desert Mountain), Willmeng Construction (Gilbert Fire Station), and Quality Block Company, Inc. (Moog Aerospace).

Image: Exterior Courtyard Rumi Travertine Wall from Arizona Tile at Helios Education Foundation in Phoenix, Arizona

The Project

Arizona Tile played a pivotal role in constructing the award-winning Helios Education Foundation & Vince Roig Convening Center, located in Phoenix, Arizona. This 65,000 square foot facility was built for the vision of the client as “a campus that would support their mission of advancing post-secondary education throughout Arizona. Evoking the natural geology of Arizona, the architecture is optimally sculpted in response to climate, orientation, and urban influences; protectively embracing diverse environments for people to congregate and share ideas.” In this design, components of the natural environment were integrated, institutional-grade materials were used, energy and water-consciousness plans were utilized, and dynamic landscapes were made to create “physical expression of sustainable and resilient design in the urban Sonoran Desert.”

Image: Interior Entrance Area Rumi Travertine Wall from Arizona Tile at Helios Education Foundation in Phoenix, Arizona

Just as important as the architectural design by Architekton, the structural engineering by PK Associates, and the mason contractors from Kovach, Arizona Tile’s role was paramount to the success of this project. To achieve the client’s goal and offer the best product available, Arizona Tile supplied a special-order of cut-to-size Peruvian travertine called Rumi. This travertine was selected due to its unique tone and extreme density, allowing the installation to be completely mechanically attached with 3cm stone panels and stainless-steel anchors. With the goal of the Vince Roig Convening Center having a 100-year service life, the products used need to withstand the test of time.

Image: Exterior Walkway Rumi Travertine Wall from Arizona Tile at Helios Education Foundation in Phoenix, Arizona

One jury comment read: “This is a strong project in form and materiality. The whole building encompasses the interior branding of the purpose of the building. Definitely an iconic structure.” This is a resounding endorsement of all the hard work that went into this collaboration.

Travertine

Though Rumi, the Peruvian travertine Arizona Tile used for this award-winning project is custom-order, other varieties of travertine are also available. Travertine is created by natural forces and subterranean springs and rivers. This attractive natural stone represents the mid-stage of limestone transforming into marble. Sourced largely in Italy, travertine is also mined around the world in places like Turkey, Mexico, Croatia, and even Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming. This stone is very durable, elegant, and timeless. It is characterized by its gentle coloring that lacks bold veining and speckles, like what’s found in some granite and marble, and has a naturally aged, weathered appearance from slight pits, small holes, and indentations.

Image: Ankara Travertine Stone Hallway and Base Tile from Arizona Tile

With its soft beauty of neutral, warm hues in ivory, beige, and peach, travertine can be used almost anywhere: indoor and outdoor flooring, countertops, backsplashes, interior walls, shower walls, around fireplaces, and exterior cladding. However, understanding the stone and its different finishes will need to be taken into consideration to ensure the best product for your design.

• Honed: In this finish, the pits, holes, and indentations are filled with colored cement and then the stone is sanded smooth with a matte finish. This finish is popular in homes and can be used on interior and exterior floors, shower walls, and exterior cladding, to name a few.
  • Ankara is filled and honed travertine from Turkey
  • Antalya is filled and honed travertine from Turkey
  • Torreon Stone is a filled and honed travertine from Mexico
• Tumbled: To enhance the natural weathered appearance of travertine, travertine tiles are placed in a large tumbler with stones to achieve a tumbled finish. The finish of this surface will be matte and heavily textured making it nice for interior walls, interior and exterior floors, and exterior cladding.
  • Honey Tumbled Lyon is an unfilled, tumbled travertine from Turkey
• Brushed: If you’re unsure if honed or textured travertine would be best for your design, brushed travertine might be what you need. Bushed travertine is slightly smoothed with a wired brush so it’s not as coarse as tumbled travertine but not as smooth as honed (plus, this is unfilled, unlike honed).
  • Marciano Chiseled Lyon is an unfilled, brushed travertine from Turkey

Design with Arizona Tile

Whether your needs are commercial or residential, large-scale or small-scale, slab or tile, the team at Arizona Tile wants to be part of your build or remodel journey. Our team is always available for a consultation to help you find the best tile and stone for your project. Discover your favorite surfaces in person at one of our locations, or explore our virtual design tools. Our Just Imagine® Visualizer enables you to see how a product will look in your space before committing, while our Online Slab Yard lets you find the piece you need at the location near you. As always, feel free to reach out to us with any questions.