architectural details

Fitting Pieces
Natural stone is one of the planet's most enduring artistic media and has been used in all historical eras across all design traditions in richly varied ways.  From the pyramids of Egypt to the Great Wall of China, from the friezes of the Parthenon to the masterpieces of Michelangelo, it has always been the material of choice for work that matters. For all its beauty and durability, however, natural stone has its limitations:  Even in modern times with modern technology, it must be quarried or harvested; fabrication of finished pieces is laborious; and its weight makes moving it from place to place both costly and time-consuming.  It's also not a renewable material:  Supplies of many of the world's most favored types are restricted, and some are simply no longer available. It's in this context that cast stone has emerged as a viable alternative in reproducing the looks, textures and sheer physical presence of natural stone materials.  We at Haddonstone Ltd., for example, offer cast-stone products that can be used in architectural, landscape and watershape settings in ways that are virtually indistinguishable from pieces made of marble or limestone - and do so at a fraction of the cost with a consistency and precision that are difficult to achieve with natural materials. We started modestly in 1971 with a facility near Northampton, England, that turned out just seven ornamental pieces in cast stone.  In the ensuing years, that list has grown to include more than
Night Eyes
Landscape-lighting design is my obsession:  Not only do I make my living at it, but it has also reached a point where it informs the way I look at every landscape and watershape I encounter - whether I'm working on those spaces or not. When I visit almost any site - and particularly when I spot an interesting garden - I almost instantaneously begin formulating ideas about how I'd light it.  That's a good thing, because it keeps me professionally sharp, but it's also a bit addictive:  Once you start visualizing how dynamic particular places can be when properly lit, you get hooked on the mental exercise and start enjoying the intensity of the experience. In the beginning, of course, those clear visualizations
Night Eyes
Landscape-lighting design is my obsession:  Not only do I make my living at it, but it has also reached a point where it informs the way I look at every landscape and watershape I encounter - whether I'm working on those spaces or not. When I visit almost any site - and particularly when I spot an interesting garden - I almost instantaneously begin formulating ideas about how I'd light it.  That's a good thing, because it keeps me professionally sharp, but it's also a bit addictive:  Once you start visualizing how dynamic particular places can be when properly lit, you get hooked on the mental exercise and start enjoying the intensity of the experience. In the beginning, of course, those clear visualizations