DeCicco's by Off The Wall in Larchmont, NY
Value Engineering is the process by which a client's wishes can be made affordable, practical, easily maintainable, and long-lasting using facsimile quality materials instead of heavier and costlier ones such as actual stone or brick. Off The Wall has been a leader in this practice for forty-five years.
ShopRite in Burlington, NJ by Off The Wall
A look back at imitations of stone in the 20th Century.
This Architecture Magazine article reviews how and why substitutes for stone have been used in retail and domestic construction throughout the Twentieth Century. The main reason, as the author Mike Jackson states, is that "despite the material's enduring history and appeal, stone can be expensive, prohibitively heavy, and difficult to source. As a result, artisans and manufacturers throughout history have developed alternative materials and methods that mimic the look of stone at reduced financial and environmental costs."
He then chronicles the various faux stone alternatives made popular in the 20th Century. His article includes scagliola, or the use of plaster to imitate stone, cement, Sears and Roebuck concrete blocks, and molded terra cotta. Later in the 20th Century, materials such as stamped sheet metal, rubber marble, and perma-stone came into play.
Off The Wall in the 21st Century
For 45 years, Off The Wall has diligently sought out the best materials and engineering practices to simulate not only stone but steel and wood as well.
McCaffreys in New Hope, PA by Off The Wall
ShopRite in Moosic, PA by Off The Wall
With thousands of projects completed and dozens currently in the process, Off The Wall is continuously improving methods and finding new materials that are realistic, appealing and installed to be structurally sound.
ShopRite in Yardley, PA by Off The Wall
ShopRite in Somerset, NJ by Off The Wall
But value engineering goes beyond simply finding alternative materials: it's also how these products are constructed and structurally reinforced, designed, and then overseen by expert engineers.