This Berkshire Botanical Garden hands-on program will cover the basics of dry stone wall building, including planning and layout and demonstrations on cutting and fitting. The morning will consist of a lecture, a walk through the garden to view a variety of stone walls and site preparation. Students will learn how to set up a batter frame and cut stone, and will practice laying stones to create structural integrity through interlocking placement. Following the demonstrations, students will work on a dry stone wall and practice wall-building. The workshop will pay special attention to building a freestanding wall using field stone. All questions will be answered. The session will take place Saturday, April 27, from 9 – 3, with a rain date of April 28. Dress appropriately for outdoor work and bring safety glasses, heavy gloves, sturdy waterproof footwear, and a bag lunch. BBG member price $85, non member price $95, and you may register on line at www.berkshirebotanical.org.
Mark Mendel started Monterey Masonry in 1982. He apprenticed with Maine stonemasons in the 1960’s and taught at the Haystack School of Crafts in Deer Isle, Maine. He has built scores of walls, arches, terraces and walks and hundreds of fireplaces in both brick and stone. Locally, his work includes the stone walls in front of Guido’s Marketplace, the fireplace at the Route 7 Grill and the stone walls at the new entrance to Berkshire School. He designed, built and donated the stone spinning fan at the new Berkshire Botanical Garden rose garden. Working as a stone consultant for Cuningham Group Architects of Minneapolis, Mendel was part of the design team that received the 2012 Tucker Design Award, a biennial award presented by the Building Stone Institute. The Tucker design award is the most prestigious national award given in the stone industry.
