Comprehensive Planning
Turn Material Direction into an Actionable Plan
A scope review tells you what's feasible. A strategy engagement tells you exactly how to execute it. This is where planning-grade ranges become specific sourcing plans, vetted fabricator recommendations, and a risk memo that maps every procurement risk to a mitigation.
Flat Fee | Defined Scope
The strategy engagement begins where the scope review ends — or, for teams who already have strong material direction, it can serve as the first deep engagement. Either way, the goal is the same: take everything the team knows about the stone scope and turn it into a plan that procurement can execute without guesswork.
We conduct a thorough sourcing scan — domestic and international — to identify the specific lots, blocks, and slab inventories that can supply the project. For each stone application, we develop an allocation strategy that accounts for yield, waste factor, vein continuity requirements, and backup sourcing. We vet fabricators based on capability match (not every shop can handle every project), and we produce a risk memo that maps every identified procurement risk to a specific mitigation.
The strategy engagement produces actionable documents — not broad guidance. Your team leaves with specific material identifications, vetted fabricator recommendations, a procurement sequence with milestones, and a clear picture of what could go wrong and how to prevent it. This is the document that protects the project when procurement begins.
2–4 weeks depending on project scope and material complexity. May include targeted travel for slab evaluation.
The Situation
An architecture firm designing a corporate headquarters in Chicago specified honed Statuario marble for a 6,000 square foot lobby and three elevator vestibules. The specification called for consistent veining across all surfaces — requiring coordinated block selection across the entire scope.
What Happened
The strategy engagement identified that the quantity required couldn't come from a single block — it would need three blocks from the same lot, carefully sequenced. We sourced seven candidate blocks at three different yards, evaluated each for consistency, and recommended a specific three-block allocation that maintained visual continuity. The fabricator vetting process narrowed the field from the GC's initial list of four to the one shop with the CNC capacity and the slab handling experience the project demanded. The risk memo flagged a 6-week lead time vulnerability and recommended early block purchase, which the owner's rep authorized based on the documented analysis.
Before
Many strategy engagements follow a scope review. For teams with strong material direction and clear project scope, the strategy can be the entry point.
After
The strategy naturally transitions into Embedded Advisory for teams who want ongoing oversight, or into Procurement for teams ready to purchase material.
How to Specify Natural Stone on Commercial Projects Without Leaving Gaps
The specification document most architects write for stone is incomplete. Here's what's missing and why it matters when the project reaches procurement.
Read more →How to Choose a Fabricator for a High-Stakes Stone Project
What separates a fabricator who can handle a $500K stone scope from one who cannot. Not all CNC machines are equal, and not all shops understand design intent.
Read more →Early Procurement: Why Securing Stone Before the Project Is Ready Saves the Design
On large-scale projects, the gap between selection and procurement is where material gets lost. Here's the case for buying early and storing smart.
Read more →Show me the project.
Start with a free 15-minute sanity check. If the project needs deeper work, we can decide that together.