like a rock

10 premium European stone brands arrive in Houston for the first time

Eight Italians, a Dane, and a man from Portugal walk into Houston. No, this is not the beginning of a promising joke — far from it. For three days, a delegation of 10 European natural stone companies made the rounds to some of Houston’s top design firms, showcasing gorgeous products that have (mostly) only been available to the European market, until now. Read on for the exclusive details on which old-quarry brands will soon be popping up all over the city.

Excitement mounts as this new age of Maximalism calls for everything these natural stone lines have to offer. From colorful pastel marbles to dramatically contrasting slabs, bold basalts, imaginative Venetian terrazzos, and timeless marble cladding options — nothing was overlooked. Yachts and aircraft aren’t left out either, with a line of lightweight aluminum honeycomb-backed stones. There is even something for the eco-conscious, with a LEED-certified product making the list of brands to finally land stateside.

The mission was organized by Veronafiere Spa, which is also the organizer of Marmo+Mac — renowned as the world’s leading international trade fair for the natural stone industry.

“The Chamber was proud to partner locally with Veronafiere to coordinate all the events and meetings held in Houston on May 5, 6, and 7,” Francesca Bacci, business development manager at the Italy-America Chamber of Commerce of Texas, tells CultureMap. “The main goal of the mission was to create opportunities for manufacturers to connect with top-tier industry professionals, fostering networking and business development in the strategic U.S. market.”

Design and architecture firms Gensler, Perkins & Will, HOK, Jacobs, Intexture-Aura, Rottet Studio, and Nina Magon Design were all stops along the delegation’s tour, as well as Thorntree Slate at the Houston Design Center and the Amodo European Collection showroom at the Decorative Center. AIA Houston hosted a credit panel at their headquarters, and BeDesign hosted a luncheon with special guest and design powerhouse Abel Design Group. Houstonians with interest in these newly-available product lines will certainly know where to look.

Without further ado, here are the ten Marmo+Mac WeSpeakStone Delegation’s European brands that are now available in Houston:

Basaltite Guidotti Battaglini Srl
La Basaltite is a medium-grey stone with crystals of leucite immersed in a microcrystalline structure, derived from the hardening of lava in the eruption centre of Bolsena – Bagnoregio.

Pierangelo Umena of Basaltite shares that: “Houston and Texas can be a good market for our stone, Basaltite, because it is a natural grey stone extracted and processed exclusively at our facilities in Italy with an elegant and minimalistic neutral grey tone in great combination with white and any other colour or material.

Cancian Pavimenti
This legacy Venetian terrazzo brand dates back to 1840. The only LEED-certified brand on the list, this lightweight, nearly zero waste product is definitely one to watch. With numerous weight and backing options, this product can be made to suit both airplanes and yachts.

Alina Klak, who represents Cancian Pavimenti through Marble Büro, had this to say about expanding to Houston: “As the second fastest-growing city in the nation, Houston is a dynamic and promising market for Marble Büro’s traditional Italian terrazzo. With a surge in high-end residential and commercial developments, there’s growing demand for unique, durable, and customizable surfaces. Marble Büro—representing a third-generation terrazzo company with nearly a century of family experience—brings an authentic piece of Italy to Houston, offering genuine Italian precast terrazzo tiles crafted with artisanal time-honored techniques and tailored to meet the vision of today’s architects and designers.”

Domos
Based in Verona’s Stone District, Domos develops marble and natural stone products. “Marble is a source of inspiration for us, and design is form, it’s function,” a representative tells CultureMap.

Elite Stone
Perfect for those who appreciate dramatic, yet timeless, design statements, these marbles are perfect for book-matched, full-slab installations; this is the stone for clients who enjoy striking contrasts and bold veining.

“Houston gave me the impression of a city that unveils its charm gradually—like a well-kept secret,” sales manager Davide Sandini says. “Its true beauty isn’t loud or fleeting, but lasting and deeply appreciated by those who live there. The locals radiate pride in their surroundings, and that quiet sophistication makes Houston the perfect setting for our timeless, luxurious Italian marbles.”

Fauske Marble by Moser Aps
Based in Denmark, this sustainably-minded fourth generation company produces exquisite arctic marbles in colors like pinks and purples, plus many more.

Grassi Pietre Srl
Founded in 1850, this Nanto, Italy-based company touts its ability to combine “artisanal know-how with the most modern technologies available for stone processing and production.”

Marcolini Marmi Spa
The brand is known for its adherence to Italian taste and tradition in the areas of marble, granite, onyx, and stone.

Moca Stone SA
Marcelo Costa believes their warm, creamy marbles are a perfect fit for Houston: "Our natural stone materials, extracted from our own quarries and produced in our own facilities, are distinguished by their uniqueness, elegance, and luxurious appeal, making them a perfect fit for high-end residential and commercial projects across the city," a representative says.

Porfido Trentino - Cave Famiglia Pisetta
Thanks to a location in the middle of the Alto Adige's porphyry platform, the company offers a very large variety of porphyry products such as the cubes, irregular slabs, and tiles with split sides. In addition, it stocks other, more sophisticated materials such as steps-to-stone stairs, as well as materials with polished and flamed surfaces which are specially indicated for indoor floorings and coverings.

R.E.D. Graniti Spa
This exquisite marble cladding company offers monument quality stonework built to last for generations.

With all these exciting options, Houston’s top designers and architects undoubtedly have big plans for the new products. Time will tell how they enhance design in the Bayou City for many years to come.

Photo courtesy of Portugal Marble

Portuguese marble is also an option for timeless elegance

home-design

they're durable, too

3D-printed Houston housing project cements a more affordable future

Courtesy of Cole Klein Builders

Homes in Zuri Gardens are a hybrid of 3D concrete and traditional wood construction.

Houston is putting itself front-and-center to help make sustainable, affordable housing a reality for 80 lucky homeowners in a scalable housing community that will hopefully catch on nationwide. Recently, developer Cole Klein Builders partnered with HiveASMBLD to pioneer what’s touted as the world’s first large-scale, one-of-a-kind, affordable housing development using 3-D printing technology, merging robotics, design, and sustainability.

Located across from Sterling Aviation High School, near Hobby Airport, Zuri Gardens will offer 80 two-bedroom, two-bathroom homes of approximately 1,360 square feet situated in a park-like setting, including walking trails and a community green space.

Homes in Zuri Gardens will hit the market in early summer of 2026. Final pricing has yet to be determined, but Cole Klein Builders expects it to be in the mid-to-high 200s.

Interestingly, none of the homes will offer garages or driveways, which the developer tells CultureMap will provide a savings of roughly $25,000 - $40,000 per home.

Instead of parking for individual units, 140 parking spaces will be provided. Ideally, this small-town-inspired design will provide opportunities for neighbors to meet, connect, and build community.

Each two-story home is comprised of a ground floor printed by HiveASMBLD, using a proprietary low-carbon cement alternative by Eco Material Technologies that promises to enhance strength and reduce CO2 emissions. The hybrid homes will have a second floor built using engineered wood building products by LP Building Solutions. Overall, the homes are designed to be flood, fire, and possibly even tornado-proof.

The Zuri in Zuri Gardens is the Swahili word for “beautiful,” a choice that is fitting considering that the parks department will be introducing a five acre park to the project — with 3-D printed pavilions and benches — plus, a three acre farm is located right across the street. The Garver Heights area, where Zuri Gardens is located, is in what’s classified as a food desert, which means that access to fresh food is limited. Residents will have access to the farm’s fresh produce, plus opportunities to participate in gardening and nutrition workshops—that’s a win for everyone.

With the novelty of Zuri Gardens, it’s no surprise that the neighborhood already has an 800 person waitlist, but with stringent buyer requirements, it’s unclear how many of those 800 will qualify. Developer Cole Klein Builders created Zuri Gardens in partnership with the Houston Housing Community Development Department, who provided infrastructure reimbursements for the roads, sewer lines, and water lines. In return, CKB agreed to push the purchase prices for the homes as low as possible.

Zuri Gardens also received $1.8 million dollars from the Uptown Tourism Bond, 34 percent of which must be used with minority owned small businesses. Qualified buyers must fit a certain area of median income according to HUD guidelines, and must be owner occupied at all times — so no property investors or short term vacation rentals will be allowed.

“They’re trying to bridge that gap to make sure there is a community for the homebuyers who need it — educators, law enforcement, civil workers, etc.,” Cole Klein Builders’ co-principal Vanessa Cole tells CultureMap. “You have to go through a certification process with the housing department to make sure that your income is in alignment for this community. It has been great, and everyone has been really receptive.”

Cole has also brought insurance underwriters to visit the site and to help drive premiums below regular rates for Houston homeowners since homes in Zuri Gardens are not built to traditional standards — claim risks for one of the 3-D homes are extremely low. Tim Lankau, principal at HiveASMBLD, notes that the 3-D hybrid design allows for a more traditional appearance, while having the benefits of a concrete structure: “That’s where the floodwaters would go, that’s where you can hide when there’s a tornado, and that’s where termites would eat. So you get the advantages of it while having a traditionally-framed second floor.”

It’s important to note that Zuri Gardens is not located in a flood prone area, nor did it flood during Hurricane Harvey — being flood proof is merely a perk of a cement house. The concrete that Eco Material Technologies developed is impervious. The walls are printed into hollow forms, which house rebar, plumbing, and accessible conduits for things like electrical lines and smart house features. Those walls are then filled with a foamcrete product that expands to form a “monolithic concrete wall.”

David McNitt, of Eco Material Technologies, explains that his proprietary concrete is made of PCV, and contains zero Portland cement. Instead, McNitt’s cement is made from coal ash and is 99 percent green (there are a few chemicals added to the ash). Regardless, it’s made from 100 percent waste products.

“This is a product that has really been landfilled before,” says McNitt. “It’s coal ash, and it’ll set within 8-10 minutes. It’s all monolithic, and one continuous pour — it’s literally all one piece.”

Eco Material Technologies’ concrete product is impressively durable. A traditional cinderblock wall will crush at around 800 psi, while this material crushes at about 8,000 psi.

“It’s ten times stronger than a cinderblock wall that can withstand hurricanes,” claims McNitt. “I don’t think you’d even notice a hurricane. It’ll be really quiet inside, too — so you won’t get interrupted during your hurricane party. It’s way over-engineered, it really is.”

The second story is built using weatherproof and eco-friendly products by LP Building Solutions. Their treated, engineered wood products come with a 50 year warranty, and their radiant barrier roof decking product blocks 97% of UV rays, and keeps attic temperatures 30° cooler than traditional building materials. These materials, combined with the concrete first floor, will keep heating and cooling costs low — something the folks at HiveASMBLD refer to as “thermal mass performance.”

Courtesy of Cole Klein Builders

Homes in Zuri Gardens are a hybrid of 3D concrete and traditional wood construction.