Continuity is central to success in made places. From branding to building materials, whether for high-end hospitality or custom residential, the best designers use discernible patterns of material and color placement to harmonize evocative themes. The right choices pull new users through space as an experience. A charming discovery around every corner, varied material and color choices help frame scenes of serendipity at the poolside bar. Among options, wherever the expectation is luxury, designers choose stone surfaces for flooring, countertops and cladding to impart a sense of splendor that’s hard to deny.
“With great power comes great responsibility,” begins Alejandro Daras Ballester, Chief Diversification Officer at Neolith, a global leader in sintered stone surfaces. “When we work with architects, interior designers, and clients, we try to understand exactly what they are looking for in hard surfaces and allow them the opportunity to pick the best collection of products possible.”
Sintering, dating back to antiquity, is an empirical method of fusing powdered materials into a solid mass through heat and pressure. The oldest known examples date to 3,000 B.C., when people in both the Middle East and South America were using heat to harden precious metals and ceramic objects. Through the ages, though the means of smelting and metallurgy have changed, sintering involves heating metal or ceramic powders to just below melting temperature, causing the particles to bond as a solid when cooled.
“Neolith is both a brand and a product line. Neolith originated from a family-owned business quarrying natural stone on the Eastern coast of Spain. In 2009, Neolith began pioneering a high-tech process of sintering local raw materials into large-format panels. Today, we produce a nearly endless array of sintered stone slabs as thin as three millimeters,” continues Daras Ballester. Raised in Spain, Daras Ballester is an architect by training. After studying architecture at the University of Valencia, he matriculated at the Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago, where he earned dual master’s degrees in architectural engineering. He spent the early part of his career working at commercial design practices both in the U.S. and in his native Spain. He joined Neolith in 2021. “I am passionate about the technology Neolith applies to this ancient building material, sintered stone. Our mission is to create ultra-resistant, sustainable and beautifully designed sintered stone surfaces for applications that demand both performance and elegance.”
Made from crushed stone, clay, feldspar and natural mineral oxides for pigmentation and stabilization, the sintered stone panels produced by Neolith contain no resins or artificial polymers; many of the formations use largely recycled materials.
“Most of the raw materials arrive as powders. Combining roughly 6,000 psi of pressure and 2,100 degrees (F) of heat, the sintering process takes place. Everything is done in Castellón, Spain, where we are very focused on our role in the local economy,” says Daras Ballester. “Our process produces 5-foot by 10-foot slabs in 3, 6, 12 and 20 millimeters. Each thickness is specifically engineered for different structural and aesthetic applications across a full array of hard surfaces common to commercial and residential architecture.”
The large-format sintered stone slabs are available in more than 60 off-the-shelf choices. Ranging from Abu Dhabi White to Obsidian, Calacatta Gold to Terrazo Ceppo, the patterns, textures, colors and visual distinctness of Neolith’s sintered stone are akin to a walk around the world. Whether a designer is inspired by the Great Sand Dunes of Colorado or sunrise at Everest, Neolith offers a sintered slab that says, ‘this is where you want to be’, no matter what owners are asking for.
“Beyond the portfolio standards, Neolith also offers full customization on orders of 30,000 square feet or more,” shares Daras Ballester. “Though it takes longer, owners can replicate rare natural stones that are either too expensive or too scarce to acquire. We can even create something that is not available naturally.”
A key advantage of large format is fewer seams or joints. Another is that the same material used as a countertop can also clad kitchen cabinets in a thinner profile and be flooring. Designers can pair countless complementary choices to deliver luxurious, eye-catching spaces without complicating design cohesion and material installation.
“Basically, Neolith started with kitchen countertops and then expanded to sinks, floors and cladding. Now, we offer a whole array of exterior façade coverings as well,” continues Daras Ballester. “Exterior cladding is where I see Neolith’s biggest opportunity for growth. We have developed several great systems, including chemically attached to the building, mechanically attached to a metallic subframing, and a very wide variety of ventilated rain screen systems, which greatly improve energy efficiency.”
At Neolith headquarters in Castellón, the latest technology is used to achieve extreme compaction and high-heat firing. The result is so durable that it’s difficult to damage, even intentionally.
“The manufacturing process produces an almost non-porous building material that is graffiti-proof, which is especially beneficial for exterior materials on commercial architecture,” says Daras Ballester. “Hot water and regular household cleaning products are all that is needed to wash markers and paint off. It’s also resistant to heat, UV, scratching and chemical agents. Since there are no binding materials, day-one colors will remain unchanged for perpetuity.”
Neolith maintains numerous environmental and sustainability certifications. As a Cradle to Cradle Certified Bronze manufacturer, Neolith is recognized for safe, circular and responsible product composition and manufacturing processes. GREENGUARD Gold certified, Neolith’s products produce zero Volatile Organic Compounds. The re-use of 96 percent of industrial waste produced earns Neolith a Zero Waste Certificate. The products all contribute positively to LEED building certifications.
“Among other acknowledgements, we are very proud to be placed in the highest tiers of global companies for environmental, social and governance practice as recognized by the EcoVadis Gold Medal,” shares Daras Ballester. “Beyond the United States, we have strong business in Europe and the Middle East, a robust presence in South America, several key partners in Japan, China, Korea and Malaysia. As we expand our global footprint, we will continue working with long-term partners to ensure success in their markets.”
Under the authority of local, state and federal building codes, installation means and methods are very similar everywhere. Specialized tile setters can install floors and cladding indoors. Several different trades could install the exterior façade panels – roofers, building envelope specialists, waterproofers, or other trades that work with panelized exterior solutions.
“Neolith is very low maintenance and extremely difficult to scratch, which makes it ideal for high traffic situations, where creative cohesion is imperative to the user experience,” Daras Ballester says. “We have worked with Marriott, Hyatt, Hilton, LaQuinta and many other hoteliers around the world to harmonize interior and exterior solutions. Our materials are used in custom residential, commercial offices, hospitals, schools, airports and anywhere hard surfaces take a beating. From the façade to the flooring, countertops and cabinets, pool decks and terraces, with aesthetics as a primary objective, Neolith provides end-to-end solutions to the design, development and building community around the world.”
