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Sam Johnson

@iamsamwisej

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I am an enthusiastic hedonist
with Puritan tendencies
ever-learning seeker and father
I also build with stone -

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Just hoping to give you a little PAUSE in your daily schedule to admire the beauty of STONE & COLORS.

Thank you!

1- LEAD DESIGNER & PROJECT DIRECTOR:
Sam Johnson @laplatastonedesign & @iamsamwisej

2- TEAM:
- Tim @_positronicmind_
- Tanner
- Nate
- Matt Norton (Durango Dry Stone)
- Myself
- My son Aidan @aidan_la

3) MATERIALS, TOOLS, MISC.:

- Moving towards 900 tons of 100% raw ROCK dumped on site that we turn into STONE with tools

- 100% of every stone on this project has been shaped by us with drills, feathers/ wedges, saws, grinders, hammers and chisels

#drystonewall
#drystone
#landscapearchitecture
#retainingwall
#durango taken in Durango, Colorado by @iamsamwisej

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12

19 days ago

Many great things happened today. We finished our third frame to coping height (about 80 lineal feet either pre-cap or capped). We got to clean out the yard in front of the first 60 feet of wall, and uncovered and cleaned the patio that’s been living under plywood for three months. All in anticipation of my clients returning after a few months away. Very happy to have solid progress to show.

Up next is starting in on the next 80ft of rock fence, installing lights along the completed sections, and coping the rest of wall at pre-cap height once our lighting plan is solidified. Grateful for my team, cooler weather, and this awesome trade that has me looking forward to work every day (well, most days).

#drystonewall
#hardscape
#landscapedesign
#stonework
#stonemasonry taken in Durango, Colorado by @iamsamwisej

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19

2 months ago

It’s hard not to stare.. Hard to believe that we’ll actually finish this project one day.. 16 months in, and hope to be done by December (month 20). Days are a mix of fun, delirious absurdity, and brutal slog. We’ve got about 60’ out of 190 lineal feet of this very tightly fitted rock fence to cope height. The colors are fantastic which is a daily dose of beautiful and inspiration, which is good, because we need it lol. Fortunately next week it’s supposed to cool off from mid 90’s to low 80’s. Wish us luck 🫡

#drystonewalling
#hardscapedesign
#stonework
#landscapearchitecture
#stonemasonry taken in Durango, Colorado by @iamsamwisej

86

4

2 months ago

This week 5 of us spent about 3 plus days rough-shaping shitty-shaped rock into near usable wall stone. Then we still have to organize it all by sizes and move all of them to the other side of the house.

Then, we organize it on the ground by sizes again along 2 sides of a 176 linear feet of wall. Then we finish shaping each piece before setting.

A rough estimate is around 6-7,500 stones just for this long wall.

(I calculated the other day that when done we will have built approximately 7,000 face feet of various types of walls.)

1- LEAD DESIGNER & PROJECT DIRECTOR:
Sam Johnson @laplatastonedesign & @iamsamwisej

2- TEAM:
- Tim @_positronicmind_
- Tanner
- Nate (new guy)
- Myself

3) MATERIALS, TOOLS, MISC.:

- Moving towards 900 tons of 100% raw ROCK dumped on site that we turn into STONE with tools

- 100% of every stone on this project has been shaped by us with drills, feathers/ wedges, saws, grinders, hammers and chisels

- Excavator, walk-behind, MQuip vacuum lifter are our machines

We got about another 2,000 face feet of freestanding stone wall to build and more features.

#drystonewall
#drystone
#landscapearchitecture
#retainingwall
#stone
#durango
#drystonewalling
#drystonewalls
#experiencedesign taken in Durango, Colorado by @iamsamwisej

54

15

2 months ago

I like showing the CHAOS around the CREATION. All rock and fragments laying around that then become a STONE WALL.

The rock gets shaped into usable wall stone and then set into place. The fragments get used as the HEARTING (or what I call the “drystone mason’s mortar).

These photos and videos from yesterday show you a 100’ portion of the 176’ linear foot wall + a cross section view.

(I calculated the other day that when done we will have built approximately 7,000 face feet of various types of walls.)

1- LEAD DESIGNER & PROJECT DIRECTOR:
Sam Johnson @laplatastonedesign & @iamsamwisej

2- TEAM:
- Tim @_positronicmind_
- Tanner
- Nate (new guy)
- Myself

3) MATERIALS, TOOLS, MISC.:

- Moving towards 900 tons of 100% raw ROCK dumped on site that we turn into STONE with tools

- 100% of every stone on this project has been shaped by us with drills, feathers/ wedges, saws, grinders, hammers and chisels

- Excavator, walk-behind, MQuip vacuum lifter are our machines

We got about another 2,000 face feet of freestanding stone wall to build and more features.

#drystonewall
#drystone
#landscapearchitecture
#retainingwall
#stone
#durango
#drystonewalling
#drystonewalls
#experiencedesign taken in Durango, Colorado by @iamsamwisej

81

5

3 months ago

“All we need is a little patience…”

These photos and videos from yesterday show you a 100’ portion of the 176’ linear foot wall + a cross section view.

(I calculated the other day that when done we will have built approximately 7,000 face feet of various types of walls.)

1- LEAD DESIGNER & PROJECT DIRECTOR:
Sam Johnson @laplatastonedesign & @iamsamwisej

2- TEAM:
- Tim @_positronicmind_
- Tanner
- Nate (new guy)
- Myself

3) MATERIALS, TOOLS, MISC.:

- Moving towards 900 tons of 100% raw ROCK dumped on site that we turn into STONE with tools

- 100% of every stone on this project has been shaped by us with drills, feathers/ wedges, saws, grinders, hammers and chisels

- Excavator, walk-behind, MQuip vacuum lifter are our machines

We got about another 2,000 face feet of freestanding stone wall to build and more features.

#drystonewall
#drystone
#landscapearchitecture
#retainingwall
#stone
#durango
#drystonewalling
#drystonewalls
#experiencedesign taken in Durango, Colorado by @iamsamwisej

158

11

3 months ago

Everyone’s updated job description now reads “wall as much as possible.”

Shown is about half of our 190 lineal foot x 5-7’ tall rock fence. She gon be cray.

#drystonewall
#hardscape
#landscapedesi̇gn
#stonework
#stonemasonry taken in Durango, Colorado by @iamsamwisej

84

6

3 months ago

A three minute stroll around the entire linear footage of all the walls on this project.

1- LEAD DESIGNER & PROJECT DIRECTOR:
Sam Johnson @laplatastonedesign & @iamsamwisej

2- TEAM:
- Tim @_positronicmind_
- Tanner
- Nate (new guy)
- Myself

3) MATERIALS, TOOLS, MISC.:

- Moving towards 900 tons of 100% raw ROCK dumped on site that we turn into STONE with tools

- 100% of every stone on this project has been shaped by us with drills, feathers/ wedges, saws, grinders, hammers and chisels

- Excavator, walk-behind, MQuip vacuum lifter are our machines

We got about another 2,000 face feet of freestanding stone wall to build and more features.

#drystonewall
#drystone
#landscapearchitecture
#retainingwall
#stone
#durango
#drystonewalling
#drystonewalls
#experiencedesign taken in Durango, Colorado by @iamsamwisej

63

21

3 months ago

Today, I completed the other cheek end (northeast slang) across from the one Sam built. These photos and videos show you a cross section of a drystone wall or fence. Tanner has been putting in all the low wall stones + throughstones. Enjoy.

1- LEAD DESIGNER & PROJECT DIRECTOR:
Sam Johnson @laplatastonedesign & @iamsamwisej

2- TEAM:
- Tim @_positronicmind_
- Tanner
- Nate (new guy)
- Myself

3) MATERIALS, TOOLS, MISC.:

- Moving towards 900 tons of 100% raw ROCK dumped on site that we turn into STONE with tools

- 100% of every stone on this project has been shaped by us with drills, feathers/ wedges, saws, grinders, hammers and chisels

- Excavator, walk-behind, MQuip vacuum lifter are our machines

We got about another 2,000 face feet of freestanding stone wall to build and more features.

#drystonewall
#drystone
#landscapearchitecture
#retainingwall
#stone
#durango
#drystonewalling
#drystonewalls
#experiencedesign taken in Durango, Colorado by @iamsamwisej

152

2

3 months ago

Here’s a moving “section” view of a finished and in-the-works drystone wall / fence. Enjoy.

1- LEAD DESIGNER & PROJECT DIRECTOR:
Sam Johnson @laplatastonedesign & @iamsamwisej

2- TEAM:
- Tim @_positronicmind_
- Tanner
- Nate (new guy)
- Myself

3) MATERIALS, TOOLS, MISC.:

- Moving towards 900 tons of 100% raw ROCK dumped on site that we turn into STONE with tools

- 100% of every stone on this project has been shaped by us with drills, feathers/ wedges, saws, grinders, hammers and chisels

- Excavator, walk-behind, MQuip vacuum lifter are our machines

We got about another 2,000 face feet of freestanding stone wall to build and more features.

#drystonewall
#drystone
#landscapearchitecture
#retainingwall
#stone
#durango
#drystonewalling
#drystonewalls
#experiencedesign taken in Durango, Colorado by @iamsamwisej

64

4

4 months ago

6/12/26 update

Chaos precedes orders, which precedes chaos, and so on.

Torren is leading the charge on the full irrigation system installation with 18 zones. Tons of trenching. Fortunately we’re already backfilling.

@jontaguilar has put the finishing touches on the west end of the big boy wall. @_positronicmind_ finished adding flagstone to the front entryway - further solidifying our flatwork theme of concrete wrapped in rose. Tanner and Timothy have been working on the rock fence, adding about 10 through stones over the past 2 weeks. Nate and I have been cranking on the boulder base to the street side rock fence. This section connects directly to Timothy and Tanner’s section and the total length will be 170’ or so.

As of next week the entire team will be focused on the rock fence and I’m excited for the progress. taken in Durango, Colorado by @iamsamwisej

82

2

4 months ago

5/30 update out here in Durango. Stairwell is all completed save the rose cap. Jon’s almost finished the other end of the huge retaining wall where it transitions into freestanding rock fence. Timothy, Tanner, and Nate have done a massive amount of preshaping leftover stone and we will try out a gas powered splitter next week to try to finish the job. I’ve been focused on layout, batter frames and beginning the boulder base of the 7’ height section.

2 new dump trucks of stone arrived this past week and we’ll have a full flatbed arriving next to keep us going real strong on the remaining 170lf of freestanding rock fence. Some sections will be 7’ tall. About 90 tons of stone will go into it. Truly, this house is going to look like a modern castle when we’re done and I’m here for it.

#drystonewalling
#drystonewall
#drystonewalls
#hardscape
#hardscapedesign taken in Durango, Colorado by @iamsamwisej

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4

4 months ago