We had looked at board form concrete for several months as the material of choice for the staircase tower, retaining walls and fireplace surrounds. However, as we began to explore constructibility of the staircase tower, the material was determined to be too risky in regard to cost, longevity and accuracy. Thus the material was changed to a 12″ long Norman brick, fabricated locally in Colorado by Summit Brick Company. The selected brick color is Onyx a dark brick with a smooth finish.