To kick off Women in Construction Week 2023, Lakeside Alliance hosted “Who Builds the World? GIRLS!”, an event where young women and girls in grades 6 through 12 could immerse themselves in the world of construction, and be inspired and instructed by women working in the industry.

New trends in kitchen islands offer versatility in function and design, as well as an aesthetic boost.

New trends in kitchen islands offer versatility in function and design, as well as an aesthetic boost.

New trends in kitchen islands offer versatility in function and design, as well as an aesthetic boost.

Stone World’s Jennifer Richinelli talks with 2020 Fabricator of the Year, Sandya Dandamudi, about shop efficiency.

Dandamudi’s portfolio of projects includes residential, office, healthcare and hotel buildings such as No.9 Walton, One Bennett Park, Fulton East, The Ritz Carlton, Four Seasons Chicago, St. Regis Chicago, Viceroy Hotel Chicago, Wolf Pointe and the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab, among others.

I have always been deeply fulfilled by successful mentee relationships. In my experience, when a mentee seeks out a mentor, the will and the impetus to succeed is already present.

As project director of GI Stone, a Chicago-based commercial stone provider, Sai Uppalapati ensures the successful sourcing, fabrication and installation of interior and exterior custom stone on high-profile commercial real estate projects in Chicago and Texas. He also leads the firm’s estimating, including all bidding activity.

“Granite or quartz for kitchen countertops made an immediate visual impact thats helps affordable units look like market-rate units” - Sandya Dandamudi

Cortney Boswell, project manager for Chicago-based GI Stone, recently spoke about her role in the construction industry, and more specifically, shared her experiences of being a woman in a male-dominated profession.

Following in her mother’s footsteps, Sandya Dandamudi, second-generation owner of GI Stone, runs a high-end stone fabrication operation and maintains a loyal staff of employees

For Sandya Dandamudi, GI Stone's success during the pandemic was not about gaining more customers. After all, the Chicago stone fabrication and installation company she leads already had more than a year’s worth of jobs on the books when 2020 began.

Following in her mother’s footsteps, the 2020 recipient possesses valuable experience required to operate a successful stone fabrication business, as well as a willingness to share her knowledge with her team and other industry members

For some of the hotel’s most intricate and distinct renovation details, McHugh worked with Chicago-based commercial stone subcontractor GI Stone, who sourced, fabricated and installed nearly 20,000 square feet of stone, with approximately 8,000 square feet dedicated to the lobby and restaurant floor.

The newly renovated Four Seasons Hotel Chicago embellishes its five-star experience with its redesigned rooms and lobby, city-inspired amenities, and breakthrough restaurant and bar.

“The reception desks had to be elaborately ‘bookmatched,’ a process where multiple slabs are ‘opened up’ and polished on surfaces facing each other to create a mirror image,” explained Sandya Dandamudi, President of GI Stone. “And to match the original stone of the hotel’s grand staircase, we traveled to a quarry in Italy to find the perfect slab.”