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STONEFIELD NEWSLETTEr
TALK
Photo taken on Mt. Tremblant
We got a whole lot of winter this season – snow in Florida, deep freeze temps for what seemed like weeks, bone-chilling wind – and we pushed through with Spring right in front of us. You ever force yourself to go for a walk on those cold days, and walk a little longer or farther than you think you might be able to. It feels really good. I wonder what that is exactly and why it seems important to test yourself like that. Skiing and snowboarding or just going to snow-covered mountains celebrates that feeling in a way. You have to push it a little bit in a climate you don’t love to get something really enjoyable out of it. We stretched further North this winter with a trip to Mt. Tremblant in Quebec. Hopefully everyone was able to enjoy that beautiful mountain and village and have those moments of looking up and out at nature. It seems to be more and more challenging to not look down at our phones – so much information and interesting things to find on that little screen. But there is so much out there, so much to explore right in front of us. All around us. And it only takes a moment to appreciate it. We try to do a bit of that in this issue – look up, out and around – and admire what’s happening. In our Winter 2025 newsletter we vibe with ducks, celebrate the work of Generation Reverb, recap our Canadian adventure, and announce 2 great new teams at Stonefield to start. Mitch touches upon fishing and patience while Kylie explains her love for big green plants and the coffee bean. And a whole lot more. Eyes up, eyes out, take it in every once in a while and enjoy.
winter 2025
winter 2025
STONEFIELD NEWSLETTEr
Design insight The creative process for our FW24 collection, adorned with duck-inspired artwork, emerged from a shared experience— one marked by resilience, inspiration, and camaraderie. It all began during our time together in Roscoe, NY, a picturesque yet rugged setting that introduced us to the undeniable spirit of nature and the creatures that call it home. The retreat took place in less-than-ideal conditions: persistent rain, brisk winds, and the kind of cold that you don’t easily forget. Yet, it was in this environment that we found our muse. Ducks, native to Roscoe, paddled unbothered across lakes, their movements serene and purposeful despite the chill. We came to see them as a symbol of endurance, a reminder of how nature perseveres through discomfort. Much like the ducks, our team embraced the weather, finding joy and unity in the shared experience. Some even braved a polar plunge into the frigid lake—a moment of collective boldness that brought laughter, cheers, and a newfound appreciation for resilience. Inspired by this, we envisioned a collection that captured the essence of both the environment and the spirit of the retreat. The hoodies are crafted in earthy tones—rich browns and muted greens to mirror the natural palette of Upstate New York. These colors represent the muddy trails, misty mornings, and lush grasses we encountered. The collection is centered around the duck, illustrated in various forms: some playful and abstract, others representative of their lives. Both designs depict one side of the retreat. From the light-hearted activities we shared indoors to the harsh reality we faced commuting outdoors.
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STONEFIELD NEWSLETTEr
canada recap A recap of our first international ski trip
For the very first time, Stonefield went international. The 2025 ski trip took Stonefielders North across the border to Quebec, Canada to shred together on Mont Tremblant. Upon arrival, those in attendance stepped into a charming ski-village that transported you to the inside of a giant snow globe that just got a good shake. Speaking of shaky, the weekend started off a bit that way with a devastating USA loss to Canada during overtime in the “4 Nations Face-Off” hockey championship on Friday night – but it was only up from there! Days on the mountain were fuelled by poutine, accompanied by fresh powder, and followed by late-nights at the Caribou and Central Night Club. It was still worth the trip for those who chose not to ski or snowboard. They enjoyed extracurriculars like snowmobiling, snowshoeing, or relaxing days at the infamous Scandinave Spa. The trip proved to be a huge success. Oh yeah, and that USD to CAD exchange rate was pretty sweet too. We hope to see even more of you on the mountain again next year!
winter 2025
winter 2025
STONEFIELD NEWSLETTEr
teams We’re very excited to announce two new teams, Brazil and Roma, bringing our collective to 23 teams and growing. Team Brazil is a site engineering team predominantly working out of New Jersey with projects across the state and Team Roma is a traffic engineering team working on projects throughout New Jersey as well. We hope the team names serve to inspire each team well because these are two bad-ass places. Vibrant, stylish, cultural powerhouses that are filled with life and energy. Understanding a team and what makes it work requires the same skills we use when we travel and explore a new place like Rome or Brazil. We are completely open in those moments – willing to learn new things, interested, and curious. Working within and with a new team requires the same mindset. We wish Team Brazil and Roma successful futures filled with experimentation and curiosity.
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STONEFIELD NEWSLETTEr
winter 2025
where in the world Can you guess which one of Stonefield’s 7 offices resides in the mystery city below
WaterFire is a renowned public art installation featuring a series of bonfires set ablaze on the three rivers of downtown. Conceived by artist Barnaby Evans in 1994, WaterFire has grown into a signature event for the city, drawing thousands of visitors each year. The installation consists of over 80 floating braziers filled with burning wood, creating a mesmerizing display of flickering flames reflecting off the water. The event typically includes music, street performers, and food vendors, enhancing the immersive experience. WaterFire is held multiple times a year, often from spring through fall, with full lightings featuring all braziers and partial lightings covering select sections of the river. Beyond its artistic appeal, WaterFire serves as a cultural and economic driver, attracting tourists and fostering community engagement. Many local businesses, artists, and nonprofit organizations participate, making it a hub for creativity and social interaction. WaterFire is free to the public and relies on donations and volunteers to continue its tradition. Whether viewed from the riverbanks or a gondola, the event offers a unique, almost meditative experience that highlights the beauty of the city’s waterfront. The answer can be found on the back page.
New Office The Birmingham office has been nothing but eventful since its inception back in the Fall of 2024. Of course, the grand opening wouldn’t be complete without a little toilet flooding to commemorate the space and bring everybody together. A few weeks after somebody so kindly handled that toilet “situation,” Stonefield was ready to host their official office-warming to show off the new digs while giving the clients in attendance a glimpse at who we are, where we work, and how we operate. It was quite the turnout with over 100 clients in attendance over the course of the evening. Huge success for the Birmingham crew! Since the party, our Birmingham Stonefielders have spent a lot of time together playing games in the lounge area, grabbing lunch together at Birmingham Pub, and enjoying drinks in their coffee shop style bar. It’s a cutthroat environment, and their most recent competitive endeavor began the day somebody brought in a baseball radar gun. Everybody in the office went outside to see who could pitch a baseball the fastest and to everyone’s complete and utter shock a Stonefielder blew everyone out of the water clocking in at an astonishing 108mph. It’s safe to say the new office is a hit. Stonefielders from other offices are not only invited, but encouraged to come visit whenever they please. And if you think you’ve got what it takes to beat their pitch speed, make your way to Michigan and put your money where your mouth is.
CAPTURING MOVE
A capturing move consists of traversing along an inner or outer circuit around at least one of the eight corner loops of the board, followed by landing on an enemy piece, capturing it. Captured pieces are removed from the game. Corner loops are used only when making a capture. The capturing piece enters and leaves the circular loop via a grid line tangent to the circle. Any number of unoccupied points may be travelled over, before or after traversing a loop. An unoccupied point may be travelled over more than once during the capturing piece's journey. Only unoccupied points may be travelled over; jumping over pieces is not permitted. Capturing is always optional (never mandatory).
END OF GAME
A game is won when a player captures all 12 of the opponent's pieces. If neither side can make headway, the game is ended by agreement and the winner is the player with the greater number of pieces in play.
SCORING
A match consists of more than one game. Players agree beforehand how the winner will be determined. A couple of methods are typically used: Playing a fixed number of games: Each game is scored by the number of pieces in play at the end of the game. The winner is the player with higher total points after all games have finished. Playing to a fixed number of points: New games are played until one player reaches or exceeds the winning point total.
GUESS WHO ANSWERS: A1, b3, c2, d4
RULES FOR SURAKARTA
Pieces always rest on the points of intersection of the board's grid lines. On a turn, a player either moves one of their pieces a single step in any direction (forwards, backwards, sideways, or diagonally) to an unoccupied point, or makes a capturing move special to Surakarta.
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Players decide who moves first, then turns alternate. The object of the game is to capture all 12 of the opponent's pieces; or, if no further captures are possible, to have more pieces remaining in play than the opponent.
Where in the world answers: providence, ri