Rustication is a design technique where stone blocks with rough, unfinished surfaces or with deep, emphasized joints are laid to create an impression of solidity and strength. It was particularly used during the Renaissance for basement stories and palace façades, as seen in the Palazzo Pitti in Florence. Variations range from rough rubble surfaces to channelled blocks and diamond-point ashlar with pyramidal projections. Rustication can consist of real stone or be imitated in render. It articulates façades vertically and horizontally, creates interplays of light and shadow, and emphasizes the tectonic quality of a building.