We are in a moment where the construction industry is working harder than ever to deliver a low carbon built environment.  There is a fresh understanding of the need for science-based targets, for objective, comparable carbon data and for inter-disciplinary conversations that cut through the green washing.

In spite of all the innovation and AI-powered advances in carbon assessment, perhaps the time is ripe for less the invention of a new product, but more the reinvention of an age old low-carbon material – natural stone.

Could the solution be found in one of the oldest building materials, arguably, the original sustainable material?

The earliest example of a stone structure dates back to 9600 BC and for thousands of years natural stone was used to shape dwellings, then villages, towns and cities.

While stone has been the building material of choice for those constructing our towns and cities for thousands of years, in recent years the perception of natural stone has shifted from being seen as a mainstream construction product to simply a high-end finishing material. After millennia of time-proven approaches to building with stone, some would argue that we’ve had almost a century of forgetting, but this is changing.

There is a fresh excitement and optimism within the stone sector as the objective, statistical embodied and whole life carbon savings of using natural stone are cutting through the noise of the greenwashing of some of the other, less sustainable material choices.

Architects and structural engineers are no longer seeing stone as a simply heritage or  even an expensive material but to one that can be used as a cost-effective, modern solution, engaged with as a commodity not just a luxury.

There will always be a place for high-end natural stone projects, but using stone as the utilitarian structure of a building is fast-becoming an exciting avenue of exploration for architects and structural engineers alike.

While the engineering approaches being utilised are most definitely innovative and modern, the basic concept is something decidedly traditional.  You only need look at any of the UK’s cathedrals, stately homes or historic university buildings to see that utilising both the beauty but also the strength and durability of natural stone is a time-proven principle.

From a structural engineer’s perspective, stone is an ideal material choice, delivering both low carbon but also high strength.  Steve Webb, Director at Webb Yates Engineers, wrote recently,

“Stone is very low carbon compared to other materials, while mostly stones are more than double the strength and long-term stiffness of a standard concrete mix.  With an average carbon content of 0.06kg/kg, however, it has about 1/3 of the carbon footprint of concrete.”

Over the last few years, Stone Federation has been an integral part of the shift in the conversation around the structural use of natural stone, and in particular, the impressive carbon savings that can be made by using stone in this way. 

Now, as the architectural, design and engineering professions are inspired to structurally rebuild in natural stone, there is a fresh requirement for that inspiration to be supported by information; guides for how to build using this material in the context of our modern building practice.

In light of this, Stone Federation formed a Structural Stone Working Group that has brought together some of the leading experts on this use of stone.  The group is exploring the design typologies, systems and testing required to bring this use of stone into a more mainstream acceptance.

Earlier this year we launched A Guide to Structural Stone.  This introductory document sets the context for the project and provides a series of definitions to help deliver clarity around the different building types that come under the banner of structural stone.

A Guide to Structural Stone is designed to be an ever-evolving library of resources equipping architects, structural engineers and clients with the information and inspiration required.

And don’t be fooled into thinking that the stone renaissance is a niche conversation, at our upcoming Stone Symposium: The Case for Stone conference, Bennetts Associates, Allies & Morrison, ORMS, Groupwork and Webb Yates will all be speaking on their explorations around stone as a sustainable, load-bearing construction solution.

This interest in stone’s sustainability story is also attracting the attention of some of the UK’s leading universities.  UCL, The University of Bath, Newcastle University and Glasgow University, to name but a few are all committing research budgets to exploring the decarbonisation potential of natural stone from both an architectural and structural engineering perspective.

It’s both information and inspiration.

It’s the inspiring projects and it’s the research that is driving the move towards embracing natural stone as a vital part of helping to deliver a more sustainable built environment.

In 1959, Scottish architect James Shearer wrote in the RIAS Quarterly, “It is widely believed that in Scotland we cannot afford to use stone. Stone is not used because it is too dear, and it is too dear because it is not used.”

This ‘chicken and egg’ challenge that the Scottish stone industry found itself in 66 years ago is, in many ways the same challenge that the UK stone industry as a whole find itself in today.

But all is not lost.

Within the context of a built environment that is working hard to decarbonise itself an ever-increasing number of architects, designers, structural engineers and clients are discovering that the solution might just be found in arguably the original sustainable material: natural stone.

We are at the beginning of a new, exciting phase for stone.

Whichever part of the industry you occupy, the increased understanding of not just the beauty of stone, but its sustainability credentials of structural potential of this material will further promote its use. The nature of the material readily lends itself to changing aesthetic taste and technical use.

Approached in a considered and robust manner, the increased use of stone structurally will become a natural alternative to commonplace structural elements and Stone Federation will continue to explore and publish relevant guidance to assist the industry in its pursuit of this common goal.