Eligibility: Natural stone projects in the British Isles completed in the three years ending 2 April 2016

Deadline for entries extended to: 5 May 2016

There has been some exemplary stonework carried out in the past three years that deserves the recognition of the industry it came from and the wider construction and architectural sector. That is what the Natural Stone Awards can give it.

The Awards are staged every two years by Stone Federation Great Britain to demonstrate to as wide an audience as possible the limitless design opportunities offered by the inclusion of stone in a construction project.

The whole spectrum of the use of stone in construction is covered by the eight categories in the Awards scheme: New Build (with a category each for cladding and traditional load-bearing); Repair & Restoration; Interiors; Landscaping; Craftsmanship; Carving, Lettering & Sculpture; Sustainability.

If you have been involved in a project you are particularly proud of – whether it is as the owner or developer, architect or designer, the main or specialist sub-contractor, or the masonry company or stone supplier that provided the stone – you can take responsibility for entering the project into the Awards.

Awards always look good when you are seeking work and offer maximum publicity opportunities for the whole team through the association with a project that is judged to be the best in its field.

Who judges? A team of distinguished architects advised on the specifics of stone and masonry by stone industry experts.

What they are looking for is: evidence of the selection of appropriate stone for the project; design detail to achieve good performance and longevity as well as a desired aesthetic; particularly fine execution of the design in the shaping and fixing of the stone.

As nothing exists in a vacuum, the judges will take into consideration how a project integrates with its surroundings and how appropriate it is for its location. Innovation and pioneering solutions will be awarded due merit.

Projects will be expected to be able to demonstrate compliance with relevant British and European standards and all relevant building regulations. And as sustainability and ethical sourcing are issues that can raise concerns about the use of stone, all entrants are encouraged to highlight good practice in these areas.

To enter, you need some good photographs of the project showing an overall view and any detail you wish to highlight. You are also encouraged to include  design drawings sufficient to help explain decisions taken, including installation and fixing details. All submitted material must be free from copyright restrictions to its use because it will be used for publicity purposes in publications, online and possibly by other media such as television. An entry to the Awards will be considered a waiver to any copyright on the material submitted.

You must complete an entry form. You can use the form printed on the next two pages and send it in the post with accompanying photographs and drawings, either on discs or as prints, to the Stone Federation (the address is at the end of the form). However, probably many people would like to fill in a digital form and submit an entry either by email or by using a file sharing site such as DropBox or WeTransfer. Digital PDF forms that can be completed on your computer can be downloaded from the Stone Federation website devoted to the Awards at bit.ly/StoneAwardsEntry.

The entry form there will include all the rules and conditions of entry and more detail about the Awards.
The winners, as well as projects that are Highly Commended and Commended, will be presented with their Awards at a prestigious ceremony in London on Friday, 2 December.

Trophies will be presented to the property owners, designers and principal stone contractors on each project, except for the Craftsmanship Award, for which the principal stone contractor will receive a trophy to look after until the next winner is announced. There are certificates for all members of a winning team that can be framed and proudly displayed in public areas by winning companies and practices.