The Stone Federation is celebrating the success of its first Stone Symposium – The Case for Stone. This one-day conference held in July at America Square Conference Centre in London explored the carbon-saving credentials of natural stone with a host of seminars, case studies and panel discussions.
Amin Taha, Stirling Prize-shortlisted architect and a speaker at the symposium commented that: “This may have been the first ever meeting of the entire vertical supply and delivery chain. Quarry owners, stonemasons, engineers and architects, contractors and developers all sharing their knowledge, experience and ambition for decarbonising the construction sector.”
The seminar programme featured some of the leading voices around natural stone’s sustainability credentials and prompted some engaging Q&A sessions with the audience. Sixteen different speakers from the world of architecture, engineering, design, academia, quarrying and stonemasonry brought their expertise and passion to proceedings. The sessions ranged from exploring how innovative approaches to stone are being used to transform everything from world-famous cathedrals to secondary school health centres. Delegates explored the synergy between the quarries and the next generation of architectural talent enthused by the case for stone. The headline-grabbing 15 Clerkenwell Close and Mix Awards Finalist, The Stone Tapestry were used as examples of how different architects are seeking to challenge, spark conversation and push the boundaries in the way that stone is used. And finally, there were some fascinating examples of the systems being developed to fully utilise stone’s load-bearing potential in mainstream construction.
This wide range of topics were delivered by an industry-leading panel of speakers: Amin Taha (GROUPWORK), Tim Gledstone (Squire and Partners), Steve Webb (Webb Yates Engineers), Steve McKechnie (Arup), Juliet Haysom (Architectural Association), Natasha Huq (Groves Raines Architects Studios), Joe Chilvers (Adam Richards Architects), Niki-Marie Jansson (Newcastle University), Pierre Bidaud (The Stonemasonry Company), Michael Poultney (Albion Stone), Marcus Paine (Hutton Stone Co), Valérie Bergeron (Polycor), Peter Fisher (Bennetts Associates), Manuel dos Anjos (FMDC), Ryno Nel and Mark Walden (Szerelmey). Alongside the presentations, the Stone Symposium featured a number of panel discussions which were chaired by award-winning journalist, Luke Hanrahan. Luke first discovered stone’s sustainability story when he produced and presented a piece for the BBC which explored Amin Taha’s 15 Clerkenwell Close project and the journey of the stone bricks that Albion Stone, Hutton Stone and Polycor were bringing to the market. Luke brought his journalistic curiosity to the mix which created some truly fascinating and informative discussions.
Alongside the seminars, the event also featured a small exhibition area featuring the Stone Symposium’s sponsors: ALS by Airelimestones, CED Stone Brick & Facades, Cotswold Natural Stone, Paye Stonework & Restoration, Stamford Stone Co., Stone Cladding Systems and Welsh Slate. This vibrant space provided the backdrop for a number of networking opportunities that took full advantage of the blend of professionals gathered at the event. In summary, this first Stone Symposium was a truly unique event and one that The Stone Federation feel was a significant milestone in the push to see stone return to its rightful place as the leading sustainable construction material. Another Stone Symposium is planned for Scotland in the New Year.