As we reported before the event, professionals from across the natural stone sector gathered in London to mark International Women’s Day at a panel discussion organised by Women in Natural Stone (WINS).

Held at The Society Building, the discussion followed the theme “How did you come into the stone industry?” and brought together speakers from different parts of the supply chain, including Lisa Nunn of FMDC Ltd, Isobel Brodrick of DBR Limited, Emily Guest of Stonewest Ltd, and Christine Ellis at Laing O'Rourke.

The panel shared their personal experiences of entering the stone sector, reflecting on the variety of routes that can lead into the industry. From technical and geological backgrounds to craft-based stonemasonry and construction management, the discussion demonstrated the breadth of roles available within natural stone.

Speakers also addressed the challenges and opportunities they have encountered during their careers, emphasising the importance of visibility, mentoring and continued industry support to encourage more women to consider careers in stone and construction.

The event attracted a strong turnout from professionals working across architecture, design, manufacturing and contracting, creating an opportunity for networking and informal discussion following the panel session.

Such events underline the value of sharing individual stories to highlight the diversity of pathways into the sector and serve to inspire those considering a career change or entering the industry for the first time. WINS thanked attendees for contributing to what they described as an “engaging and positive conversation” about the future of women in natural stone.

The organisation also acknowledged the support of event sponsors DBR Limited and Vetter UK, whose backing helped make the event possible.

Specialist stonemasonry contractor Classic Masonry has completed a series of conservation and repair projects at historic churches across the North East, including works at St Hilda’s Church, Christ Church, and St Andrew’s Church.

The programme reflects the continuing need for specialist masonry knowledge when working with historic ecclesiastical buildings, where sensitive repair and careful maintenance are essential to preserving original stonework and ensuring long-term structural stability.

Mike Moody, managing director at Classic Masonry, said the projects demonstrated the variety of challenges presented by historic ecclesiastical buildings:

“The three churches all had different requirements, and it is a tribute to the depth of skill and expertise within our teams that we were able to provide solutions we know will stand the test of time.” 

At St Hilda’s Church in Hartlepool, a Grade I listed building standing on the Headland overlooking the North Sea, Classic Masonry undertook a range of works as part of a wider restoration programme. The church is widely regarded as an important example of Early English architecture and is believed to occupy the site of a 7th-century monastery associated with St Hilda before she founded Whitby Abbey.

The project included masonry repairs alongside re-roofing works, leadwork and rainwater goods, together with restoration of clerestory windows. Internal glazed partitions and associated electrical works were also carried out as part of the scheme. Funding support for the project came through the National Lottery Heritage Fund Heritage at Risk programme, which supports historic buildings considered vulnerable to neglect or decay.

Further conservation work was carried out at St Andrew’s Church in Newcastle, widely considered the city’s oldest church, with origins dating back to the 12th century. The building contains significant surviving medieval stonework, including a Norman chancel arch decorated with chevron ornamentation.

Here, Classic Masonry was commissioned to dismantle and rebuild the tomb of Ouseburn Foundry owner James Glynn after the structure became unsafe. The works were undertaken in liaison with an archaeologist to ensure the protection of historic material.

At Christ Church in Shieldfield, a Grade II listed Victorian Gothic building constructed between 1859 and 1861, the company undertook a number of targeted repair works. These included repointing sections of masonry to the adjoining church hall, repairs to hoodmoulds above one of the principal arch windows, and lifting and rebedding water tables on a gable end.

Such a layered project further highlights the team's expertise and care in stone restoration, which is born out of a passion for the craft, as Mike underlines:

“While each project differed, the combining element that brought them together was their wonderful history and heritage that goes back many hundreds of years. It was a pleasure to play our part in restoring and protecting them for other generations to enjoy well into the future.”

For more than six decades, Italian manufacturer Florim has been a major presence in the global ceramics industry, producing porcelain surfaces for architecture, construction and interior design. Based in Italy’s historic ceramic district, the company has developed a reputation for combining industrial production with design-led research, positioning porcelain stoneware as a material capable of responding to both aesthetic and technical demands in contemporary architecture.

One expression of this approach is Florim Stone, a brand conceived as a design platform rather than simply a tile collection. The system is centred on a large format slab measuring 320 × 160cm, available in three thicknesses – 6mm, 12mm and 20mm – allowing surfaces to move fluidly between applications such as wall cladding, countertops, furnishings and bespoke architectural elements.

The concept reflects a broader shift in how porcelain surfaces are specified. Rather than being confined to traditional tiling, large-format slabs are increasingly treated as architectural materials in their own right. Florim Stone is designed to support this approach, offering visual continuity across surfaces while allowing designers to integrate porcelain into different spatial scales, from residential interiors to hospitality and retail environments.

Material research plays a central role in the system’s development. Florim uses advanced digital decoration technologies to generate surfaces that capture the depth and variation of natural materials, supported by full-body coloured blends that enhance visual realism and durability. The aim is not simply to replicate stone or concrete, but to translate their aesthetic language into a technically controlled ceramic format.

Within the range, several stylistic directions reflect different material references. Marble-inspired surfaces reinterpret natural stone through pronounced veining and refined tonal contrasts, while concrete-influenced designs offer a more neutral, architectural aesthetic suited to minimalist spaces. A third group draws directly on geological textures, emphasising irregularity and surface depth to evoke the character of natural stone landscapes.

Recent introductions illustrate the breadth of the palette. Designs inspired by quartz and marble explore warm browns, copper-toned veining and soft green hues, while stone-based surfaces reference volcanic lava, limestone and tuff. These interpretations draw on a range of geological precedents, translating their textures and colour variations into porcelain slabs capable of being fabricated into a variety of interior elements.

Underlying the design ambition is a strong emphasis on sustainability. Florim operates manufacturing facilities where production waste and wastewater are recovered, and the company is capable of generating up to 100% of the electricity required by its Italian plants through self-produced energy, supplemented by certified renewable supplies when needed. The Florim Stone range also forms part of the company’s CarbonZero programme, which offsets lifecycle carbon emissions associated with its surfaces.

Led by chief executive Claudio Lucchese, the company has grown into a global design brand with flagship showrooms in major architecture and design centres including Milan, New York and London. The latter, located on St John Street, is a mainstay of the UK specification scene and will be taking part in this year’s Clerkwenwell Design Week.

As biophilic design continues to influence commercial interiors, the challenge for specifiers is often practical rather than aesthetic. Living walls require irrigation, light and long-term maintenance strategies that are not always compatible with high-traffic workplaces or hospitality environments. It is within this gap that Innerspace positions its Preserved Moss and Foliage Walls — real botanical surfaces engineered for longevity rather than growth.

Founded by Richard Russell and Ian Lamb, Innerspace specialises in naturally derived interior surfaces and works with clients from specification to installation. They include corporate, education and hospitality settings, and their preserved moss systems are a favourite within the product portfolio. That’s in no small part because they provide an instant and infinite way to introduce texture and greenery into enclosed spaces without the infrastructure associated with living planting.

The material itself is genuine moss and foliage that has been harvested and preserved through a natural process, replacing sap with a plant-based solution that retains suppleness and colour. The result is a surface that remains visually vibrant and tactile, but requires no watering, soil or sunlight. Unlike artificial greenery, the botanical origin remains legible, with variations in tone, density and structure creating depth across the wall plane, giving each installation a subtle irregularity akin to other natural surface materials.

From a specification perspective, preserved moss walls are lightweight and adaptable. Installations can range from simple framed panels to full-height feature walls incorporating layered foliage, relief elements or integrated branding. The fibrous, open texture of the moss also contributes to sound absorption, making the system particularly suited to offices, reception areas and educational environments where acoustics are a consideration.

Material performance is central to their appeal. In environments where living systems may struggle such as internal corridors, windowless meeting rooms or high-level installations, preserved foliage provides a stable alternative. With no requirement for irrigation or artificial lighting rigs, the embodied and operational impacts associated with maintenance are significantly reduced.

Innerspace’s approach is fundamentally bespoke. Each wall is composed to suit site conditions and client intent, whether that is a restrained, single-species moss field or a more complex botanical composition. The emphasis is less on spectacle and more on material presence — using preserved greenery as a surface layer that enhances spatial character without imposing ongoing technical demands.

Global flooring manufacturer Interface has launched noravant™, a new PVC-free resilient rubber flooring range designed to combine high performance with increased design flexibility and a reduced carbon footprint.

It extends Interface’s existing rubber portfolio, which includes noraplan and norament, and marks what the company describes as a new chapter in its long-standing development of rubber flooring systems.

noravant timber, introduces what Interface says is the industry’s first woodgrain design in rubber flooring. The move is aimed at sectors such as healthcare, where specifiers are often required to balance domestic visual cues with stringent hygiene and durability demands. By translating timber aesthetics into a resilient rubber format, the product offers a more natural interior character in waiting areas, circulation zones and patient rooms, without compromising on cleanability or long-term wear.

Available in 10 Nordic-inspired colourways, the range moves from pale ivories and sandy neutrals to deeper, grounding tones. The intention is to provide designers with a warmer, biophilic palette while retaining the performance characteristics traditionally associated with nora rubber flooring.

Technically, noravant is built around a new multi-layered construction. According to Interface, this approach is designed to deliver the durability and resilience expected of rubber flooring while enabling greater surface design variation. The range also incorporates ShieldForm™, a proprietary surface technology developed to enhance chemical and stain resistance and to support ease of maintenance in high-traffic interiors.

Anne Marie Lisko, Vice President of Global Product Category Management at Interface, said: “noravant is a major breakthrough in flooring – there’s now a PVC-free resilient product that combines superior performance with unmatched design flexibility, all while maintaining a low carbon footprint.

“Our R&D, manufacturing, product, and design teams have been working on this groundbreaking platform for quite some time, conducting extensive in-market tests to ensure it meets our quality and performance standards. Building on more than 70 years of expertise in the rubber category, noravant adds to our portfolio of hardworking rubber flooring solutions.”

The platform builds on the legacy of noracare, Interface’s rubber flooring engineered for enhanced cleaning performance and resistance in hygiene-critical environments. Launched in Europe in 2020, noracare set new benchmarks within the rubber category. Under the noravant name, the product retains the same technical performance while aligning with the broader design ambitions of the new platform.

From a sustainability perspective, noravant has been developed to support Interface’s commitment to become carbon negative by 2040, without the use of offsets. The company states that the platform has one of the lowest carbon footprints in the rubber category and includes 10% post-industrial recycled content alongside bio-based materials. It is PVC-free and holds Cradle to Cradle Certified® Silver status. Products can be recycled at Interface’s dedicated facility in Germany and will be incorporated into the company’s nora take-back programme.

Kelly Simcox, Head of Global Design at Interface, said: “With noravant, we’re bringing disruptive design thinking and expertise in innovation to the rubber category. We’ve already elevated our nora portfolio using innovative chip blends and nuanced color to generate marble and terrazzo inspired looks. noravant builds on this success and expands the creative potential of rubber even further. It’s a true design platform that empowers designers to create inspiring spaces – especially in healthcare, where high performance is essential.”

For specifiers working across healthcare, education and other demanding interiors, noravant signals a continued shift within the resilient flooring sector towards materials that combine technical robustness with a more nuanced, design-led surface language.

Founded by former Michaelis Boyd directors Emma Bodie and Matthew Sanders, House Of EM is a London-based architecture and interiors practice whose work is grounded in a clear understanding of context, culture and material expression. Operating across high-end residential projects, the studio values longevity, craftsmanship and material intelligence as essential components of contemporary domestic design. We caught up with the pair to discover more about what makes them tick.

What does a typical day look like for you?

No two days are ever the same, which is part of the joy of high-end residential work. Our mornings often begin on site, where we walk through spaces as they’re being built, check finishes, and liaise with contractors and collaborators. Afternoons are usually spent reviewing drawings or refining bespoke details, making sure every junction, seam, and material is resolved.

Much of our time is dedicated to translating client ideas into something tangible. Whether it’s a material palette, a lighting scheme, or the placement of a bespoke feature, it’s about balancing imagination with practicality. Even within a single project, we move constantly between concept, technical problem-solving, and collaboration with specialists to ensure the design intent is realised.

How integral are materials and surfaces to your day-to-day?

Materials are central to everything we do. We are constantly thinking about how surfaces look, feel, and perform, and how they interact with light and space. Natural stone, timber, plaster, metals, and bespoke finishes dominate our palette, but we also enjoy exploring unconventional materials that bring surprise and delight.

We’re always building our sample library in the office. Handling samples is a daily ritual, testing tones, textures, and finishes, considering how they age, how they feel under hand, and how they complement other elements in a space. Ensuring materials are durable and suited to their intended use is critical. Materials aren’t just decorative; they shape the mood, character, and identity of a home.

What lessons have you carried forward from your training?

Our architectural training gave us a solid foundation, spatial thinking, technical understanding, and a disciplined approach to problem-solving. Interior design added another layer: a sensitivity to texture, light, proportion, and the subtle details that make spaces feel human and lived in.

We were also fortunate to work at several influential studios, Edward Cullinan Architects, Michaelis Boyd, and Edward Suzuki Associates - each shaping our approach in different ways, from contextual awareness and environmental thinking to precision, materiality, and refined contemporary detailing.

The biggest lesson we carry forward is restraint but combined with curiosity and playfulness. Good design isn’t about filling a space with ideas; it’s about editing thoughtfully so that every element has purpose. At the same time, design should be fun, exploring what hasn’t already been done, testing materials and forms, and remembering that sometimes the simplest gestures have the most impact.

Which project are you most proud of?

We are particularly proud of Loggia House. When you walk in, the space immediately opens up, revealing the connection to the garden beyond. The transition feels effortless, drawing light and landscape deep into the home.

We love the sunken seating area and how just two steps can create a completely different and intimate zone, while still maintaining a visual connection to the kitchen and dining spaces. It’s just a subtle shift in level, but it transforms the experience of the room.

Moving through the house, there’s a genuine sense of calm and comfort,  it feels grounded, flooded in light, and entirely of its place.

What are the main challenges facing the stone and surfaces industry?

Sustainability is one of the biggest challenges right now. Clients are increasingly conscious of sourcing, embodied carbon, and material longevity, but there’s still a lack of clear, reliable information to guide these decisions.

At the same time, specialist craftsmanship is under pressure. Skilled stoneworkers, joiners, and finishers are essential to achieving the quality we expect in high-end residential projects and preserving that expertise is vital.

The challenge is balancing these demands, sustainability, cost, and uncompromising quality,  while still creating spaces that feel considered, beautiful, and enduring. It’s a constant negotiation, but one that drives innovation and attention to detail in every project.

What are the positives of using stone in the built environment?

Stone offers a combination of authenticity, permanence, and natural beauty. Its tactile quality engages the senses, and subtle variations in tone and texture are impossible to replicate with manufactured materials. It’s also resilient, aging gracefully over time.

When used thoughtfully, stone feels both contemporary and timeless. It grounds a space while enhancing character and depth. In residential projects, it contributes to understated luxury and solidity,  elegant without ever feeling ostentatious. For us, it’s about quiet, enduring impact rather than fleeting statement.

How does sustainability shape your thinking?

Sustainability informs every decision we make, from initial layout to material selection. We prioritise durability, longevity, and emotional resonance,  a home should endure physically and continue to delight over time.

Natural materials often support this philosophy because they are robust, timeless, and adaptable. At the same time, we embrace innovation,  exploring low-impact finishes, reclaimed materials, or new fabrication methods,  wherever they align with the same principles. Sustainability, for us, is about designing spaces that are environmentally responsible but also deeply loved, so they endure both in use and in memory.

All images - Loggia House ©Henry Woide

As interest in circular materials gathers pace across architecture and interiors, young designers are increasingly looking beyond conventional mineral and polymer systems to rethink waste as surface. Denimolite, developed by Josh Myers, is one such proposition: a composite material made using discarded denim, reworked into a solid, tactile and machinable surface.

Myers, a member of Barbara Chandler’s Green Grads, is part of a wider generation using sustainability not as an afterthought, but as a material driver. Denimolite grew out of a questioning of whether common textile waste can be elevated into a structural and sensory surface material. Denim, with its robust weave and deep cultural associations, provided the answer. By harnessing discarded denim from manufacturing and post-consumer streams and combining it with a low-impact binding system, Myers has created a material that is both physically substantial and conceptually intriguing. What’s more, he’s discovered a process that allows all types of such waste - including notoriously difficult to recycle stretch denim - to be thrown into the mix. 

Rather than disguising its origins, Denimolite makes them visible. The surface reveals layers of shredded and reconstituted denim, creating tonal variation and a fibrous depth that shifts subtly with light. In this sense, it shares an affinity with natural materials such as stone or terrazzo, where pattern, inconsistency and grain are intrinsic to the material’s appeal. The familiar indigo blues of denim are softened into a mottled, mineral-like field, giving the material a visual weight that belies its origins in cloth.

Tactility is central to the material’s character. Denimolite has a warmth and density that sets it apart from smoother, more synthetic composites, making it well-suited to furniture, interior surfaces and feature applications where touch and material presence matter. Its manufacture also allows for variation in colour and texture depending on the source material, reinforcing its link to circular design principles and adaptive reuse.

In an industry still heavily reliant on virgin mineral and petrochemical inputs, materials like Denimolite that close the loop on waste while balancing functionality with aesthetic presence are a breath of fresh air.

As the construction and manufacturing industries continue to grapple with skills shortages and changing technologies, insights shared around International Women’s Day suggest that digital transformation may be helping reshape opportunities for women across the sector.

In addition to the upcoming WINS event we shared, a recent survey carried out by Made Smarter Yorkshire, the government-backed technology adoption programme, gathered reflections from women working across Yorkshire’s manufacturing base – from shop floor roles to senior leadership. Their responses paint a picture of an industry undergoing rapid change, where automation, data and digital tools are shifting long-held perceptions of manufacturing work.

Although women currently make up around a quarter of the UK manufacturing workforce, contributors to the survey suggested that progress within individual businesses may be moving faster than national figures indicate. The responses highlight how digital systems, leadership development and changing workplace cultures are helping broaden participation across traditionally male-dominated sectors.

Amanda Buckley

For many respondents, the most significant shift has been technological. Among the voices included in the survey is Anna Buckley, co-founder of Mindful Memorials, a fourth-generation stonemasonry business based in East Yorkshire. Buckley believes digital systems are opening new possibilities even within traditional craft-led industries such as memorial masonry.

“Technology and smarter systems have opened up enormous opportunities,” she said. “They’ve given confidence to innovate and modernise traditional industries, while still honouring craftsmanship.”

Mindful Memorials represents a new generation of stone businesses exploring how technology can complement heritage skills. Alongside conventional memorial production, the company has embraced digital tools in design and client communication, helping make the traditionally conservative memorial sector more transparent and accessible for families.

Buckley’s experience reflects a broader pattern across construction and manufacturing, where digital modelling, CNC machining and design software are increasingly integrated into stone processing, fabrication and architectural supply chains. For smaller firms in particular, these tools can help bridge the gap between traditional workshop practice and contemporary design expectations.

The survey also highlights noticeable cultural shifts across manufacturing workplaces. Several respondents noted that female representation has improved significantly over the past two decades, with more women visible in technical roles, engineering positions and board-level leadership.

Leila Graham

Leila Graham, a drive test operative at technology company Techbuyer, said attitudes have changed markedly during her 16 years in the industry.

“Back then, I saw unconscious and conscious bias all the time,” she said. “There was little female representation. Today, a lot of that has changed.”

However, the research also points to ongoing challenges around perception and recruitment. Several contributors argued that careers guidance and outreach at school level remain critical to attracting more women into technical industries.

Amanda Johnston

Amanda Johnston, Associate Director of Innovation at Sheffield Hallam University and a board member of Made Smarter Yorkshire, believes engagement must start early.

“From around the age of 10 onwards there can be a strong perception that STEM subjects are for boys,” she said. “Changing that narrative earlier could make a real difference.”

For programmes such as Made Smarter Yorkshire, digital transformation is emerging as a powerful catalyst for change. By encouraging manufacturers to adopt automation, data analytics and digital systems, the initiative is also helping create new roles that require technical thinking rather than purely physical labour.

Jessica Armitage

Jessica Armitage, Programme Manager for Made Smarter Yorkshire, said the organisation is already seeing the results.

“We’re seeing more women stepping into technical, leadership and innovation roles as businesses adopt digital technologies,” she said.

For sectors such as stone manufacturing and construction – industries rooted in craft but increasingly shaped by digital tools – that shift could prove particularly significant. As Buckley’s work with Mindful Memorials demonstrates, the next phase of manufacturing may be defined not by the replacement of traditional skills, but by how technology helps extend and reframe them.

With International Women’s Day set to take place on Sunday, the Women in Natural Stone (WINS) team are marking the event with an evening panel discussion on Wednesday 11th March.

Titled How did you come into the stone industry?, the event is designed to highlight the varied routes into natural stone and construction, while encouraging young women and those considering a change in direction to explore opportunities within the industry.

Lisa Nunn

The panel brings together professionals working across geology, contracting, business development and hands-on craft. Speakers include Lisa Nunn, WINS Chair and Senior Geologist at FMDC; Christine Ellis, Business Development Manager at Laing O’Rourke; Isobel Brodrick, Assistant Director at DBR; and Emily Guest, Stonemason at Stonewest. Together, they will share insights into their career journeys and reflect on the skills, opportunities and challenges they have encountered along the way.

Emily Guest

Like many previous WINS events, the evening will provide a networking opportunity for women working across architecture, design, construction and the natural stone sector, with drinks and light refreshments available.

From 5pm at The Society Building, 55 Whitfield Street, London.

Spaces are limited and filling quickly. To reserve a place, attendees are encouraged to email wins@stonefed.org.uk. 

Sponsorship opportunities for the event also remain available.

In a construction landscape increasingly focused on carbon, waste and lifecycle performance, the materials we use now take centre stage: not just as finish or cladding, but as an active participant in sustainability outcomes. At the forefront of this shift, The New Materialist is redefining what surfaces can be by sourcing biological matter, rethinking extraction, and engineering materials that truly close the loop between design and nature.

Based in Europe and co-founded by designer Thomas Vailly and engineer Baptiste Arribe, The New Materialist operates at the intersection of design, ecology and systems thinking, with a mission to replace polluting commodity materials with regenerative alternatives that can be scaled into mainstream applications. The studio describes its approach succinctly: it “merges design, science, and ecology to create sustainable materials” and works to “transform linear chains into circular ecosystems,” emphasising materials that are natural, non-toxic, made from waste, exceptional and scalable.

While this rhetoric may sound good on paper, the proof is in the pudding - in this case, physical outcomes in real-world applications. The New Materialist combines extensive materials research, prototyping and industrial development to deliver biomaterials that can perform in architectural and surface design contexts. Projects to date span natural composites made from agricultural by-products and waste streams, bioplastics sourced from municipal waste, and bespoke formulations tailored for clients including global brands.

For architects and specifiers, what makes The New Materialist salient isn’t just its commitment to sustainability, but its demonstration that regenerative materials can be aesthetically rich and performance capable. “We explore territories and ecosystems to find available biomass, and turn it into exceptional biomaterials: aesthetic, performant, circular,” the studio states, underscoring that material innovation must integrate function with form.

The practice begins with exploration: identifying bio-resources local to a project’s context, from plant fibres and industrial by-products to organic residues. Over an initial three-month research phase, the studio typically delivers multiple material concepts accompanied by sample libraries that allow designers to assess surface qualities, textures and performance potential. Once priorities are agreed, scale-up strategies are developed, including coalition building between suppliers, manufacturers and clients to embed the new materials into commercial production with agreed quality and impact metrics.

What sets this work apart in the design ecosystem is its systemic ambition. The New Materialist doesn’t simply propose an alternative finish; it reframes the supply chain. Its regenerative philosophy is rooted in the belief that materials should not only be bio-derived and low impact, but should actively contribute to healthy ecosystems, local livelihoods and circular flows. As the studio notes, being “New Materialists” involves recognising shared environmental challenges and seeking to “respect the boundaries of nature by radically changing the way materials are borrowed and returned to Nature.”

In material terms, this means designers and architects can now explore surfaces that embody ecological narratives as well as technical substance. Imagine wall panels made from invasive plant species, bio-composite sheets derived from agricultural processing waste, or decorative surfacing that incorporates botanical residues from fragrance production - all of which have already been prototyped and commissioned. These materials don’t just reduce reliance on petrochemical-derived products; they foreground material stories that resonate with deeper sustainability goals.

As the industry grapples with climate targets, waste reduction and lifecycle assessment, studios like The New Materialist show that material innovation need not be an afterthought. By reimagining what surfaces can be, and how they are sourced, processed and returned to nature, the work points the way toward regenerative design that is aesthetic, technical and deeply rooted in ecological intelligence.