Once home to more than 1,000 people, The Cabrach’s population has dwindled to less than 100 today. Located on the high boundary between West Aberdeenshire and Speyside, at the heart of Historic Banffshire, the rural estate has experienced decades of decline.

But one recently completed architectural project represents a visual indicator of change in the area, led by a group of passionate local residents. Having come together in 2013 to create The Cabrach Trust, the team has produced a portfolio of projects including cultural events, nature recovery initiatives, rural skills and wellbeing workshops, as well as employing the services of Scottish practice Collective Architecture to design The Cabrach Distillery.

The development transforms the ruined 1849 steadings at Inverharroch Farm into a working single-malt whisky distillery — the first legal whisky production in the area for more than 170 years. Nestled on the edge of the Cairngorms National Park, the area was once a hotbed of Jacobite rebels and smugglers, as well as local farmers, many of whom sought to supplement their minimal livelihoods by producing ‘Uisge Beatha’, or ‘ Water of Life’...also known as Whisky.

Rather than operating solely as a visitor attraction, the distillery forms the economic centrepiece of a long-term strategy to stabilise and repopulate this remote Highland community.  The architectural approach begins with repair rather than replacement. Existing stone steadings, deeply embedded in the agricultural history of the landscape, were carefully retained and adapted, allowing the project to grow directly from the site’s inherited fabric. Weathered masonry walls were consolidated and reused wherever possible, maintaining the character and layout of the original farm buildings while accommodating contemporary production requirements.

Reclaimed stone from nearby derelict structures supplements retained masonry, which provides thermal stability well-suited to distilling and maturation processes. But the decision is an aesthetic one too, ensuring continuity of colour and texture, which visually anchors the distillery within the surrounding landscape. Sustainable timber sourced from local forests complements the stone construction, reinforcing an approach rooted in local resources and traditional building knowledge rather than imported systems. The resulting architecture feels grounded, its mass and permanence responding naturally to the exposed Highland environment.

Operated as a community-owned social enterprise, the distillery reinvests future revenues into local housing, employment opportunities and environmental initiatives, ensuring the building functions as long-term infrastructure rather than a singular architectural gesture. What’s more, extensive landscape works, tree planting and new walking routes extend the project beyond the building itself, positioning the distillery as part of a wider ecological and social regeneration effort.

The Cabrach has a long association with whisky production, both legal and illicit, and re-establishing whisky making in the area, therefore, reconnects the community to its cultural history rather than introducing an entirely new industry. Jonathan Christie, Chief Executive of The Cabrach Trust, describes the emotive impact: “The idea of a Single Malt Scotch Whisky distillery, operated as a social enterprise, housed within a once ruinous historic steading, anchoring the regeneration of a proud rural community, is an idea that’s easy to get misty eyed about.”

For Collective Architecture, the project demonstrates how reuse-led construction can support both environmental responsibility and social resilience. Working within an existing stone framework allowed the architects to prioritise longevity, repair and material continuity over novelty. The architecture avoids spectacle, instead achieving presence through restraint: repaired masonry, robust agricultural forms and carefully judged contemporary interventions.

Further phases, including a heritage centre and café, will expand the site’s public role, but the distillery already illustrates a wider lesson for the industry. Low-carbon construction is often less about new materials than about recognising the value of those already in place. At The Cabrach, stone functions simultaneously as structure, memory and future investment — a material capable of carrying both history and community forward. Slàinte to that!

All images © Susie Lowe

While the exhibition What Lasts Doesn’t Always Hold Shape may have drawn to a close following a run at Hypha Gallery, 1 Poultry, London, the impact of the work on display and the rousing presentations and debates it stirred can still be felt. 

Indeed, while the event has reached its natural conclusion and ended, one standout discussion organised by Material Index underlined the importance of responsibility, reuse, and, notably, permanence within the built environment. 

Set among the sculptural works, which explored material memory and impermanence, the discussion extended the team’s ongoing work and brought together architects, engineers, artists and material specialists to consider an all-important but seemingly overlooked question within the industry: what happens to materials when buildings reach the end of their lives?

Following an introduction from curator Rebecca Jak, Olivia Daw, Product Lead at Material Index, framed the evening around this central question, while adding another drawn from the exhibition: what is allowed to last? The prompt shifted discussion away from demolition as an endpoint and towards the decisions, knowledge and detailing required to enable reuse.

The conversation was led by Bora Malko (Material Index), Katie May Boyd (Studio Tip), Tom Hesslenberg (Elliott Wood Engineers) and Laura Mohirta (Barr Gazetas). Participants reflected on the increasing emphasis placed on retaining structures in situ, while acknowledging the practical challenges that emerge when materials must be removed, assessed and reintroduced elsewhere. What appears straightforward conceptually quickly reveals structural, contractual and logistical complexity.

Another recurring theme was visibility: can reclaimed material be recognised as such, or does reuse remain largely invisible within finished architecture? The question highlighted how aesthetic expectations often sit uneasily alongside circular ambitions. Data and accountability also surfaced repeatedly, with perhaps more questions asked than answered, reflecting a broader issue within the industry. Who holds accurate records of what a building is made from? Who signs off on reused components? The key problem that remains being that without a clear transfer of material information, viable elements risk becoming waste. As Malko asked the room: “When you design something, how often do you think about specifying something reclaimed instead of something new?” 

For Material Index, the event reflects a wider ambition to normalise reuse within everyday specification practice. Through its construction marketplace for reclaimed materials, the team hopes that conversations around deconstruction are no longer theoretical but become fundamental to changing industry behaviour. As Daw explains, the organisation “is actively bridging the gap between buildings coming down and buildings going up, making it easier for designers and specifiers to sell, donate and source reclaimed materials and put them back into new projects.”  

The conversation around deconstruction isn't abstract for the team and is what informs how Material Index builds the tools and relationships needed to make reclamation viable at scale. As Daw stresses, “the more the industry can be brought into honest conversation about these friction points, the closer we get to a built environment where more is saved, more is reused, and less is lost.” 

The Stonemasonry Company is a specialist contractor focused on advancing the use of natural stone in contemporary construction. Working across restoration, new-build and research-led projects, the company combines traditional craft skills with digital fabrication and engineering collaboration to deliver complex stone structures. Its work increasingly explores stone as a low-carbon structural material, and plays a central role in the Stone Collective, contributing to industry research, prototyping and education around all things stone construction. We asked CEO Alex Betrand for some insights into the work that goes on behind the scenes.

What are the biggest lessons you have taken forward from your original training? 

My training with the Compagnons du Devoir du Tour de France in France gave me a strong foundation in stereotomy, geometry and the structural understanding of stone. The key lesson was that stone must be understood as a structural material first, not just a finish. That education instilled precision, discipline and respect for the material, which still guides my approach today.

Which project/s are you most proud of being involved with and why?

At The Stonemason Company Limited we focus on highly bespoke and technically challenging work, particularly sculptural staircases. I’m most proud of the development of pre-stressed stone systems that allow extremely slender stone structures while maintaining safety and durability. These projects demonstrate that stone can be innovative and contemporary, not only historical.

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

Materials are central to everything we do. Stone is not simply a surface for us; it defines the design and engineering of a project. Every day we discuss stone with architects, engineers, quarries and fabricators—covering structural performance, sourcing, fabrication and installation. Even with digital tools, direct contact with the material remains essential.

What do you feel are the main challenges facing the stone and surfaces industry today?

One challenge is perception. Stone is often seen as either decorative or expensive, rather than as a durable structural material. Another challenge is the gradual loss of specialised knowledge and skills within the industry. Finally, the industry must communicate more clearly the environmental advantages of natural stone compared with many manufactured materials.

In your opinion, what are the positives of using stone in the built environment?

Stone offers exceptional longevity and durability. Properly designed stone structures can last for centuries with minimal maintenance. It is also a natural material with relatively low processing compared with many modern building materials. Architecturally, stone brings a sense of permanence and authenticity, connecting buildings to geology and place.

How does sustainability shape your thinking and decision-making, and how do materials fit into this?

Sustainability is central to our thinking at The Stonemason Company Limited. We prioritise sourcing local stone where possible, minimising waste and designing structures that maximise the natural strength of the material. Because stone can last for generations, it offers a strong long-term sustainability argument when considered over the life of a building.

Natural stone will form the focus of a dedicated programme of talks, films and case studies at the Stone & Surfaces Show, taking place at ExCeL London from 12–14 May. As the UK’s only trade exhibition with a section devoted entirely to natural stone, this year’s edition expands its educational offer across three venues. The Main Stage, Surfaces Cinema and Architects’ Theatre will examine stone’s role in contemporary construction, specification and low-carbon design.

Proceedings open with two Main Stage panel discussions moderated by George Clarke, exploring the growing interest in stone as a structural material. The first centres on the Stone Demonstrator at Earls Court, with contributions from Justin McGuirk of the Design Museum’s Future Observatory, Marcus Paine from Hutton Stone; engineer Eleonora Regni from Webb Yates; and Pierre Bidaud from the Stonemasonry Company. A second session examines the barriers to specifying structural stone at scale, bringing together architects, developers and researchers to discuss challenges around regulation, cost and industry knowledge.

Interior specification is also addressed through a panel led by Athena Stonecare, highlighting common issues around stone selection and maintenance in residential interiors. Case-study discussions then turn to recent projects advancing structural stone construction, including Trehus in Maidenhead, a timber-framed office building clad in natural stone and targeting a 40% reduction in embodied carbon compared with conventional steel construction. Amin Taha will also discuss Groupwork’s Finchley Road development, along with Steve Webb from engineers Webb Yates, and Ben Ayling from stone supplier Lundhs.

Trehus

The newly introduced Surfaces Cinema presents architectural photography and documentary film exploring the cultural and environmental narratives of stone. Photographer Chris Hopkinson will open the programme with a curated projection and short film documenting Portland stone quarrying. 

Milestone

Feature documentaries Milestone and Unlocking Indigenous Stone continue the theme, tracing the journey of stone from quarry to contemporary architecture while examining craftsmanship, material heritage and the potential for locally sourced stone in low-carbon construction.

Tideway, Hawkins\Brown

Architect-led presentations further demonstrate stone’s versatility across scales. Fieldwork Architects will discuss Wishing Well in Jersey, where locally quarried granite and limestone define a contemporary domestic interior, while Studio Folk founder Edward Powe and Hawkins\Brown partner Marko Neskovic present recent projects exploring stone detailing, materiality and urban landscape design.

Klaas De Rycke

At the Architects’ Theatre, engineers and designers focus on technical innovation and reuse. Speakers from Webb Yates present lightweight stone grid structures, while Bollinger+Grohmann partner Klaas De Rycke examines expanding structural applications for stone. CSK Architects will discuss projects centred on stone reuse, challenging conventional assumptions about lifecycle and permanence in construction.

Wishing Well

The expanded programme reflects a wider shift in how natural stone is understood within the built environment. “The programme highlights how this ancient material is increasingly vital to the future of low-carbon construction,” says Sam Patel, Divisional Director of the Built Environment Super Event, which brings together the Stone & Surfaces Show alongside UK Construction Week and Futurebuild at ExCeL London. 

Together, the co-located events aim to position natural stone not only as a traditional craft material, but as an active contributor to contemporary sustainable architecture.

To register for The Stone & Surfaces Show for free, visit https://forms.reg.buzz/ukcw-london-and-stone-show-2026/pr

“Every child deserves to learn in a classroom that feels warm, dry and healthy.”

For those of us who attended school in the 20th Century, it might be a surprise to read that this statement is not one dredged up from the last millennium, but in fact one posed by the team behind a new retrofit initiative.

Build With Hemp aims to demonstrate how bio-based insulation can play a role in addressing issues cold, damp and mould in schools during the winter, along with the reverse problems in the warmer months. The team has announced a scheme to deliver a targeted insulation upgrade to a UK school, supplying materials and installation at no cost up to £25,000. 

It has been shown that, along with poor sound insulation year-round, such conditions affect not only the performance of the building but those of students and staff alike. The chosen project will act as a case study, highlighting the potential of industrial hemp-based systems to improve building performance while supporting healthier internal environments.

Build With Hemp is inviting nominations from local authorities, architects, contractors and education estates teams for a suitable project. The selected building will undergo a monitored intervention, with findings shared more widely across the construction and education sectors.

Michael Walker, CEO of Build With Hemp, says the initiative is intended to demonstrate practical, scalable alternatives to conventional materials. “We believe healthier buildings should not be a luxury. If a classroom is cold, damp or acoustically poor, that has a direct impact on pupils and teachers. Through this project we want to make a tangible difference, while showing what is possible with modern, certified, bio-based construction materials.”

Hemp-based insulation systems have been used in parts of Europe for several decades, particularly in education and residential settings. Walker adds: “This material is already proven in large-scale projects across Europe and is well suited to public buildings such as schools, where durability, compliance and measurable performance are essential.”

As pressure grows to decarbonise existing buildings while improving user experience, the project offers a small-scale but practical test of how natural materials might be deployed more widely within the all-important education sector.

Nominations for the scheme opened on 11th March and close on 17th April, with the chosen project due to be announced at Futurebuild 2026 in May, where the company will also be exhibiting at stands F82 and G40.

While having only formed some seven years ago, Goldstein Heather has already established itself as a studio built on timeless design and enduring forms. 

In Stamford Brook, their recently completed project, West London House, once again galvanises this status. Reworking a narrow end-of-terrace Victorian property through a substantial lateral extension, they have combined restored brick fabric with a contemporary masonry with an elegance and attention to detail in keeping with the properties surroundings.

Having bought the original house a decade ago, owners Rowan and Angelina Bamford seized upon the chance to purchase the neighbouring Expedition House, a former 1930s Territorial Army building. This offered the rare opportunity in London of allowing the architects to extend the original house sideways. What began as a refurbishment evolved into a four-storey intervention that almost doubles the usable footprint, creating nearly 500m² of internal space across old and new structures.

For the clients, the move was driven as much by spatial quality as by family dynamics. Not only did the original house’s tight plan and fragmented layout limit daylight, but the multigenerational household were finding that social interaction was being hindered too. The answer: a new extension that reorganises the plan around volume, light and material continuity.

At the heart of the scheme is a double-height space that draws daylight deep into the interior, supported by an east–west orientation and a green outlook to the front. Openings are carefully positioned to frame views of the street, treetops and rear garden, while maintaining a sense of enclosure. The result is a sequence of interconnected spaces that balance openness with domestic scale.

In terms of materials, the project juxtaposes the restored Victorian fabric with a fresh and contemporary palette that emphasises permanence and tactility. The original façade has been stripped back and repaired, with brickwork repointed and historic details reinstated. In contrast, the extension adopts a lighter-toned yellow brick and lime-based render, establishing a distinct but complementary identity.

Tasteful curved masonry forms are a defining feature throughout, appearing both externally and internally. Arched openings and sculpted surfaces catch light and soften transitions between spaces, lending the building a sense of weight and continuity. The upper level includes an accordion-like façade, which juxtaposes the smooth arcs, yet still manages to subtly soften the exterior through fractured light patterns.

Inside, natural materials continue to shape the spatial experience. A long marble island with pronounced green veining anchors the kitchen, paired with bespoke ash joinery by Sebastian Cox. The detailing extends to cabinetry with a textured finish that echoes the articulation of the upper-storey façade, reinforcing a consistent architectural language.

The all-important circulation is organised around a curving timber staircase that widens as it rises, increasing the sense of openness and access to daylight on upper levels. The layout accommodates both shared and private uses, with interconnected children’s rooms spanning old and new sections of the house, and a more secluded top-floor suite.

Client Rowan Bamford highlights the social transformation of the house: “We were able to create a light-filled, connected home that suits the way our family lives… a space designed with the future in mind.”

From a construction perspective, the project integrates a number of low-impact strategies, including high levels of insulation, hemp-based building materials and solar panels, contributing to reduced operational energy demand and near carbon-neutral performance during summer months.

For the architects, the scheme represents a consolidation of their design approach. “The West London House crystallises the design ethos of our studio,” says director Giles Heather. “The geometrical forms that articulate the exterior continue through to the interior, where intimate spaces connect with more expansive communal areas, filled with light from both east and west.”

All Images James Retief

Based on the name, you’d be forgiven for assuming Ca’Pietra is an exclusively Italian brand. In fact, the family-owned supplier of stone and tile surfaces roots are deeply British. Having formed in 2009 the team has developed a design-led approach to material specification, and last summer, merged with Artisans of Devizes to fold in 35 years of craftsmanship within the industry. 

Head of Partnerships, Holly Kerslake, works across residential and commercial sectors, and shares some insights into how she helps the company seamlessly intersect traditional stonemasonry and contemporary surface design.

What does a typical day look like for you?

I’m based in Ca’ Pietra’s beautiful Wiltshire HQ in Devizes, which houses our Slab gallery & flagship showroom. Much of my role centres around people - connecting with them, inspiring them, and helping them bring their ideas to life!

A typical day might involve hosting interior designers, architects, or members of our retail network, giving them a tour of the slab gallery, showing them what our artisans are currently crafting, and perhaps even popping into our in-house photo studio to preview new materials that are about to launch.

I also chat designers and architects through the correct specification of materials for their projects. Sometimes that means guiding them toward a quartzite where they may initially have considered marble, or advising on which limestone will perform best in a kitchen or bathroom setting.

Another part of my role involves organising events across our three showrooms in Wiltshire, London, and Hartley Wintney. There’s usually a CPD, networking event, or fun workshop on the horizon, so a fair amount of my day is spent on the phone or speaking with people - which suits me perfectly, as I’ve always been a bit of a chatterbox!

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

I literally can’t go through a day without moodboarding samples, discussing stone vs porcelain, and chatting about trends. It’s essential to stay on top of what’s new and what’s inspiring designers visually, but equally important is making sure materials are appropriate for how they’ll be used. We work across hospitality, residential, and commercial spaces, so it’s vital to consider how spaces will be used and not just get lost in the aesthetics. 

Seeing all those elements come together into a cohesive design is one of the best parts of my job! I’m naturally very enthusiastic, and if I can share that excitement with designers and help spark creativity in their projects, then that’s a blooming good day.

What are the biggest lessons you have taken forward from your original training?

At school, my strongest subjects were art and maths, and both have proved incredibly relevant in my career! I never imagined I would end up working with stone & tile, but I’ve always loved natural textures & materials, which you can see in my university artworks! 

My first role after university was as a metalsmith at DeVOL, a kitchen company in Loughborough where I was pouring molten metal and patinating work surfaces. I loved the individuality of each piece and it really made me appreciate how raw materials behave. I eventually began designing kitchens – advising clients on the practicality and beauty of raw materials. When I moved to Ca’ Pietra my love of materials translated easily into the world of stone where every slab has its own character and story.

My love of mathematics also proves surprisingly useful - whether it’s calculating quantities, weights for transport, or the ever-important wastage allowances on projects. Of course, I’ve learned a great deal along the way about the care and performance of stone, but the creative side - pairing materials and building beautiful schemes - has always felt second nature.

Which project/s are you most proud of being involved with and why?

It’s always tempting to name-drop celebrities here, but the one that brings me the most joy right now is a project that’s about to open – Calcot Manor and Spa.

I love this project visually, but I’m actually most proud of how this project began. Last year I started a project with the RHS to create a collection of external stone and porcelain tiles which celebrate the RHS’s heritage and promote the use of natural stones externally. This range led to a series of collaborations at the Chelsea Flower Show, which led to us working with other suppliers, and eventually ended up with us connecting to the team at Calcot! I just love how one opportunity can snowball into the next, eventually creating something entirely new!

The project has a sense of confidence that Cathy Birtle (the designer) has brought to it. They’ve combined different formats of natural stone with bold porcelain patterns and contrasting colours, creating something that feels both playful and sophisticated in the new wellness area of the hotel. They’ve also incorporated elements from our hand-made Studio Collection, which is made in England, adding a sense of heritage and craftsmanship to the design.

What do you feel are the main challenges facing the stone and surfaces industry today?

One of the biggest challenges is awareness. I think there are some misconceptions around care, sustainability, and pricing which discourage its use, which is why training and CPD’s are so important in our industry!

Natural stone is a beautiful, authentic, and durable material, but there’s still some hesitation around it. Some people assume it’s difficult to maintain or prohibitively expensive, when in reality, that’s not always the case. In fact, many man-made materials can cost more!

Stone has been used in architecture for thousands of years, and its longevity is part of its appeal (just look at the Pantheon in Rome). Each piece is unique, and that individuality is something you simply cannot replicate.

In your opinion, what are the positives of using stone in the built environment? 

So much of the conversation in specification today is on sustainability, longevity, and authenticity. Natural stone answers all three beautifully in my humble opinion.

There aren’t many materials that can boast the same range of visual possibilities with colour and texture either, so it’s kind of the perfect material to build with. I also love the elevation that natural stone brings to any project. Adding a moulded piece of marble as a shelf, or a trim of stone around a room just adds the final wow factor!

How does sustainability shape your thinking and decision-making, and how do materials fit into this?

Sustainability informs both our product development and the conversations we have with designers & contractors. In fact, we’re speaking about sustainability so frequently that I just finished developing a CPD with our marketing team focused on the sustainability of stone.

Within product development, we’re seeing an increase in the use of recycled material - like our Reform range, made from 60% recycled stone, which are made into new tiles reminiscent of terracotta but available in a range of colourways.

Another growing trend is the use of off-cuts from our bespoke fabrication team to create “crazy paving” style installations - an excellent way to minimise waste while creating something visually distinctive!

It’s also really vital to review practical aspects of the business, from reducing packaging, and re-using samples, to relocating some ceramic production closer to home to cut down on transport miles. 

The long relationship between stone and water is the focus of an upcoming industry event bringing together landscape and architectural perspectives this week. Organised by the Stone Collective, Stone Speaks Water examines how the two materials have historically shaped one another, while highlighting contemporary projects that reinterpret that exchange through design, fabrication and reuse.

“For millennia, stone has been in dialogue with water,” the organisers note. “From stone-built cisterns to flour mills where stone and water became a single machine, stone has shaped how water is stored, used, diverted and resisted.” At the same time, they add, water has “carved, weathered and culturally charged stone,” underscoring a reciprocal relationship that continues to inform design thinking today.

Central to the programme are two UK projects that demonstrate how this relationship can be reimagined through both landscape architecture and structural innovation.

The Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fountain in London’s Hyde Park remains one of the most recognisable examples of stone and water working in unison at a civic scale. Designed by Gustafson Porter + Bowman and completed more than two decades ago, the project combines a carefully modelled landform with a continuous water flow that encourages public interaction. Its construction, which contains 545 individually cut pieces of Cornish granite, shaped using early digital fabrication techniques, marked a significant moment in the application of advanced tooling to natural stone.

Mary Bowman, founding partner of the practice, and trained architect and landscape architect will reflect on the project’s legacy and the role of landscape architecture in shaping public space. 

Alongside this large-scale public work, the event will also present a more compact but materially ambitious project by Studio Weave: a stone toilet block in Maida Vale that explores the structural and aesthetic potential of self-supporting masonry.

The building reuses granite salvaged from 100 Liverpool Street, a demolished Broadgate office building originally designed by Peter Foggo of Arup in the 1980s. Developed with Webb Yates and The Stonemasonry Company, the scheme foregrounds the textures of stone processing while embedding circular principles into its construction. Studio Weave’s intervention utilises Finnish granite and Larvikite from Norway and has been detailed so it can be demounted and reassembled elsewhere, sparking further discussions around reconfiguration and adaptability in the built environment.

Eddie Blake and Esther Escribano of Studio Weave will present the project, offering an early insight into its design and fabrication.

Reserve a free place here.

Join the team at The Market Building, Thursday 26th March 6-8pm