As conversations around silicosis and workplace safety continue to intensify across the surfaces sector, UK manufacturer PWS is calling on retailers, specifiers and fabricators to support higher industry standards through the newly launched Quality Mark accreditation from the Worktop Fabricators Federation (WFF).

PWS, one of the UK’s largest manufacturers and fabricators of bespoke work surfaces, has become one of the first businesses to achieve the accreditation, which has been developed to establish clearer benchmarks around health and safety, responsible fabrication and operational best practice within the KBB sector.

Representing fabricators and installers across the UK, the WFF developed the Quality Mark in collaboration with businesses throughout the supply chain, alongside guidance from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and occupational hygiene specialists. The initiative arrives at a critical moment for the industry, as concerns surrounding silica dust exposure and unsafe quartz fabrication practices continue to grow.

Silicosis, an incurable lung disease caused by inhaling respirable crystalline silica dust, has become an increasingly urgent issue within engineered stone fabrication. With quartz surfaces remaining highly popular across kitchens, bathrooms and interior applications, attention has turned towards how materials are processed and whether businesses are investing sufficiently in workforce protection, dust suppression and safe working environments.

For PWS, the accreditation represents an important step towards greater accountability and professionalism across the sector.

“Sadly, the silicosis cases we are seeing are the result of unregulated fabricators and manufacturers that do not prioritise employee safety or health,” says Chris Wragg, Managing Director of the Danesmoor Group, who oversees PWS. “All of this is entirely preventable, but the responsibility lies with the industry to do it properly, and companies need to be held accountable as a matter of necessity.”

Underpinned by regular independent workplace assessments carried out by professionally registered occupational hygienists, the Quality Mark focuses on recognising, evaluating and controlling workplace health risks. The accreditation is intended not only to improve standards internally, but also to give retailers, designers, specifiers and consumers greater transparency when selecting fabrication partners.

As one of the UK’s most established fabricators, PWS says it has consistently invested in advanced manufacturing technology, dust extraction systems and operational procedures designed to create safer working conditions while maintaining high standards of craftsmanship and product quality.

“As one of the major companies in the worktop market, we have a responsibility to ensure we are championing the highest standards of safety and fabrication practices,” Wragg continues. “We are proud to have worked closely with the WFF on the development of this new accreditation and to now be recognised as one of the first businesses to achieve the Quality Mark.”

The wider ambition behind the initiative is to encourage long-term cultural change across the fabrication sector. Alongside health and safety measures, the accreditation aims to promote stronger operational procedures, better employee training and greater transparency throughout the supply chain.

“We have always encouraged a culture of responsibility, transparency and continuous improvement within the sector,” says Wragg. “The introduction of this accreditation will transform the industry by giving customers greater visibility of trusted, reputable and well-invested fabricators that are committed to protecting their workforce and upholding the very highest standards.”

The WFF is now encouraging KBB retailers, designers and specifiers to work only with accredited fabricators, while also challenging businesses outside the federation to demonstrate the measures they have in place to protect workers and maintain safe fabrication environments.

For PWS, the significance of the Quality Mark extends beyond certification itself. The company believes the accreditation has the potential to establish a clearer framework for professionalism within British fabrication, helping raise standards across the industry while reinforcing confidence in UK manufacturing.

“We are delighted to be recognised for our strong internal processes and robust health and safety measures,” Wragg adds. “This new landmark guidance is a hugely positive step forward for the industry, and we fully support initiatives that raise standards, encourage best practice and safeguard the future of British manufacturing.”

As awareness around silicosis continues to grow, the introduction of the WFF Quality Mark signals a broader shift within the surfaces industry — one that places workforce wellbeing, transparency and responsible manufacturing increasingly at the centre of specification and fabrication practice.

The sun is finally shining, and the sights and smells of summer are filling the air. What better way to celebrate the moment than with a materially-led pop of chromatic joy?

At Clerkenwell Design Week, where installations often compete for attention through scale or spectacle, Secret Garden did precisely that, using ceramic and stone not simply as finishes, but as the architecture of gathering itself.

Created by Tile of Spain and architecture and design studio LA ERRERÍA, it also underlined that sometimes the most memorable interventions are the ones that invite people to slow down and take a moment to soak up the (sunny) moment. 

Tile of Spain is the international brand representing Spain’s ceramic tile industry through ASCER (The Spanish Ceramic Tile Manufacturers’ Association). Known for combining technical innovation with a strong design culture, Spanish ceramic manufacturers have become prominent contributors to contemporary architecture and interiors, particularly in the exploration of colour, texture and large-format surface applications.

The installation transformed the historic grounds of the Order of St. John into a loose landscape of seating, surfaces and sculptural interventions. Curved benches, tiled forms and monolithic elements created pockets for conversation and pause, blurring the line between furniture and architecture. Rather than presenting ceramics as pristine display objects, the project explored how material can shape behaviour, encouraging visitors to sit, linger and move through the space differently.

The seating became central to this experience. Some pieces appeared almost geological in character: weighty, tactile and grounded, while others used colour and pattern with a lighter touch, introducing a sense of play across the courtyard. 

More than 125 Spanish tile manufacturers contributed materials to the installation, including Adex, Apavisa, Decocer, El Barco, Harmony and Wow Design. The variety of finishes revealed the breadth of contemporary ceramic production without turning the space into a catalogue exercise. Matt glazes sat alongside glossy surfaces, earthy tones met sharper chromatic moments, and hand-crafted textures contrasted with precise geometric forms.

There was also a welcome informality to the project. Visitors perched on edges, gathered in clusters and occupied the installation instinctively, giving the materials a lived-in quality that design exhibitions often struggle to achieve. 

For all its colour and experimentation, the installation’s success lay in its restraint: a reminder that surfaces are often experienced most powerfully when they support everyday acts of sitting, meeting and observing.

From a provincial red-brick golf club with a modest beauty facility to a purpose-built health, wellness and leisure destination, the Cambridge Country Club has been transformed through a carefully considered surfaces specification. 

Located in Cambourne, South Cambridgeshire, the multi-million-pound redevelopment was conceived as a lifestyle destination for members, families and the wider local community. Interior architect May Fawzy of MF Studio worked closely with RAK Ceramics to specify finishes throughout the project. They’ve combined large-format marble effects, metallic textures, nature-inspired flooring and durable porcelain surfaces that balance hospitality-led luxury with the practical demands of a high-traffic commercial environment.

While the RAK Ceramics also supplied sanitaryware to selected washroom areas, it is the surface specification that defines the overall design language. In the main entrance and reception, large-format Calacatta Gold porcelain tiles establish an immediate sense of permanence and luxury across both walls and floors. Paired with dramatic chandeliers, the marble-effect surfaces give the arrival spaces a distinctly hospitality-led atmosphere while retaining the durability required for a busy leisure destination.

“The selection of finishes was meticulously aligned with the original brief, emphasising the creation of a premium space for club users,” says May Fawzy. “We carefully handpicked materials and textures that not only met our aesthetic aspirations but also embodied enduring quality.”

This balance between aesthetics and performance informed the wider material strategy throughout the club. The project required finishes capable of supporting the everyday demands of a golf, spa, gym, pool, restaurant and retail environment, while still delivering a cohesive visual identity.

In the spa and shower areas, RAK Revive floor tiles contribute to a calmer, more restorative atmosphere. These spaces move away from the more clinical language traditionally associated with leisure environments, instead adopting a softer, residential character aligned with contemporary wellness design.

Elsewhere, the bar and restaurant areas utilise nature-inspired flooring to create a more relaxed setting connected to the surrounding Cambridgeshire landscape. The surfaces help soften the interior experience, encouraging guests to move fluidly between golf, fitness, dining and social spaces throughout the day.

Around the pool and changing areas, the specification shifts again. RAK Detroit metallic-finish tiles introduce a more urban, textured quality, demonstrating how porcelain surfaces can operate as both a durable technical solution and a defining visual feature within wet leisure environments.

The golf shop continues the material consistency seen throughout the project, with porcelain flooring and countertops creating a clean, premium retail setting that aligns with the wider hospitality-led aesthetic.

“Our objective was to source products that seamlessly merged aesthetics with durability,” Fawzy explains. “We pursued a minimalist design infused with a touch of opulence, a quest that led us to the exquisite offerings within the RAK Ceramics collection.”

For RAK Ceramics, the project demonstrates the ever-important role surface specification plays in shaping contemporary commercial interiors. The project demonstrates how a balance between durability and maintenance performance alongside atmosphere and tactility can be created with a carefully considered material palette.

As General Manager Ben Evans comments: “The club was created for the Cambourne community, which until now has lacked anything like it in terms of leisure facilities. It’s quickly become a go-to lifestyle destination for our members and their families.”

Founded in 1962 by Emilio Biasi, Biasi Marmi has spent more than six decades refining its relationship with natural stone, evolving from a traditional marble sawing operation into a contemporary producer of fully realised stone solutions. Today, under the direction of the third generation — Michele and Corrado Biasi — the Italian company represents a broader shift taking place across the stone sector: the move from raw material supply towards integrated design, fabrication and delivery.

The company’s early years were rooted firmly in block processing. Like many post-war Italian stone firms, Biasi began as a specialist in transforming quarried marble into workable slabs, serving fabricators and contractors further down the supply chain. The turning point came during the 1990s, when generational change prompted a reassessment of what a stone company could be. Rather than remaining a processor of raw material, Biasi repositioned itself as a partner capable of managing the entire lifecycle of a project, from material selection through to installation.

This transition now defines the company’s identity, and today, Biasi describes itself as a “Stone Solution” provider, reflecting a practice centred on finished products rather than intermediate supply. Its production focuses on customised architectural elements, complex surface applications and bespoke project work. Through collaboration with architects, designers and contractors, the team offers resolved outcomes for interiors, façades and shaped components.

Central to this evolution is the balance between craftsmanship and technological investment. Despite its industrial expansion, Biasi continues to frame itself as an artisan company at heart. Manual knowledge, including understanding veining behaviour, structural performance and finishing techniques, remains fundamental to its approach. At the same time, the introduction of advanced machinery has expanded what that craftsmanship can achieve.

A significant milestone came in 2012 with the installation of a five-axis CNC machine, enabling complex geometries and high-precision fabrication. The technology allows natural stone to be processed with a level of consistency and efficiency aligned with contemporary architectural demands, while still retaining the material sensitivity associated with traditional Italian workshops. This merging of hand knowledge and digital production mirrors wider changes within the stone industry, where innovation increasingly enhances rather than replaces craft.

Among the materials most closely associated with the company is travertine. Biasi has developed a particular expertise in interpreting this historically familiar stone for contemporary contexts, applying modern fabrication techniques and finishes that extend its application beyond classical architecture. The result is a material language that respects tradition while accommodating current expectations around detailing, performance and aesthetic flexibility.

Supporting its production model is a comprehensive service structure designed to accompany projects from conception to completion. Design consultation and sampling form the starting point, with detailed analysis, surveys and mock-ups used to test material behaviour and visual outcomes before fabrication begins. A dedicated showroom allows clients to engage directly with slabs and finished surfaces, reinforcing the importance of physical selection in an increasingly digital specification environment.

Beyond fabrication, Biasi coordinates packaging, logistics and on-site installation, positioning itself as an international ambassador for Italian stone expertise. This global outlook reflects the growing demand for integrated delivery, particularly on complex architectural projects where consistency across design, manufacture and installation is critical.

The company’s trajectory illustrates a broader redefinition of value within the natural stone sector. As architects seek greater precision, sustainability awareness increases, and projects demand tighter coordination, stone suppliers are increasingly required to operate as collaborators rather than material vendors. Biasi’s evolution from block cutter to project partner reflects this shift, demonstrating how heritage businesses can adapt without losing their identity.

More than sixty years after its founding, Biasi Marmi sees its latest phase as a “new beginning”. The company’s history remains embedded in quarry traditions and artisan knowledge, yet its future lies in a holistic understanding of material, craft and construction supported by technological innovation.

For more than three decades, Bennetts Associates has explored how architecture can achieve more with fewer resources. In this interview, partner Peter Fisher discusses the practice’s guiding principle, ‘More with less’, and how it informs a growing engagement with natural stone, from lessons learned through retrofit projects to new approaches that position stone as a durable, low-carbon material capable of shaping simpler, more legible buildings.

SS: There’s so much to cover with your practice, but perhaps a good place to start is your maxim, ‘More with less.’ Can you explain where this stems from and how it informs your approach?

PF: Bennetts Associates has, for over three decades, worked at the intersection of energy and resource conscious architecture. Our ‘More with less’ approach looks at how buildings could be made leaner, with fewer materials, simpler assemblies and lower embodied carbon. 

Stone, if used differently, could form part of that agenda. It is durable, self-finished and, in the right configuration, capable of forming a robust envelope without layers of additional materials. 

A building approached with a ‘More with less’ ethos can also produce buildings that are calmer and easier to understand. The aesthetics of natural materials help to create more authentic spaces and promote wellbeing and a sense of calm. For instance, stone demonstrates the beauty of simplicity, offering aesthetic and structurally functional façades.

This approach is not solely a question of materials and upfront carbon. Via ‘More with less’, we can also simplify how we ventilate, heat and cool spaces, reducing our reliance on mechanical systems by optimising our passive design approach.

SS:  This approach hints at a reduction or stripping back of material and resource use, as well as a simplification of systems within the design of a building. Can you share some examples of this in practice?

PF: Much of our work has focused on bringing techniques and materials that sit outside the commercial mainstream into everyday use. Projects such as Timber Square, where we explored cross-laminated timber (CLT) at scale, is one example. Another example is The Apex, the first building within London's largest purpose-built life sciences development, TRIBECA, which used earth blocks in a contemporary urban context. These projects are not about novelty, but about making alternative approaches viable within the constraints of real projects.

SS: And there are, of course, some nice examples that utilise stone to throw into the mix too!

PF: Yes, stone is another material we have used before, and we have long admired buildings where stone is used with clarity and conviction. Portcullis House and the Emmanuel College Theatre demonstrate a robust and contemporary use of the material, while Clerkenwell Close suggests something more provocative, where stone becomes both structure and expression. 

Wessex Water HQ and Mill Brow employed it more traditionally, while projects such as the Bayes Centre and 40 Chancery Lane used stone as a cladding material on a precast backing. More recently, we have begun what might be called a deeper engagement with the material.

Wessex Water. Image © Peter Cook

SS: Of course, you aren’t always designing new buildings from the ground up, and have a strong retrofit ethos - which I’m sure, like me, will be music to the ears of our readers. Of course, this helps with decarbonisation, but I imagine it can also create character and connection to place?

PF: Taking a ‘More with less’ approach and prioritising the combined effect of reuse with honest materials has many benefits. The same decisions that reduce carbon also support a more authentic building and character. 

A key example of this includes the University of Edinburgh’s Futures Institute. A Whole Life Carbon Assessment was commissioned for the Edinburgh Futures Institute, with total upfront embodied carbon of 361 kgCO2 e/m2, demonstrating that retention of the existing building, with substantial repairs, new extensions and careful material choices, can result in around half the embodied carbon of a typical new build.  At the same time, our practice preserved the building’s significant heritage as a former Nightingale hospital. While it was important that the building no longer feels like a hospital, its history and memories of those who used it have been honoured. 

Likewise, our architectural ambition with Timber Square - the UK’s largest cross-laminated timber (CLT) mixed-use development by volume and the country’s tallest hybrid timber frame scheme, was to achieve a characterful authenticity that echoed the expedience of the area’s industrial past. By retaining and enhancing the original structure of The Print Building, we conserved valuable materials and celebrated the building’s industrial heritage, while also adopting the same hybrid timber and steel approach for The Ink Building.

Kett House. Image © Bennetts Associates

SS: I’m intrigued to hear more about Kett House, an office project in Cambridge that is due to start this year, having recently got through planning. I gather that lowering embodied carbon is at the centre of those plans, with materials playing a central role. Could you tell me a little more about what we can expect from this ambitious scheme?

PF: With Kett House, an eight-storey, c.160,000 sq. ft, best-in-class office building, we are exploring how stone offers a sense of material presence and legibility, where its use can be read directly in the finished building. The project has recently secured planning consent using Darney and Portland stone bricks, with the aim of developing a repeatable approach that can be applied more widely. Our plans aim to deliver an economic and resourceful building designed to last.

SS: We’ve touched on it, but I’m aware that, as a practice, you’ve made a collective effort to explore the use of stone in your projects. I’d love to hear more about the decisions behind this and how you’ve gone about it.

PF: Our practice has explored a more active engagement with stone through conversations with those working directly in the industry. Visits to the Stone Masonry Company’s yard and discussions with engineers and suppliers helped to build a practical understanding that is often absent from architectural discourse. There is a notable openness within the UK stone industry, where knowledge is shared across what might otherwise be seen as competing companies. If a material is to become relevant again at scale, it cannot remain the preserve of specialists.

A key step for us was understanding the process itself. A visit to Darney with Marcus Paine at Hutton Stone focused on the sequence from quarry to building. The question was simple: what is expensive and what is economical? The answer was equally direct. Much of the cost and waste associated with stone arises not from the material itself, but from aesthetic selection and complex detailing. Large portions of quarried stone are discarded because they do not meet narrow visual criteria or because they are worked to suit bespoke geometries.

SS: And, again, how has all this newfound knowledge and enthusiasm for stone precipitated through into projects, and have you faced any challenges in using stone along the way?

PF: Early attempts to translate this interest in stone into projects focused on more ambitious applications, including structural and load-bearing stone façades. While the architectural appeal of stone was clear, these studies faltered on a lack of confidence, particularly around cost and logistics. Cost comparisons challenged assumptions, at times appearing implausibly low, while integrating structure, envelope and thermal performance introduced complexity that was difficult to resolve with certainty. More fundamentally, placing stone at the centre of the structural strategy brought it onto the critical path of projects, with risks that were hard to reconcile within commercial constraints.

From this emerged a more focused approach. Rather than pursuing load-bearing stone immediately, our attention shifted to self-supporting stone façades. This pragmatic approach retains a conventional structure while replacing one form of masonry with another, allowing continuity and fallback options such as clay brick.

SS: I’d still imagine this could be difficult to translate from on-screen design into hands-on reality. Did you have to do any construction testing to ensure it would actually work in the way you needed it to?

PF: Working again with Hutton Stone, and with Albion for the first time, a small demonstrator was built in our courtyard by Szerelmey. Stone bricks and larger blocks in Darney and Portland were assembled with different finishes and proportions to test simple, repeatable approaches. In particular, it explored how less selective use of stone, combined with finishes such as drag sawn or pitched surfaces, could accommodate natural variation rather than reject it.

This has clear parallels with other industries. Just as restaurants have rediscovered nose to tail, there is an opportunity to use a far greater proportion of quarried stone. Doing so reduces waste, lowers cost and changes the aesthetic expectations placed on the material.

There are, however, constraints. Masonry façades remain labour-intensive, and larger-scale use demands careful coordination. Treating stone as a façade system, rather than structure, avoids placing it on the critical path while knowledge is built. 

Bayes Centre Image © Keith Hunter

SS: But it sounds like some truly positive steps have been taken along the way?

PF: Yes, at the same time, there is a broader shift underway. Glazing ratios are falling, yet solid façades remain inefficient, relying on layered systems and hidden material with high cost and carbon. Replacing aluminium or precast concrete with self-supporting stone offers a simpler, lower-carbon alternative.

This remains a starting point rather than a conclusion. There is much still to explore. The aim is to reposition stone from an exceptional material into everyday construction. If it is not mainstream, it is not relevant.

Clerkenwell Design Week clearly has an affinity with bricks. Last year, it was stone bricks used to create Brick From a Stone, while this year, we’ve spotted glass and masonry blocks at E H Smith, along with a very special external installation from Studio Egret West.

With BREW HOUSE, the team has turned one of the city’s most familiar waste products - coffee grounds - into a speculative construction material, creating a pavilion-cum-coffeeshop built from 600 experimental “BREW BRICKS”. Installed as part of the festival’s wider programme of architectural installations, the project explores how discarded coffee grounds might be diverted from the waste stream and reintroduced into the construction cycle. 

Rooted in circularity, the initiative began with a deceptively simple question posed within the practice: could the by-product of London’s daily coffee culture become a viable building material? From there, the process became highly collective. Over several months, members of the Studio Egret West team gathered approximately 300kg of spent coffee grounds from cafés across the capital, prioritising businesses already separating organic waste.

Those grounds were then passed to York Handmade Brick Company, which integrated the material into its clay firing process. Rather than acting as a superficial additive, the organic waste became part of the brick’s physical makeup. During firing, the coffee particles burn away to create a more aerated structure, reducing the amount of virgin clay required while also producing a lighter unit.

The resulting BREW BRICK uses 10% less finite clay material and is approximately 5% lighter than a conventional brick. While modest on paper, those reductions carry broader implications around transportation, embodied carbon and structural efficiency, particularly in façade applications where cumulative weight has a significant impact on supporting systems.

What’s more, the bricks retain the tactile familiarity of fired clay while carrying a subtly different character. Their slightly lighter composition and textured surface hint at the organic matter embedded within them, reinforcing the idea that waste can leave a visible trace within architecture rather than being concealed from it.

To demonstrate the material beyond the scale of a sample, Studio Egret West collaborated with the engineers at Simple Works to create the BREW HOUSE pavilion itself. The structure acted as a full-scale proof of concept, showing how the bricks could operate as part of a coherent architectural system rather than as an isolated research exercise.

That sense of applied experimentation sits at the centre of the project. Rather than presenting circularity as an abstract sustainability ambition, BREW HOUSE translates it into something immediate and tangible: waste collected locally, processed collaboratively and returned to the built environment as a usable construction material.

For Studio Egret West, a transdisciplinary practice working across architecture, landscape and urbanism, the installation also reflected a wider interest in how material choices contribute to the stories cities tell about themselves. Coffee grounds, often discarded without thought, became a means of examining urban consumption, resource cycles and the hidden systems underpinning everyday routines.

In doing so, BREW HOUSE points towards a broader shift taking place across material design and construction. As pressure grows to reduce reliance on virgin resources, architects, manufacturers and makers are increasingly exploring how waste streams can become part of future material supply chains. What emerges is not simply a substitute for conventional construction products, but new material languages shaped by reuse, locality and circular thinking.

While a regular fixture of Clerkenwell EH Smith Architectural Solutions installation, Light as Brick, has lit up Clerkenwell Design Week. Developed with architect and designer Simon Astridge, it explores how traditional masonry materials can move beyond their conventional architectural role, and challenges the company’s steadfast image as a purely masonry-based brick supplier, with the introduction of glass.

Installed at the company’s showroom on St John Street, the project consists of a series of illuminated objects, tables and sculptural forms. Created in collaboration with Arcitile, the installation combines welded steel armatures with translucent glass bricks from Fornace Sant’Anselmo and heavily textured ceramic units from its experimental Terraformæ range.

The result challenges many of the assumptions traditionally associated with brick, not least weight, opacity and repetition, and instead presents the material as something tactile, atmospheric and unexpectedly delicate. Internally illuminated with LEDs, the pieces play with contrasts between solidity and transparency, erosion and refinement, and explore what happens when brick is removed from the wall and reconsidered as an object in its own right.

For EH Smith, the installation reflects a longer-standing engagement with material experimentation and architectural collaboration. Founded in 1922, the company has evolved from a traditional brick supplier into one of the UK’s best-known specialists in façade systems, ceramic and terracotta cladding, and architectural material specification. Over the past century, it has worked closely with architects, contractors and designers on projects ranging from civic and education buildings to large-scale commercial developments, helping bring increasingly ambitious material concepts into the built environment.

While Light as Brick forms part of the wider creative programme surrounding Clerkenwell Design Week 2026, it also highlights a broader shift taking place across architecture and interiors. Materials once valued primarily for structural or functional performance are increasingly being reconsidered through a more sensory and expressive lens, with texture, tactility and atmosphere playing a greater role in specification.

The hand-cast glass bricks, produced in a Veneto furnace active for more than a century, contrasted with the deliberately distorted ceramic forms developed through Terraformæ’s more experimental firing processes. Together, they demonstrate how traditional fire-based manufacturing techniques can still generate entirely contemporary material outcomes.

Technical delivery and fabrication were led by Arcitile, the specialist surfaces contractor founded by Tony Goodall and Dan Evans, whose work often focuses on complex commercial and architectural surface installations.

Rather than simply presenting products, Light as Brick positions masonry materials within a wider conversation about materiality, perception and architectural atmosphere — an approach increasingly visible across both the stone and surfaces sectors.

Kristian Goodenough is co-founder of The Bespoke Sign House, a UK studio specialising in bespoke natural stone signage for exterior architectural applications. Working primarily with slate, granite and limestone, he brings a fabrication-led understanding of how stone performs in real environmental conditions.

In this Insights article, he draws on hands-on project experience, and advocates for more informed stone specification, emphasising the importance of exposure, detailing and long-term durability in achieving successful architectural outcomes.

"Stone is often specified with confidence, and in many cases, rightly so. It is a material associated with permanence, durability and architectural integrity. Yet in practice, we are increasingly seeing situations where stone begins to show signs of ageing earlier than expected, particularly in exposed external applications.

This is rarely a failure of the material itself. More often, it reflects a disconnect between how stone is selected and how it performs once exposed to real environmental conditions, whether that be through limited consideration of exposure at specification stage, or materials being selected from internal samples without fully accounting for how they will behave in situ. When material, detailing and exposure are aligned, stone performs exceptionally well. When they are not, even well-regarded materials can be seen to struggle over time.

The Myth of Universal Durability

Stone is often discussed as if it were a uniform material. In reality, it is a broad category encompassing materials with very different physical characteristics.

Differences in pore structure, density, mineral composition and bedding all influence how a stone interacts with moisture, temperature and environmental exposure. These are not abstract properties, but they directly affect how a material behaves over time.

From a specification perspective, this means durability is not absolute. A stone that performs well in one setting may behave very differently in another. Understanding these differences early on in a project is key to aligning material choice with real-world conditions.

Where Specification Can Fall Short

Stone is frequently selected for its visual qualities early in the design process, with technical considerations following later. This is understandable, as materiality plays a central role in architectural intent.

However, performance characteristics are not always given the same weight at the point of selection. By the time factors such as absorption, exposure or maintenance are considered, the material decision may already be fixed.

As a result, specification can reflect how a material looks on day one, rather than how it performs over ten winters. Maintenance is also often assumed rather than defined. Treatments such as sealers may reduce surface absorption temporarily, but they do not fundamentally change how a stone behaves over its lifespan.

Stone itself is rarely the issue. More often, it is used outside of the conditions it is best suited to.

Exposure and Long-Term Performance 

In the UK, moisture is a constant factor, and freeze-thaw cycling should always be considered. When water enters the pore structure of a stone and freezes, expansion can gradually lead to surface breakdown over repeated cycles.

Urban environments introduce additional variables. Pollution, biological growth and surface contaminants can all influence how a material weathers, particularly on more exposed elevations.

These conditions are not unusual; they are typical. The key consideration is how frequently a material is exposed to them, and how that exposure interacts with its physical characteristics.

Where moisture becomes trapped, however, performance can change significantly over time. Even traditionally ‘durable’ stones can underperform in these conditions, as repeated wetting, freeze-thaw cycling or restrained movement introduce stresses that the material would not otherwise experience.

Why Smaller Exterior Elements Often Show Wear Sooner

Smaller stone elements, such as architectural details or stone signage, can often exhibit signs of wear earlier than larger façade applications.

This is largely due to how they interact with their environment. With less thermal mass, smaller elements tend to heat and cool more rapidly, and experience quicker wetting and drying cycles. They also have a higher proportion of exposed edges relative to their size, so are inherently more vulnerable.

At this scale, detailing becomes more critical. Fixings, junctions and edge conditions all play a greater role, as there is less material to absorb movement or moisture ingress. Over time, these factors can combine to accelerate visible change, even when the same material performs well in larger applications.

Specifying for Longevity

Improving long-term performance of projects is rarely about major changes. It is more often about asking the right questions early in the design process.

Consideration should be given to:

What level of exposure will this element face?

How will water interact with its surface?

What are the material’s absorption characteristics?

Is bedding orientation respected?

What level of maintenance is realistic and expected over time?

Small adjustments such as edge detailing, finish selection or orientation can have a disproportionate impact on how a material performs. Addressing these factors early allows design intent and material behaviour to align more closely.

Stone remains one of the most versatile and compelling materials available to architects. It can feel both historic and contemporary, robust and refined. When used appropriately, it offers longevity that few materials can match.

But natural does not mean invulnerable.

Durability in stone is not simply an inherent property; it is the result of informed selection, appropriate detailing and an understanding of exposure. When these factors are considered together, stone performs as expected and often exceeds expectations over time."

For more information about Kristian's work, visit The Bespoke Sign House

It’s hard to believe that The Stone & Surfaces Show 2026 opened a week ago already. 

Returning to ExCeL London with renewed confidence and a noticeably broadened outlook, it’s a pleasure to reflect on three days of content that took shape in the form of material displays, installations, talks and demonstrations.

Repositioned to reflect the evolving surfaces sector, the exhibition demonstrated how natural stone continues to sit at the centre of architectural material thinking while sharing the stage with ceramics, engineered materials and hybrid surface technologies. 

Overall, the show highlighted how the industry is no longer defined solely by extraction and the fabrication of new materials, but by how materials perform together, the application of reuse and circularity principles and the roll technology (including AI) is playing in advancing design.

A highlight of the event came via returning exhibitors Portland Sculpture & Quarry Trust. Not content with simply displaying stunning examples of stone carving on the stand, the team also enraptured guests with live demonstrations across the entire three days, engaging students, designers and contractors alike. 

The demonstrations highlighted masonry as both a heritage craft and a future-facing profession, introducing visitors to carving techniques, tooling and the wider career pathways available within the stone sector. The consistent crowds gathered around these activities reflected ongoing industry concerns around skills succession while showcasing the enduring relevance of traditional craftsmanship.

In terms of the defining trends spotted at the show, variations in surface texture came to the fore. Portuguese stone supplier Dimpomar presented a refined palette of limestones and marbles, emphasising tactile finishes, from softly honed surfaces to bush-hammered textures that respond subtly to changing light conditions. 

The emphasis here moved away from high polish toward finishes that prioritise material authenticity, as reflected by Arcturus Stones, who showcased stone surfaces designed to deliver visual depth without excess, with split-face and textured finishes demonstrating how stone is increasingly specified to introduce atmosphere and tactility rather than visual statement alone. 

Large-format materials, rather naturally, also stood out, reflecting ongoing demand for seamless surfaces in residential and commercial interiors. LaMar Ceramics highlighted expansive porcelain slabs suited to worktops, façades and interior cladding, demonstrating how fabrication technologies now allow ceramic materials to operate at architectural scale. 

Complementing this, RT Stone presented large-format stone and engineered solutions aimed at reducing joint lines while maintaining the visual integrity of natural material patterns. The convergence between stone and advanced ceramics was particularly evident, underscoring the exhibition’s wider surfaces identity.

While lightly coloured surfaces defined many displays, not least veined quartz from the likes of Xiamen Jialei Stone, there was also room for expressive, even maximalist materiality. Goldtop Stone drew attention with semi-precious stone offerings, including agate and gemstone panels designed for feature walls and high-end interiors. 

These installations illustrated a parallel direction within the industry: alongside minimalism and texture-led design, there remains strong demand for statement materials capable of delivering colour, translucency and visual drama when used selectively.

Beyond product launches and technical discussions, the social programme reinforced the industry’s growing focus on inclusivity and professional networks. Women in Natural Stone (WINS) hosted an informal drinks reception during the show, bringing together professionals from across the sector for networking and conversation. As organiser Lisa Nunn noted: “It was great to network and meet up with so many women at the Stone & Surfaces Show. Thank you to everyone who took the time to stop and chat, we are looking forward to our upcoming events and continuing to grow the WINS network.”

Stone & Surfaces Show 2026 ultimately highlighted that natural stone remains fundamental to architecture and design, not least with the growing move (back) towards structural stone, as highlighted by the likes of Amin Taha, Justin McGuirk and Eleonora Regni on the Main Stage. Yet its role is expanding, positioned alongside ceramics, engineered materials and hybrid systems rather than in competition with them. The prominence of textured finishes, the continued rise of large-format surfaces, renewed emphasis on education and skills, and the strengthening of professional networks all pointed toward an industry increasingly defined by collaboration, material intelligence and a broader understanding of surfaces within contemporary architecture and design.

We’ll see you there for the next exciting installment this time next year!

At this year’s Stone & Surfaces Show, Barham & Sons emerged as a great example of how material suppliers are continuing to evolve in an uncertain market, and are, at least in part, using stone to do so. As keynote speaker Amin Taha reflected in his rousing talk, the combined use of natural stone and timber can greatly help reduce the construction industry’s current 40% of global carbon emissions. While he was largely focusing on structural applications of the materials, the same can indeed be said of surface-based applications. Something Barham & Sons clearly agree with.

Based in Suffolk, Barham & Sons has its roots firmly in timber craftsmanship. The family-operated company built its reputation through bespoke hardwood flooring, custom manufacturing and finishing processes carried out in England, supplying projects ranging from domestic interiors to commercial environments. The company remains grounded in material knowledge, from grading timber, controlling finishes and understanding how natural materials age and perform over time.

This timber-led background continues to inform the company’s broader approach to surfaces today. Rather than abandoning its origins, Barham & Sons has expanded its offer into a more holistic interior material palette that now includes doors, flooring systems and wall finishes spanning both wood and stone applications. Their product range combines solid and engineered oak flooring with luxury mineral plank and vinyl surfaces, alongside natural stone wall panelling solutions designed to sit comfortably within contemporary interiors.

The move into stone is less a departure than a logical progression. At the Stone & Surfaces Show, Barham & Sons presented stone wall panelling systems that emphasise texture, tactility and ease of specification — qualities increasingly valued by architects and designers seeking durable yet expressive interior finishes.

Rather than presenting stone as novelty, the company’s showcase reinforced a quieter message emerging throughout the exhibition: innovation in surfaces often comes not from entirely new materials, but from rethinking how established ones are combined, detailed and experienced.