Ten years ago John Rushworth established his own company, Restore London, with offices in site of St Paul's Cathedral in London.
The location was chosen because the company wanted to work on the historic buildings in the centre of London, and John reasoned that having offices there would help by enabling the company's senior people to respond instantly to clients' needs.
When John welcomed colleagues and guests to a celebration of Restore London's 10th anniversary in Drapers Hall in Throgmorton Avenue, EC2, he recalled how, when he told people he was naming his company Restore London, some had said it sounded like a campaign. And he said in some ways it had been a campaign – a campaign to look after the impressive built heritage of the capital.
The anniversary celebrations were held at Drapers Hall, one of London's Livery Company halls, because it has many examples of Restore London's work, including the cleaning and, where necessary, repair of the Portland stone from which the hall is built.
Working with Purcell Architects, Restore London has, in its 10-year history, been involved with various projects at Drapers Hall, rebuilt in 1772, repairing and maintaining it.
John praised the team that forms Restore London. He said the word 'team' was often over-used, but it meant a lot to Restore London. "If you take 'team' out of 'teamwork' all you're left with is work," said John.
He is proud of his company's team of stonemasons and other skilled people who enjoy the work they conscientiously carry out on London's built heritage, as he told Natural Stone Specialist magazine earlier this year (you can read that report about Restore London here) and he thanked the clients, customers, colleagues and supply chains Restore London has worked with over the years for their part in the company's success – success that would see its turnover in its tenth year break through the £10million mark. And he thanked his wife and fellow Director, Claire, for her patience, advice and support.
The 10th anniversary celebrations in Drapers Hall took place on the evening of 8 September and during them came the sad announcement that The Queen had died.
Singleton Birch, which supplies hydraulic limes and pre-mixes used in association with natural stone (among other lime products), has been acquired by Mississippi Lime Company (MLC), an independent American supplier of lime products.
The acquisition, which the companies say will power the next phase of growth for Singleton Birch, is part of MLC’s strategy to drive growth, innovation, and sustainability through geographic expansion and new products and technologies.
Mississippi Lime Company is part of HBM Holdings, headquartered in St Louis, Missouri. It is an international supplier of high-calcium lime products and technical solutions. The family-owned business has a history stretching back more than a century.
Paul Hogan (left of photo), president and chief executive officer of MLC, said on 8 September when the acquisition was announced: “For more than 115 years Mississippi Lime has been focused on meeting the evolving needs and priorities of our customers. That focus has served our customers, our employees, and our business very well.
“Our approach is to grow by finding businesses that represent a good cultural fit for us and can complement what we already provide to customers. Singleton Birch are a great fit and we are delighted to welcome them to the Mississippi Lime family today.
Singleton Birch is based in Melton Ross, north Lincolnshire, where it employs more than 150 people. It will continue to trade under its existing branding and the management team, led by chief executive officer Richard Stansfield, will remain in place.
Paul Hogan: “Singleton Birch have done tremendous work and we are grateful that Richard and the leadership team will remain in their roles leading that business. This acquisition is about growth, and we do not anticipate reducing the number of jobs at Singleton Birch as a result of this transaction.”
Richard Stansfield says: “Being part of the Mississippi Lime family will enable us to invest more and power the growth of Singleton Birch. We’re delighted to have a partner for the next stage in our development that shares our culture and values.”
The largest shareholder in Singleton Birch was previously the Katherine Martin Charitable Trust. The sale of shares in Singleton Birch will benefit the three charities the trust supports: the NSPCC, RSPCA, and Barnardo’s.
An 18-year-old construction worker died when a van ran over him while he had his head and torso in a manhole.
The van wheel went into the manhole, crushing the young man, who was taken to hospital but died of his injuries.
The young man, Josh Disdel, and another worker were employed by P & R Plant Hire (Lincolnshire) Ltd and had been tasked with clearing debris from manholes at a house-build construction site at White Bridges, Boston, Lincolnshire.
While work was taking place, Mr Disdel’s colleague was asked if he could move the company van to allow another vehicle to pass. He was not aware that Mr Disdel was lying on the road with his head and torso in a manhole directly in front of the van.
As the vehicle moved forwards one of the wheels entered the top of the manhole, crushing Mr Disdel.
It happened in July 2018 and on 6 September this year two companies and two men appeared before Lincoln Crown Court charged with health & safety offences.
D Brown (Building Contractors) Ltd of Seas End Road, Spalding, was found guilty of contravening Section 3(1) of the Health & Safety at Work etc Act 1974. It was fined £300,000 and ordered to pay costs of £15,765.92
P & R Plant Hire (Lincolnshire) Ltd of Station Road, Cambridgeshire, pleaded guilty to contravening Section 2(1) of the Health & Safety at Work etc Act 1974 and was fined £24,000 and ordered to pay costs of £2,264.87.
Brent Woods of North Parade, Holbeach, Spalding, who worked for P & R Plant Hire, was found guilty of contravening Section 7(a) of the Health & Safety at Work etc Act 1974 and was sentenced to 18 weeks in prison, suspended for two years. He was ordered to complete 200 hours community service and pay costs of £1,200.
Darrell Tripp, of Broadgate Lane, Deeping St James, Peterborough, a site manager with D Brown (Building Contractors) Ltd, was found guilty of contravening Section 7(a) of the Health & Safety at Work etc Act. He was sentenced to eight weeks in prison, suspended for two years, and ordered to pay costs of £1,200.
The court heard that an investigation by the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) after the incident found that neither the Principal Contractor, D Brown (Building Contractors) Ltd, nor the groundworks sub-contractor, P & R Plant Hire (Lincolnshire) Ltd, had ensured that the work was planned in such a way as to ensure that workers were not exposed to risks to their health and safety.
Brent Woods, a manager with P & R Plant Hire for approximately 10 years, sent employees to carry out the task without a risk assessment or method statement in place, despite having previously produced such information in the past.
In addition, workers had not been trained to work in a road, had not been provided with any equipment to ensure the work was carried out safely and had not been provided with any instructions on any safety measures to be used on-site.
Speaking after the hearing, HSE inspector Mark Welsh said: “This was a completely avoidable incident, caused by a multitude of failures by both companies and both of the individuals who appeared in court.
“All of the defendants failed to adequately plan the work to identify the risks, failed to ensure that the individuals carrying out the work were trained and competent to do so, and failed to ensure a safe system of work was in place and followed.
“The result was the tragic loss of life of a young man who was looking forward to a bright future.”
Shortly before the death of The Queen, DBR (London) Ltd, one the UK’s leading conservation construction contractors, was granted a Royal Warrant by Appointment to Her Majesty the Queen in recognition of its longstanding provision of historic building conservation services to the Royal Household.
For centuries, Royal Warrants have been awarded to companies who have demonstrated exceptional service, quality, and excellence. This achievement recognises a culmination of DBR’s delivery of more than 170 historic building conservation projects for the Royal Household over an eight-year period.
There are around 800 Royal Warrant holders, representing a diverse range of trades and industries, from small businesses to multinational corporations. Successful applicants must have provided a regular, direct, and substantial supply of excellent goods or services to the Royal Household for at least five years and must also fulfil a strict set of sustainability criteria.
The knowledge, expertise, skill and precision of DBR’s team, as seen most recently on The Elizabeth Tower (Big Ben) restoration project at the Houses of Parliament is an example of DBR's work (you can read about the 'Big Ben' project here).
In recognition of this honour, DBR now has the right to use the Royal Arms as a mark of this achievement in conjunction with its branding.
Commenting on the appointment, Adrian Attwood, DBR's Executive Director, says: “The Warrant is a reflection of the high standards of work consistently delivered by our talented team of craftspeople and dedicated project managers.
"It also reflects our ongoing commitment to achieving the highest quality throughout all the work we undertake, whether for the Royal Household, Palace of Westminster, or, for that matter, any other client.
“We are exceptionally proud to have received this accolade, and we shall continue to strive for excellence in preserving the UK’s built heritage and landmark assets, leaving a legacy for future generations to cherish and enjoy.”
The Natural Stone Show and Hard Surfaces exhibitions being held at ExCeL in London next year have been moved to 6-8 June.
The shows were originally scheduled for April 2021 but were cancelled because of Covid. They were due to return to ExCeL in April 2023. However, because the seriously delayed Elizabeth Line (previously known as Crossrail) will not be fully open until May next year, the Show organisers have been able to negotiate a revised date with ExCeL.
Richard Bradbury, the Managing Director of QMJ Group, which owns the Natural Stone Show and Hard Surfaces (and Natural Stone Specialist magazine), explains: “We are excited by the benefits that a fully operating Elizabeth Line can bring and are keen to maximise these opportunities for visitors and exhibitors.
“The new line will see the number of people within 45 minutes’ rail travel time of ExCeL increase by up to 68%, and those living within 120 minutes by rail rising to 9.2million.
“For ExCeL, visitors from central London will now be able to reach the venue in as little as 12 minutes, reducing travel times by up to two thirds. And with up to 24 trains an hour running from Central London, this will significantly improve access to architects, designers, and other building professionals.
“The exhibition calendar is also less crowded in June than it is in April. And with no bank holidays, fewer people are likely to be away.”
Those who had already booked to exhibit were consulted about the move ahead of a decision to change the dates and the majority were enthusiastic about it.
Stella Zambelis, a Director of machinery, tools and consumables supplier D Zambelis, said: “Moving the exhibition to June is a very good idea, as it is a better period for the stone industry and also avoids the bank holidays in spring.”
She said that from just about every point of view the June dates were advantageous, even the weather is likely to be better.
Salvatore Caruso, who will be exhibiting with the new company he has formed called Stone Automation Ltd to supply machinery and tools, including Donatoni bridge saws, said: “The new dates actually work much better for me. I have got five brands booked to exhibit and can’t wait to meet customers face to face again.”
David Fisher, Head of Event Sales at QMJ, says bookings for both the Natural Stone Show and Hard Surfaces are going well as concerns about Covid diminish.
To book a stand at the Natural Stone Show or Hard Surfaces email David Fisher on David.Fisher@qmj.co.uk or call him on 0115 865 8283 .
“The Shows have all the signs of being another brilliant success for the stone industry. And why wouldn’t they be? With very real concerns around the world about climate change and pollution, natural stone has so much to offer. It is a truly sustainable, zero-carbon, non-polluting, natural raw material. The stone message is so positive, why wouldn’t you shout about it in London at the heart of the international architectural world?
“The Natural Stone Show and Hard Surfaces bring together all the elements of the use of stone in construction and interior design. And for the first time we are bringing the seminars on to the exhibition floor itself. There will be more seminars this time and they will follow the successful formula of Stone Digital earlier this year, with shorter presentations and more live debate from our panels and audience.
“The Natural Stone Show floorplan already contains familiar faces such as Johnston Quarry Group, Brachot, Stamford Stone, Sandberg and Lithofin; Stonegate are back for the first time since 2017; Polycor, Authentic Stone, Solmar UK and Stone Factory are first-time exhibitors, and mainstays of the machining world, such as OnPoint, Breton, D Zambelis Stone Machinery, and Donatoni, have all confirmed, as the industry gets back to face-to-face business.
“Hard Surfaces has seen some exciting bookings too, including among others: Stone Italiana, Ceramiche Caesar, Keope Ceramiche, Nuovocorso, Archi-Porcelain, Surfaces Direct and Artemistone.”
Plans by York Minster to establish a world class campus for research, education and training in craft skills such as stonemasonry have been approved by City of York Council.
The Minster says the Centre of Excellence for Heritage Craft Skills & Estate Management will be the first-of-its-kind, encouraging learning and knowledge sharing on an international scale.
Comprising a 'Heritage Quad' and a 'Works & Technology Hub', the centre will allow current and prospective apprentices to learn digital techniques such as modern saw technology, data scanning and computer-aided design.
It will also enable the Minster to offer international exchange programmes with cathedrals and universities around the world to enable the further development of these skills.
Existing buildings within the Precinct will be repurposed and renewed to provide new workspace and associated facilities, enable greater interaction with the public around key crafts and trades and allow improved links with education.
The Minster will also be able to offer residential accommodation for its first and second-year apprentices, as well as for its international exchange visitors and trainees.
Alex McCallion, Director of Works and Precinct at York Minster, says: “These skills have long been the lifeblood to the fabric of York Minster and the creation of the Centre of Excellence will enable us to continue to develop and pass down these skills with the help of modern digital technology.
“We thank the council for recognising the importance of the Centre of Excellence, the establishment of which will be crucial in allowing us to safeguard the Minster’s long-term environmental, financial and heritage sustainability for future generations to enjoy as we do today.
“This is also a major project for the city and will continue to raise our profile not only as a leading international city for heritage and education, but also a city that is forward looking.”
The £5million fully-funded project is being co-ordinated by the York Minster Fund and is expected to be delivered in early 2024.
The plans form the next stage of the implementation of the York Minster Neighbourhood Plan, a masterplan to secure a sustainable future for York Minster, which was recently ratified by City of York Council.
Delivery of the Neighbourhood Plan will herald the largest planned programme of works at the Minster and its surrounding Precinct since Victorian times.
The York Minster Refectory, Minster Garden and the conversion of Church House to residential accommodation are all already underway, having received planning permission earlier in the year.
Richard Shaw, chairman of York Minster Fund (YMF), says: “The Centre of Excellence is the culmination of a three-year research and development project, which benchmarked the Minster against other heritage sites around the world.
“With sustainability at its heart, the Centre of Excellence vision will allow us to maintain and enhance the cultural significance of the Minster.
“Not only will the Centre of Excellence create opportunities for education and knowledge exchange on a local, national and international level, but it will act as a shining example of best practice in managing and preserving complex heritage estates.”
Anne Lister was the early 19th century diarist, industrialist and landowner whose life inspired the global hit BBC/HBO TV series, Gentleman Jack, much of which was recorded at Shibden Hall and park.
Women stoneworkers from the UK, Australia, Italy, Ireland and the USA finished constructing their dry stone walling monument with carved monoliths, which include inscriptions from Anne Lister’s diaries, this month (September).
It is built from 10 tonnes of building stone for the dry stone walls donated by Simon Lumb, a dry stone waller and carver from Halifax, plus another 10 tonnes of stone for three monoliths, coping stones and carving stone donated by Wakefield-based natural stone supplier Traditional Stone.
Traditional Stone employs five women, and one of them, Emma Hudson, the company’s General Manager, said: “This is a tremendous project to be involved with and we are delighted to donate the raw materials that the WISA team need to create this unique monument.
“It is so important to encourage women and girls to get into the natural stone trades and hopefully more will be inspired to explore a career path and seek training in our sector when they see the skill and creativity on show at Shibden Hall.”
Calderdale Council added its support by transporting the stone to Shibden Hall and preparing the site for the work.
During the building of the monument, WISA also held stone carving and dry stone walling workshops for women at Shibden Hall. The first was on the weekend of 20-21 August and proved so over-subscribed for the walling that another was held on 3-4 September.
WISA is an international network of women keen to work with and support other women involved or interested in traditional stone trades.
WISA member Emma Knowles headed the project and the workshops. Emma comes from Yorkshire originally and is a member of the Dry Stone Walling Association (DSWA) headquartered in Cumbria, although she now lives in Australia where she runs a company called Stone of Arc.
WISA has been working with dry stone walling Master Craftsman and accomplished designer David Griffiths to create a portfolio of edifices incorporating intimate spaces that challenge perspectives and celebrate the strengths and capabilities of women in a culturally specific way.
These edifices are being built around the world by WISA teams, initially in England, Australia, Ireland, the USA and Italy. As Emma Knowles says in a contribution to the DSWA Waller & Dyker magazine, this will give women a rare opportunity to travel and work with other women within the traditional stone trades.
The monument to Anne Lister, which creates a communal area for the public, is one of the edifices.
Antony Harris at Traditional Stone says: “With the dimensional natural stone industry being male dominated for centuries, Gentleman Jack being a great BBC success worldwide and our Lionesses winning the European Cup, I don’t think the timing could be any better.”
Emma Knowles said: “There are so few women working in the stone industry and this is why we want to do everything we can to encourage more to get involved and support them through our network.
“We are thrilled to have been invited to create the new monument at Shibden Hall to celebrate Anne Lister, who wasn’t afraid to challenge convention and show that women can excel in male-dominated professions.
“And a big thank you to David Griffiths, Calderdale Council, Simon Lumb and Traditional Stone – without their support we would never have been able to build this unique monument.”
Natural Stone Surfaces, based in Chapel-en-le-Frith in Derbyshire, has taken over Greg Ashfield’s business of Grantech Ltd in Flintshire, in north Wales. Greg is leaving the company.
Natural Stone Surfaces is integrating Grantec into its way of working, introducing new systems and processes and investing in its 1,700m2 site, including updating the machinery.
One of the first machines to move to Grantech will be a waterjet that has been made redundant at Natural Stone Surfaces by the company’s three Robo Saw Jets and a Breton Combicut.
One of the first changes visitors to Grantech are already seeing is the renovation of the exterior of the premises, enabling the company to carry a more varied stock line for customers. Inside, Grantech already has an impressive showroom.
The Grantech team will be managed day-to-day by Georgie Beeley. During her time with Natural Stone Surfaces Georgie has amassed a wealth of knowledge and experience and will integrate Grantech into the Natural Stone Surfaces way of working, which includes the Moraware management software.
Natural Stone Surfaces Director Dave Roy says Grantech has had annual sales of £2.5million, which is three-to-four kitchens a day. He expects to be able to increase that fairly quickly to 10 kitchens a day.
Rumour has it that Natural Stone Surfaces is also in the process of buying another stone fabricator, although Dave Roy declines to comment about that.
The 11m long post-tensioned beam of Portland limestone and reclaimed granite hung from a wooden frame at the Royal Academy during its summer exhibition (read more about that here) has won the CDUK Award for Architecture.
The judging committee awarded the £5,000 prize for the work that best demonstrates the capacity of architecture to signal hope, selecting the entry for illustrating the structural potential of materials (namely natural stone and wood) with minimal embodied carbon.
Niall McLaughlin RA, Chair of Judges, said: “Equanimity by Webb Yates appeals on conceptual, figurative, tectonic, and emotional levels. It has a beautiful Leonardo da Vinci quality and shows you can do something sophisticated with a material that’s been around for years.
“It directly addresses the curators’ theme, and it has a powerful presence in the space. I have rarely been made so aware of the structural miracle of holding tonnes of stone high up in the air. These engineers and masons are designers who can rival any architect.”
Intended to promote the use of both stone and timber as natural, low embodied carbon materials, Equanimity has an embodied carbon footprint of just 0.25tonnes, much of which must be attributed to the steel holding it in compression.
The beam is designed to demonstrate the structural integrity that is achievable with stone and timber and show that the materials are not just decorative.
On a higher plane, the beam balancing under the trestle represents the importance of living in balance with nature.
Steve Webb, Director, Webb Yates Engineers, said: “We were delighted to be invited to exhibit our piece at the RA and even more delighted to get this award. I love how it sits with Marina Tabassum’s flood shelter. Both are stilted, triangulated structures. One pointing up: one pointing down. While we continue to believe that we can limit climate change by using low energy materials, she deals with today’s reality, lifting desperate people out of the flood waters.
“The conception of the beam was a combination of engineering design and craft knowledge. Allowing the pragmatic and the scientific to rule in the design is what has led us to make such a rarified and arresting object with a real prospect for the future. Thanks to the curators, the RA and, of course, The Stonemasonry Company, Albion Stone, Artisteel and Xylotek for making it possible."
Andy Noble, Managing Director of CDUK, supporter of the Royal Academy of Arts 2022 Architecture Programme, said: “This is the first year that CDUK is supporting the RA Award for Architecture and awarding the prize to Webb Yates’ stone beam seemed the natural choice.
“Equanimity can’t fail to capture people’s attention upon entering the Summer Exhibition’s Architecture room. The piece brilliantly reveals the architectural feats that are possible using often overlooked materials and captures the necessity of moving beyond traditional material choices to minimise environmental impact. Equanimity is an illustration of the future that creative design and material choices can deliver.”
Because everything in the Summer Exhibition has to be for sale, Equanimity carried a price of £30,000.
The Summer Exhibition closed on 21 August but there are plans to display the beam at the Oxo Building in London and after that in New York. It can be moved relatively simply by unthreading the steel tensioners and taking it apart.
Those from the stone industry who watched The Open at St Andrews in Fife in July might have had their attention momentarily distracted from the golf by the new Peakmoor sandstone extension to Rusacks Hotel in the background. The rainscreen cladding is from Stone Cladding Systems, established in 2016 by Jason Kennedy and already making quite a name for itself as a natural stone rainscreen specialist.
St Andrews describes itself as the home of golf, with the game having been played there for 600 years. This year the Old Course at St Andrews was the setting for the 150th Open Championship. It was the 30th time The Open had been played there – more times than at any other venue.
Overlooking the Old Course is Rusacks Hotel, which this year was sporting a new extension clad in Peakmoor sandstone, as the keen eyed from the stone industry might have noticed because the hotel appeared in the background time and again during the TV coverage.
Anyone privileged enough to be watching The Open from the rooftop bar (called One Under Bar) will have had a closer view of the stone cladding, supplied as part of the Aztec rainscreen cladding from Stone Cladding Systems based in Ashbourne, Derbyshire.
It is an indication of how Stone Cladding Systems’ reputation is spreading out from its home turf that it was chosen for the hotel at St Andrews in Fife, Scotland – although since Jason Kennedy formed the company in 2016 it has always been happy to take on projects anywhere in the UK, as can clearly be seen on the new website it launched in April (scs-stone.co.uk).
Jason Kennedy with the Aztec rainscreen system he designed.
In fact, the contract for the 1,300m2 of Peakmoor for Rusacks Hotel came about because Stone Cladding Systems was already supplying the cladding sub-contractor that won the work, MetalTech Roofing & Cladding. It was using Aztec rainscreens on a project at New Waverley in Edinburgh. MetalTech took the system with it on to the Rusacks Hotel extension, where 40mm thick stone was used for the ground floor and 30mm above that. The architects were WCP, based in Aberdeen.
Both Rusacks Hotel and the Waverley project have been entered for this year’s Natural Stone Awards, judging for which is currently underway ahead of the announcement of the winners at a glittering presentation ceremony in London in December.
The Rusacks project started just as the world was being locked down in the face of the Covid-19 pandemic, although Jason Kennedy says the lockdown in England and Scotland arrived when Stone Cladding Systems was working at full pelt. As Jason works mostly on his own he did not shut down.
MetalTech also carried on working. It was not allowed on-site at Rusacks but the project was mostly still at the design stage in any case, and MetalTech and Stone Cladding Systems were able to work together on the design of the cladding.
The Peakmoor sandstone, a Carboniferous millstone grit, was supplied by BlockStone, owned by Grants of Shoreditch, which already had the blocks required in stock at its Block Store in Cadeby Quarry in South Yorkshire. They were transported to Gloucester to be sawn and were finished in a yard in Newhaven in East Sussex, where Stone Cladding Systems helped design a bespoke processing machine specially for producing the cladding. Packing and final quality control is carried out at Newhaven.
The hotel extension was finished slightly behind schedule as a result of Covid, but not because of the stone or cladding system. “The stone industry kept going quite well during Covid,” says Jason. And because the stone specified was British there were none of the supply problems experienced by stone importers.
Not that Stone Cladding Systems eschews imported stone, although it generally restricts its imports to Europe. It has lately been using Jura limestone from Germany for 1,000m2 of cladding on a Holiday Inn in Blackpool, although it was the first time it had supplied an imported stone for two years. Covid, Brexit and the war in Ukraine have all combined to make imports more expensive and unreliable and British stone a more attractive option. “The supply chain is short and reliable,” says Jason.
He admits to an affinity with British stone. He is the son of Iain Kennedy, the former President of Stone Federation Great Britain who ran Realstone and BlockStone for many years, producing and selling stones from British quarries. Jason worked with his dad at Realstone for a while.
But whether it is British or imported, it is stone. “Natural stone is where we’re at and where we want to stay. We’re a stone company doing rainscreen rather than a rainscreen company doing stone,” says Jason, adding that concerns about global warming, sustainability and the carbon footprint of materials has helped both stone and rainscreens. “It’s one of the selling points of rainscreen: it combines economical build with environmental benefits.” And developers like the fact rainscreens make it easy to achieve the continually stricter ‘U’ value requirements of buildings.
Stone Cladding Systems has even minimised the carbon footprint of its offices by installing photovoltaic cells on the roof powering the low energy heating system and LED lighting. All the computers use the Cloud so there’s even less paper to be filed.
Bath Stone rainscreen
Jason is proud to be able to offer the only Bath Stone that has passed all the tests necessary for it to be used on a rainscreen. And it is currently being used on Stone Cladding System’s Aztec system for a new pavilion being built at Bath Cricket Club’s main North Parade ground.
That whole area of Bath around North Parade is being redeveloped and Jason hopes and expects to win more cladding work there thanks to the cricket club’s choice of Aztec. “Having reference buildings is quite key to future work,” says Jason, “so having the Aztec system used at North Parade, near the centre of Bath, is very useful.”
The developments at both North Parade and Rusacks have included curved fascias, which involves radiusing the face, although the back of stone remains flat in order to fit on to the lightweight aluminium frame that ties the rainscreen back to the main structure. Being able to provide the curved stones all helps to establish Stone Cladding Systems as a company that can answer an architect’s questions.
Jason has been steadily building his company since the opportunity to establish it arrived when he was made redundant from the design office at Realstone following the purchase of BlockStone and assets of Realstone by Grants of Shoreditch.
Jason had worked at Realstone for six years at that point and says: “Realstone was supplying a couple of projects that I had got specified. I thought: OK, I need to see these through. To do that I had to start my own business.”
He knew people in the industry who were prepared to extend him credit that he doubts he would otherwise have been offered.
Having been involved in the development of the cladding system at Realstone and specialised in rainscreen design, he was familiar with the process and could see that rainscreens were a growing market with their benefits of lighter weight and material savings, with rapid fixing using mast climbers and scissor lifts rather than scaffolding.
He completed the development of the Aztec system and has improved it over the years, now believing it is even better. “It’s simple and effective,” he says. And simplicity was always the key.
There are 12 stones that have been tested at VIVCI Technology Centre in Bedfordshire as suitable for use with the Aztec system. Tests carried out include hard and soft impact resistance, wind loading, and the various other requirements of the recently updated BS 8298, with a significant safety factor added on, going well beyond the conditions this country is ever likely to see, even with global warming.
The Aztec system comprises the aluminium frame with ‘T’ rails, brackets and black powder-coated clips so they cannot be seen through the open joints of the rainscreen. A neoprene anti-rattle strip is A1 fire tested and there is nothing else to catch alight.
Some rainscreen cladding uses a veneer of stone on a backing material. Even though the stone would be non-flammable and the backing might be, the glue might not be. To avoid any risk, Stone Cladding Systems uses only solid stone. And although there is more stone and stone is expensive, materials and processes involved in making a stone veneered composite panel are avoided, so using solid stone remains price competitive.
A 50mm air gap between the stone cladding and the insulation on the building ensures ventilation around the stone for temperature stability, so the building envelope does not get too hot or too cold. Open joints also help to stabilise air pressure. When the wind load is tested the joints are sealed with mastic to provide worse case safety, but Jason says he advises against closing the gaps between the stones. If the gaps are closed, it has to be with a flexible mastic because the system is designed to be flexible.
A flexible system
Stones such as Yorkstone and some hard limestones can be used in sizes up to 1200mm x 450mm, although more commonly the maximum size is 900mm x 450mm. Any size smaller than that can be used because all the stone is cut to specification. The stone would normally be 20mm, 30mm or 40mm thick, depending on what it is, the size of it and its position on the building. The clips that secure the stone top and bottom come in six different versions, and for some applications, such as the curved cladding in Bath, a bespoke design has to be developed.
The pictures above and below show how the cladding is fixed to building, accommodating as much insulation as is required.
Although the system is designed to be simple, using standard frames and rails, Stone Cladding Systems always sit on design meetings so any potential pitfalls can be eliminated immediately and sometimes value engineering can be explored by, for example, changing the way it is fixed around windows or the corner detail. Jason is also happy to give toolbox talks on site for the fixers and will stick with a new team for up to a day.
He says it is also useful for receiving feedback, although contractors usually find they love working with the natural stone system because it is so easy.
There are now enough specialist cladding contractors who have used the system to be able to give main contractors an approved installer list for the work, “because they do ask us for a list of people who can install the system”, says Jason.
The first two projects Jason saw through to completion after leaving Realstone were Sunderland Innovation Centre and a new building at Bradford Royal Infirmary. “Both projects were in the design stage so there wasn’t an issue with them needing materials on site tomorrow.”
As the number of reference projects has built up, familiarity with Stone Cladding Systems and its Aztec rainscreen has grown to a point where it is now specified by architects, whereas originally it tended to be selected by a contractor after a generic rainscreen system had been specified (although that also still happens).
Jason says it has been a hectic six years since he started his own business, but the success of it is its own reward. And he admits to feeling a little extra pride as he watched The Open in July.
Below are more projects with Aztec rainscreen cladding from Stone Cladding System.
The top project is Sunderland Hilton Garden Inn, on the banks of the River Wear in Sunderland is a 141-room hotel featuring Aztec 20mm Cebecca limestone ventilated rainscreen. The glass and limestone mix gave the architects of Redbox Design Group the light and spacious building they wanted without the need for a heavy support system. This was one of Stone Cladding System’s first projects, completed in 2016. The Aztec system was installed by Metcalf Roofing & Building.
Below that is the £150million transformation of the former Caltongate area in the Old Town in Edinburgh, for which Allan Murray Architects were the master planners and principal architects. The site links Waverley Station with the historic Royal Mile. Peakmoor sandstone was the stone of choice and is seen here as part of a lightweight, A1 non-combustible Aztec rainscreen.
Those from the stone industry who watched The Open at St Andrews in Fife in July might have had their attention momentarily distracted from the golf by the new Peakmoor sandstone extension to Rusacks Hotel in the background. The rainscreen cladding is from Stone Cladding Systems, established in 2016 by Jason Kennedy and already making quite a name for itself as a natural stone rainscreen specialist.
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Natural stone rainscreen cladding from Stone Cladding Systems
