Earlier this week the Stone Federation announced the sudden passing of Chris Kelsey, immediate past president of the federation. Further to this news, the organisation has released a tribute honouring his commitment to the stone industry. At the time of his death, Chris was on holiday in Spain with his wife, Mae.

The tribute is as follows:

"Chris was a longstanding supporter of the Federation and, as well as serving as Stone Federation president from 2021 - 2024, he was also chair of the Interiors & Surface Materials Focus Group as well as an integral part of the creation and development of our Stone Academy, involved in writing many Stone Federation technical documents and speaker at countless CPDs and training courses.

He was instrumental in researching and formulating the training that went on to form the basis of the The Stone Academy. It was one of the things he was most proud to be involved in and will be a lasting legacy to him. Chris had initially planned to be an architect, but instead, decided to work on the construction side of the industry and started as a Trainee Draughtsman at Shackletons of York in 1980.

After progressing to running various orders in the company, Chris joined Doncaster and Sons Masonry Ltd as Project Manager and continued to manage various large and small supply and fix installations. He then took an opportunity to work in sales and marketing for Thomas W Ward Ltd, a construction group owning various quarries including De Lank Granite and Ann Twyford Stone and he progressed to sales manager running the sales team for the supply only products from the quarries and imported granite kerbs and setts.

From here, Chris was asked to join Pisani Ltd to develop the project sales for the company, he then joined Geoffrey Pike Ltd to develop the sales side of the business and improve both enquiry and order levels. Moving on, Chris joined MI Group for a short time before going to J Rotherham Masonry as project manager for the supply and installation work, mainly in London and the South. He left J Rotherham to work directly for the client to manage the whole natural stone package on what was then the largest private house in London where he was project manager for the interior marble. Chris also started the project management of the marble and inlay package for the marble to the largest mosque in Kuala Lumpur.

Chris then moved on to be the UK Manager for Miller Druck International Stone Ltd, based in Canary Wharf, continuing the design, manufacture and installation of all natural stones, mainly for commercial buildings in the city.

An opportunity arose for Chris to leave London and return to his native North in 2000 and he joined Natural Stone Sales Ltd to move the business forward from a paving and stone agency. The company developed a granite worktop business, stonemasonry manufacture and acquired a dimensional limestone quarry, The Mandale Stone Co Ltd. This continued for 10 years and then Chris decided to develop the high-end residential installations and started Christopher Kelsey Ltd where he worked on a number of prestigious projects and also project managed additional projects for other marble companies.
Whilst working for other companies, the Marble and Granite Centre Ltd approached Chris to undertake some sales and marketing work for them with new materials.  This developed into a full-time role and Chris worked with them until his untimely passing."

Jane Buxey, Stone Federation chief executive said: "The loss of Chris Kelsey has been felt right across the natural stone industry, which serves as a testament to the impact that he had. Chris was truly one of a kind, a committed, reliable supporter of the Federation and an incredibly kind, caring and funny colleague and friend to so many of us.

"His willingness and eagerness to pass on his knowledge to the younger people entering the industry truly demonstrated the kind of person that he was, always willing to help and encourage.  We will, over the coming days look to find a fitting way to mark Chris' legacy and impact on the stone industry, but in these early moments of processing his loss, I would like to publicly thank him for his friendship, his mentorship and his kindness. He will be sorely missed.

"We have been overwhelmed by the number of tributes we have received from members for Chris, and these will be passed on to his widow Mae. Funeral arrangements have not yet been decided, but as soon as we have this information, we will circulate it to members."

The Stone Show & Hard Surfaces 2025 – which will now be co-located alongside UK Construction Week – is to take place on 7-9 May 2025 at ExCeL London in Halls N2-N3 (the nearest end to the Custom House DLR and Elizabeth Line stop). 

This market leading event for the natural stone and hard surfaces marketplace will now also form part of the largest design and build event in London next year. The new partnership between QMJ (publishers of Stone Specialist) and Media10 (organisers of Clerkenwell Design Week) comes as part of our commitment to deliver the best possible value for our exhibitors, as well as providing an enhanced visitor experience for the thousands of buyers who attend the Stone Show & Hard Surfaces. 

It promises to boost the amount of building professionals’ exhibitors can expect to see, whilst giving visitors even more reasons to attend, with multiple awards; access to a plethora of design ideas; a programme of 300+ seminars, CPD sessions and workshops; 20+ live demos; and of course, hundreds of new suppliers and exhibitors to source from.

If you are interested in exhibiting, email: stoneshow@qmj.co.uk or call 0115 865 8283.

 

The Stone Federation is celebrating the success of its first Stone Symposium – The Case for Stone. This one-day conference held in July at America Square Conference Centre in London explored the carbon-saving credentials of natural stone with a host of seminars, case studies and panel discussions. 

Amin Taha, Stirling Prize-shortlisted architect and a speaker at the symposium commented that: “This may have been the first ever meeting of the entire vertical supply and delivery chain. Quarry owners, stonemasons, engineers and architects, contractors and developers all sharing their knowledge, experience and ambition for decarbonising the construction sector.” 

The seminar programme featured some of the leading voices around natural stone’s sustainability credentials and prompted some engaging Q&A sessions with the audience. Sixteen different speakers from the world of architecture, engineering, design, academia, quarrying and stonemasonry brought their expertise and passion to proceedings. The sessions ranged from exploring how innovative approaches to stone are being used to transform everything from world-famous cathedrals to secondary school health centres. Delegates explored the synergy between the quarries and the next generation of architectural talent enthused by the case for stone. The headline-grabbing 15 Clerkenwell Close and Mix Awards Finalist, The Stone Tapestry were used as examples of how different architects are seeking to challenge, spark conversation and push the boundaries in the way that stone is used. And finally, there were some fascinating examples of the systems being developed to fully utilise stone’s load-bearing potential in mainstream construction.  

This wide range of topics were delivered by an industry-leading panel of speakers: Amin Taha (GROUPWORK), Tim Gledstone (Squire and Partners), Steve Webb (Webb Yates Engineers), Steve McKechnie (Arup), Juliet Haysom (Architectural Association), Natasha Huq (Groves Raines Architects Studios), Joe Chilvers (Adam Richards Architects), Niki-Marie Jansson (Newcastle University), Pierre Bidaud (The Stonemasonry Company), Michael Poultney (Albion Stone), Marcus Paine (Hutton Stone Co), Valérie Bergeron (Polycor), Peter Fisher (Bennetts Associates), Manuel dos Anjos (FMDC), Ryno Nel and Mark Walden (Szerelmey). Alongside the presentations, the Stone Symposium featured a number of panel discussions which were chaired by award-winning journalist, Luke Hanrahan. Luke first discovered stone’s sustainability story when he produced and presented a piece for the BBC which explored Amin Taha’s 15 Clerkenwell Close project and the journey of the stone bricks that Albion Stone, Hutton Stone and Polycor were bringing to the market. Luke brought his journalistic curiosity to the mix which created some truly fascinating and informative discussions. 

Alongside the seminars, the event also featured a small exhibition area featuring the Stone Symposium’s sponsors: ALS by Airelimestones, CED Stone Brick & Facades, Cotswold Natural Stone, Paye Stonework & Restoration, Stamford Stone Co., Stone Cladding Systems and Welsh Slate. This vibrant space provided the backdrop for a number of networking opportunities that took full advantage of the blend of professionals gathered at the event. In summary, this first Stone Symposium was a truly unique event and one that The Stone Federation feel was a significant milestone in the push to see stone return to its rightful place as the leading sustainable construction material. Another Stone Symposium is planned for Scotland in the New Year. 

The highly-successful Heritage Open Days (HODs) is celebrating its 30th anniversary with the latest programme launching tomorrow (6 September) and running until 15 September. There will be more than 5,400 events taking place across England for the duration of the festival.

Founded in 1994, it is the country’s largest festival of history and culture and during the three decades since Heritage Open Days began it has grown in scope and scale. It began as a weekend dedicated to revealing buildings not normally open to the general public and is now a a ten-day festival, celebrating a myriad different aspects of heritage and culture. During its 30 years, there has been more than 100,000 events and over 39 million visits and it has grown from just 700 events in the first year to over 5,250 in 2023. 

Still committed to its founding principles of free access and being community-led, it’s a much-loved event that many look forward to every year. Hundreds of activities will adopt this year’s theme, Routes – Networks - Connections, bringing together the past and present in a festival that includes workshops, talks, hidden spaces, walks and activities for all the family. 

Laura Chow, head of charities at the People’s Postcode Lottery, said: “We are thrilled to be celebrating 30 years of this wonderful festival. Our players are helping to keep the doors open and free for everyone. We hope even many more people will come out to explore, celebrate and enjoy England’s national heritage.” 

For further information, and to enquire about registering your event, visit heritageopendays.org.uk.

Sintered stone brand, Neolith has launched a new collection called Atmosphere, which has been created using new technology to provide a more realistic and naturalistic aesthetic. 

The range's unique selling point is the new digital texture incorporated in the WhiteSands and Rapolano colours, which features reliefs synchronised that provide a new level of realism and naturalness.

According to the brand, Neolith WhiteSands is: "inspired by the vast and serene white dunes of White Sands National Park, located in New Mexico, and captures the essence of the silence and immensity of this place. Its soft texture and pale colour reflect the sunlight, creating a bright and spacious effect in any room."

The next product, WhiteSands: "evokes the peace of the original desert landscapes that inspired this colour, bringing a fresh look as well as serenity to modern interior design. It is produced with all-new digital texture technology for an unbeatable, even more natural finish with gentle relief yet still easy to clean. Neolith WhiteSands has the resistance and beauty of white sand dunes to transform any space into an oasis of peace."

Neolith Rapolano is inspired by Inspired by the Italian stone known as Rapolano often used in 16th century Renaissance Italian palaces which is becoming more and "gets its essence from Tuscan quarries where stone was moulded by nature and man for centuries. This colour evokes a feeling of peace, wellbeing and contemplation, all while adding a touch of Italian history to today’s interior design with its exclusive texture and Full Body technology."

Spanish limestone used in Europe’s 14th and 15th Century Gothic cathedrals inspired Neolith Artisan and: "its use in interiors fosters a warm, welcoming atmosphere that creates a conscious connection with nature." 

The final product, Neolith Ignea was created in homage to volcanic landscapes and its colour comes from the cooled matter. It features a 'riverwashed' texture and the 98R seal for recycled material. This formulation, which uses up to 98% recycled materials in its manufacturing, is part of Neolith's sustainability strategy and Zero Waste policy and promoting even more sustainable processes and products.

Atmosphere will be available shortly through Neolith's own international distribution centres, as well as through the brand's global network of distributors.

 

New research has revealed a steady growth in the construction sector's efforts towards sustainability, showing that the number of Net Zero projects – and those achieving environmental targets – is on the rise.

The Sustainable Futures Report 2024, conducted by NBS in association with RIBA indicates the number of Net Zero projects being commissioned has increased with six in ten industry professionals having worked on a Net Zero project in the past year. This compares to around half of the respondents in 2022.

Almost 600 people working within the built environment completed the survey that aims to understand sustainability attitudes and protocols in the construction sector. Since launching in 2022, it has provided an industry benchmark for evolving views and opinions, shaping best practice guides on the journey to Net Zero.

Figures revealed that around four in ten respondants had ‘accomplished sustainability’ and this sentiment was felt most strongly amongst clients but was slightly lower for architects. These statistics could indicate that target-based construction is making a difference. This is alongside other factors such as product availability, and the increasing use of building product data to allow architects to ascertain the ‘greenest’ product or material.

Barriers to sustainability, however, do persist with cost being cited as the number one barrier but clients are clearly starting to see the downstream value of sustainable assets, which is also backed up by the increase in certification to BREEAM within the commercial sector.

Positively, seven in ten firms now measure emissions compared with just five in ten back in 2022. Those setting carbon reduction goals have also risen and over half of firms now have carbon offsetting strategies in place compared to just over a third in 2021.

Focusing on the sustainability priorities list, ‘Embodied carbon’ ranked fourth, with ‘Net zero operational carbon’ taking the top spot. However, this is likely due to legislation covering operational efficiency but not embodied carbon. When asked to rank the importance of the life cycle analysis stages from environmental product declarations, embodied carbon took first place.

The report also touched on the role manufacturers play in helping architects achieve low-carbon outcomes. Nine in ten agreed that robust specification is important for achieving sustainable outcomes. Within that, nearly all architects agree that manufacturers should supply digital information on the green credentials of their products to boost their chances of specification.

Dr. Lee Jones, head of sustainability at NBS parent company, Byggfakta Group, said: "The construction industry's green momentum is building, with NBS reporting a small boost in net-zero projects and environmental targets being met. These are welcome figures and show that, whilst much more must be done, the sector is progressively aiming for a sustainable future.

“Certainly, I’d expect to see new significance given to areas like sustainable land use and biodiversity, especially given the recent introduction of new legislation as part of the 2021 Environment Act. Going forward, I would like to see legislation around net zero building practices going further, covering embodied carbon as well as operational efficiency. For the industry to truly achieve sustainable outcomes, it needs the Government to take a stronger lead, supporting with policy and incentives.”

Dr. Stephen Hamil, innovation director at NBS, added: "Research studies like the NBS Sustainable Futures Report are invaluable in guiding our industry toward a greener future and understanding our progress on the path to net zero. Yet it’s only by leveraging robust construction data, that we collectively drive the progress needed to meet our environmental goals and build a more sustainable world.”

To download the NBS Sustainable Futures Report 2024, click here.