Stone has the potential to become a go-to, low-carbon structural material, but barriers around quarrying and a lack of awareness must be overcome to make this a reality, experts tell Dezeen in this Stone Age 2.0 feature.
Arup geologist Paola Blasi, who advises architects on how to use stone, said the material is finally reappearing in the structural lexicon thanks to its low-carbon footprint.
"The structural use of stone is not new," said Blasi. "People are talking about the embodied carbon of materials and stone is entering into this conversation because, really, the embodied carbon of this material is zero ? you cut it and it's done."
Experts say the process of quarrying stone is one reason why there aren't more structural stone buildings. Photo by Paola Blasi Architect Amin Taha, who designed the structural stone 15 Clerkenwell Close building, agreed, adding that it's gaining popularity because when compared to steel and concrete, the material offers extensive carbon savings.
"Concrete and steel suppliers and engineers are talking up 'green' versions of both, yet at their best they save 40 per cent if all energy and material savings are aligned, and stone remains 98 per cent lower in its embodied carbon even when diesel-powered cutting equipment is used," Taha told Dezeen.
"Using renewable energy, as the French government has asked its quarries to do, the stone has next to zero embodied carbon," he continued.
Architect Elisabeth Po...