What does natural stone offer an architect?
As architectural stone suppliers, it’s no surprise that we love using natural stone as a building material, from designing new-build properties to matching traditional stonework as part of a conservation project.
When working with an architect, it’s important to ensure that you’re on the same page, and that they are able to realise your vision in a material that is durable, beautiful, and easy to work with. Here’s why your architect will love working with natural stone.
Durability
Having been formed by thousands of years of compression, natural stone is incredibly hard wearing.
Just look at the many centuries-old limestone buildings that still survive here in the UK today, from the historic Clipsham stone buildings in Oxford and Cambridge, to the gorgeous Bath stone of Great Pulteney Street.
Although limestone naturally corrodes over time, this wear is superficial and does not affect the structural integrity of the building. If anything, the natural weathering of limestone only creates more character and appeal over time.
Versatility
Despite its physical toughness, limestone is a relatively soft stone, making it easy to carve, shape and cut to size. It’s ideal for everything from large stone blocks to floor tiles and delicate carved decorations.
This means that the architect is not limited by the stone’s capabilities, and the same stone can be used for multiple applications, creating a consistent aesthetic.
This was a consideration for the Sultan Nazrin Shah Centre project for which we supplied over 500 tonnes of masonry-grade Clipsham limestone. This stone was chosen in part to complement the existing local use of the material, due to the building’s location in Worcester College at Oxford University.
Aesthetics
The visual appearance of limestone is truly wonderful, with naturally occurring patterns, marbling, and fossil inclusions.
These unusual characteristics simply cannot be matched by manmade building materials, making each piece of stone utterly unique. This allows your architect to choose each piece carefully to create an impact and to ensure that the finished structure is truly one of a kind.
Limestone can be finished in a number of different ways, such as polished, sanded, honed, blasted or flamed. Not only does each finish create a unique appearance from the same stone, it also offers a range of beautiful textures, adding a tactile element to the building’s design.
Sustainability
As a natural material, limestone is a sustainable and environmentally friendly choice for any type of building project.
Manmade options require manufacturing before they can be used, which can have a huge impact on the environment. Limestone is a responsible choice that allows an architect to put their name to a project they can be proud of.
Not all architectural stone suppliers use a sustainable source, but Stamford Stone’s UK-based quarries ensure stone availability for the next 900 years.
Architectural stone suppliers
Stamford Stone is an architectural stone supplier offering beautiful, sustainable limestone from our Clipsham quarries.
Whatever your architectural project, our stone is built for the job. Contact us to discuss your requirements or to request a sample.