Designing Buildings - User contributions [en]

User:Stone Federation Great Britain

2017-03-08T15:57:19Z

Stone Federation GB:

{|
|width="100%"|== Contents ==

* [[#Introduction|1 Introduction]]
* [[#Representation|2 Representation]]
* [[#Mission_statement|3 Mission statement]]
* [[#Objectives|4 Objectives]]
|}

= Introduction =

Stone Federation is the official trade association for the natural stone industry. The Federation co-ordinates all aspects of the industry and provides specifiers and users with a first point of contact for information, advice and guidance in sourcing an appropriate material and a reliable service.

= Representation =

Stone Federation represents employers, liaises with government on legal affairs, health and safety, technical standards, craftsmanship, training and education. Make Stone Federation Great Britain and its members first point of contact for choosing and using stone and for quality assured advice, material and specialist services to ensure success.

Stone Federation GB provides a one-stop shop for product information, technical guidance and advice on all aspects of specifying and working with stone.

= Mission statement =

Stone Federation will provide the highest possible levels of service to, and representation for, its members, both individually and collectively:

* Promote the interests of its members within the construction industry as a whole.
* Educate specifiers in the correct use and maintenance of natural stone.
* Provide professional, quality services to its members.

= Objectives =

* To promote the use of natural stone as a building material in favour of other building materials.
* To increase the market share of natural stone for SFGB members.
* To promote and maintain the traditional skills involved in natural stone.

We support our member companies, assist clients and specifiers, provide impartial advice, promote best practice and set industry standards.

[[Surface_Design_Show_2017|Read our interview with Designing Buildings Wiki here.]]

2016 Natural Stone Awards

2017-03-08T10:26:12Z

Stone Federation GB:

2016 saw the start of a series of articles for this column looking at the use of British stone across the wide range of applications it finds itself in and on. British stone in landscaping was where we started, and British stone in heritage projects is where we shall begin this New Year.

Great Britain has a fantastic tradition, especially within the heritage building sector, of using stone local to a project. Hundreds of churches, cathedrals and historic monuments up and down the British Isles were created from stone quarried close to the site, helping to create a unique local aesthetic, something commented on by The Right Honourable Michael Portillo in his address at the 2016 Natural Stone Awards. This tradition is one that has been continued as these building begin to require repair or maintenance work and the heritage architects endeavour to use the original stone or an alternative quarried close by.

Stone Federation’s technical helpline receives a large number of enquiries from architects and clients looking to source stone similar to the original as, in some cases, the quarries are no longer in operation. What is encouraging is that in almost all cases, these queries lead to the use of an alternative British stone, thus continuing the tradition and supporting our indigenous quarries. Through a well-established network of industry experts, the British stone industry has, on the whole, manage to avoid losing these projects to imported, and arguably, unsuitable alternative stones.

It was encouraging to see Historic England as one of the main sponsors for the 2016 Natural Stone Awards, an indication of the strong working relationship between our two organisations. Clara Willett, Senior Architectural Conservator at Historic England commented at the Awards that “Historic England feel its really important to support events like The Natural Stone Awards because the quality of craftsmanship, the care in selecting natural, indigenous stones and selecting suitable replacement stone is so important in supporting and looking after our historic buildings.“

The Natural Stone Award are also a good indicator of the state of the industry and it was incredibly encouraging to see that in the 2016 awards, 100% of the stone used on the winning, highly commended and commended projects in the Repair and Restoration category was British stone. The winning project, the Wimpole Gothic Tower project in Cambridgeshire saw the structure repaired and stabilised for the next 200 years while maintaining the weathered beauty of the tower. The choice of stone, namely Barrington Clunch, came as a result of research undertaken by the principal stone contactor and English Heritage. The Awards judges felt that this was “…an exemplary way to carry out this kind of restoration.”

[[File:Photo_1_-_Completed_worksJPG.jpg|link=File:Photo_1_-_Completed_worksJPG.jpg]]

Looking forward, 2017 will see one of the Federation’s other sector focussed initiatives, Stone Heritage launched to the sector. This group will have strong links with the Quarry Forum thanks to the significant part British stone has to play in the repair, restoration and conservation of our island’s historic buildings and monuments.

If you’re undertaking a heritage project and want to explore the options that British stone can provide you with, take a look at our stone sourcing tool on the Stone federation website: [http://bit.ly/BritStone http://bit.ly/BritStone].

[[Category:Conservation]] [[Category:Education]] [[Category:Organisations]] [[Category:Projects_and_case_studies]]

2016 Natural Stone Awards

2017-03-08T10:25:45Z

Stone Federation GB:

2016 Natural Stone Awards

2017-03-08T10:25:14Z

Stone Federation GB:

British Stone in Heritage Projects

2016 saw the start of a series of articles for this column looking at the use of British stone across the wide range of applications it finds itself in and on. British stone in landscaping was where we started, and British stone in heritage projects is where we shall begin this New Year.

Great Britain has a fantastic tradition, especially within the heritage building sector, of using stone local to a project. Hundreds of churches, cathedrals and historic monuments up and down the British Isles were created from stone quarried close to the site, helping to create a unique local aesthetic, something commented on by The Right Honourable Michael Portillo in his address at the 2016 Natural Stone Awards. This tradition is one that has been continued as these building begin to require repair or maintenance work and the heritage architects endeavour to use the original stone or an alternative quarried close by.

Stone Federation’s technical helpline receives a large number of enquiries from architects and clients looking to source stone similar to the original as, in some cases, the quarries are no longer in operation. What is encouraging is that in almost all cases, these queries lead to the use of an alternative British stone, thus continuing the tradition and supporting our indigenous quarries. Through a well-established network of industry experts, the British stone industry has, on the whole, manage to avoid losing these projects to imported, and arguably, unsuitable alternative stones.

It was encouraging to see Historic England as one of the main sponsors for the 2016 Natural Stone Awards, an indication of the strong working relationship between our two organisations. Clara Willett, Senior Architectural Conservator at Historic England commented at the Awards that “Historic England feel its really important to support events like The Natural Stone Awards because the quality of craftsmanship, the care in selecting natural, indigenous stones and selecting suitable replacement stone is so important in supporting and looking after our historic buildings.“

The Natural Stone Award are also a good indicator of the state of the industry and it was incredibly encouraging to see that in the 2016 awards, 100% of the stone used on the winning, highly commended and commended projects in the Repair and Restoration category was British stone. The winning project, the Wimpole Gothic Tower project in Cambridgeshire saw the structure repaired and stabilised for the next 200 years while maintaining the weathered beauty of the tower. The choice of stone, namely Barrington Clunch, came as a result of research undertaken by the principal stone contactor and English Heritage. The Awards judges felt that this was “…an exemplary way to carry out this kind of restoration.”

[[File:Photo_1_-_Completed_worksJPG.jpg|link=File:Photo_1_-_Completed_worksJPG.jpg]]

Looking forward, 2017 will see one of the Federation’s other sector focussed initiatives, Stone Heritage launched to the sector. This group will have strong links with the Quarry Forum thanks to the significant part British stone has to play in the repair, restoration and conservation of our island’s historic buildings and monuments.

If you’re undertaking a heritage project and want to explore the options that British stone can provide you with, take a look at our stone sourcing tool on the Stone federation website: [http://bit.ly/BritStone http://bit.ly/BritStone].

2016 Natural Stone Awards

2017-03-08T10:24:52Z

Stone Federation GB: Created page with "British Stone in Heritage Projects 2016 saw the start of a series of articles for this column looking at the use of British stone across the wide range of applications it finds ..."

British Stone in Heritage Projects

2016 saw the start of a series of articles for this column looking at the use of British stone across the wide range of applications it finds itself in and on. British stone in landscaping was where we started, and British stone in heritage projects is where we shall begin this New Year.

Great Britain has a fantastic tradition, especially within the heritage building sector, of using stone local to a project. Hundreds of churches, cathedrals and historic monuments up and down the British Isles were created from stone quarried close to the site, helping to create a unique local aesthetic, something commented on by The Right Honourable Michael Portillo in his address at the 2016 Natural Stone Awards. This tradition is one that has been continued as these building begin to require repair or maintenance work and the heritage architects endeavour to use the original stone or an alternative quarried close by.

Stone Federation’s technical helpline receives a large number of enquiries from architects and clients looking to source stone similar to the original as, in some cases, the quarries are no longer in operation. What is encouraging is that in almost all cases, these queries lead to the use of an alternative British stone, thus continuing the tradition and supporting our indigenous quarries. Through a well-established network of industry experts, the British stone industry has, on the whole, manage to avoid losing these projects to imported, and arguably, unsuitable alternative stones.

It was encouraging to see Historic England as one of the main sponsors for the 2016 Natural Stone Awards, an indication of the strong working relationship between our two organisations. Clara Willett, Senior Architectural Conservator at Historic England commented at the Awards that “Historic England feel its really important to support events like The Natural Stone Awards because the quality of craftsmanship, the care in selecting natural, indigenous stones and selecting suitable replacement stone is so important in supporting and looking after our historic buildings.“

The Natural Stone Award are also a good indicator of the state of the industry and it was incredibly encouraging to see that in the 2016 awards, 100% of the stone used on the winning, highly commended and commended projects in the Repair and Restoration category was British stone. The winning project, the Wimpole Gothic Tower project in Cambridgeshire saw the structure repaired and stabilised for the next 200 years while maintaining the weathered beauty of the tower. The choice of stone, namely Barrington Clunch, came as a result of research undertaken by the principal stone contactor and English Heritage. The Awards judges felt that this was “…an exemplary way to carry out this kind of restoration.”

[[File:Photo 1 - Completed worksJPG.jpg|1408px]]

Looking forward, 2017 will see one of the Federation’s other sector focussed initiatives, Stone Heritage launched to the sector. This group will have strong links with the Quarry Forum thanks to the significant part British stone has to play in the repair, restoration and conservation of our island’s historic buildings and monuments.

If you’re undertaking a heritage project and want to explore the options that British stone can provide you with, take a look at our stone sourcing tool on the Stone federation website: [http://bit.ly/BritStone http://bit.ly/BritStone].

File:Photo 1 - Completed worksJPG.jpg

2017-03-08T10:23:49Z

Stone Federation GB:

Natural Stone for Interiors

2017-03-08T10:18:25Z

Stone Federation GB:

In the world of interior design, in a sector where aesthetics lead the way and individuality is a unique selling point, natural stone is the ideal material.

Quarried and mined from the earth, bearing a unique characteristic that is the result of complex geological processes, natural stone offers the interior designer more than just a material, it offers a story.

[[File:Albion_Stone_Quarry.JPG|link=File:Albion_Stone_Quarry.JPG]]

No two pieces of natural stone will be exactly the same, and when embraced, this unique material can provide a wealth of options in both texture and colour.

Let’s take a look at exactly what natural stone has to offer the world of interior design.

Texture – from the fossils found in Portland stone to the natural, subtle layers of slate, texture is a strong selling point for using natural in interior spaces. The three-dimensional dynamic that a feature wall of unpolished, naturally textured stone can provide is stunning and definitely a trend that is on the increase. Unlike many other materials the same piece of stone can be finished in a number to provide the texture best suited to the application. Flamed, honed, blasted, sanded, polished and line textured are all finishes that can give the same piece of stone a very different visual impact.

Impact – the geological striations and natural colour streaks found in marble creates a striking aesthetic utilised across the interiors world, from hotel lobbies and internal walls through to floors and countertops. In a market where individuality is key, the unique visuals that natural stone can create are striking, bringing a strong identity to interior spaces of all description.

Durability – as a result of the geological processes, the thousands of years of compression, natural stone is an incredibly hard wearing material. You need only look at the centuries old, limestone clad streets of London, the granite paved streets of Aberdeen or the Clipsham rich buildings of Oxford to see evidence of the longevity of this natural material.

When it comes to choosing the right stone for the project in hand, it’s worth exploring the wealth of options that natural stone offers the interiors market.

[http://bit.ly/NaturalStoneAwards The Natural Stone Awards] are run by Stone Federation and seek to celebrate the best examples of the use of natural stone across a wide range of applications including interiors. The interiors category is a fantastic showcase for the successful use of natural stone in bathrooms, hotels, high-end apartments, churches and so much more. The 2014 and 2016 Awards have seen a wide range of natural stones used in the successful projects stretching all the way from British limestones through to Italian marbles. The finished projects cover everything from the dramatic to the understated, but all have one thing in common, the designer or architects’ skill in choosing the perfect stone for the desired application.

[[File:Hampstead_-_2016_Natural_Stone_Awards_Interiors_Winner.jpg|link=File:Hampstead_-_2016_Natural_Stone_Awards_Interiors_Winner.jpg]]

To start your search for the ideal material and company for your next natural stone project, go to [http://bit.ly/FindAMember http://bit.ly/FindAMember].

Natural Stone for Interiors

2017-03-08T10:16:59Z

Stone Federation GB: Created page with "In the world of interior design, in a sector where aesthetics lead the way and individuality is a unique selling point, natural stone is the ideal material. Quarried and mined..."

In the world of interior design, in a sector where aesthetics lead the way and individuality is a unique selling point, natural stone is the ideal material.

Quarried and mined from the earth, bearing a unique characteristic that is the result of complex geological processes, natural stone offers the interior designer more than just a material, it offers a story.

[[File:Albion Stone Quarry.JPG|2048px]]

No two pieces of natural stone will be exactly the same, and when embraced, this unique material can provide a wealth of options in both texture and colour.

Let’s take a look at exactly what natural stone has to offer the world of interior design.

Texture – from the fossils found in Portland stone to the natural, subtle layers of slate, texture is a strong selling point for using natural in interior spaces. The three-dimensional dynamic that a feature wall of unpolished, naturally textured stone can provide is stunning and definitely a trend that is on the increase. Unlike many other materials the same piece of stone can be finished in a number to provide the texture best suited to the application. Flamed, honed, blasted, sanded, polished and line textured are all finishes that can give the same piece of stone a very different visual impact.

Impact – the geological striations and natural colour streaks found in marble creates a striking aesthetic utilised across the interiors world, from hotel lobbies and internal walls through to floors and countertops. In a market where individuality is key, the unique visuals that natural stone can create are striking, bringing a strong identity to interior spaces of all description.

Durability – as a result of the geological processes, the thousands of years of compression, natural stone is an incredibly hard wearing material. You need only look at the centuries old, limestone clad streets of London, the granite paved streets of Aberdeen or the Clipsham rich buildings of Oxford to see evidence of the longevity of this natural material.

When it comes to choosing the right stone for the project in hand, it’s worth exploring the wealth of options that natural stone offers the interiors market.

[http://bit.ly/NaturalStoneAwards The Natural Stone Awards] are run by Stone Federation and seek to celebrate the best examples of the use of natural stone across a wide range of applications including interiors. The interiors category is a fantastic showcase for the successful use of natural stone in bathrooms, hotels, high-end apartments, churches and so much more. The 2014 and 2016 Awards have seen a wide range of natural stones used in the successful projects stretching all the way from British limestones through to Italian marbles. The finished projects cover everything from the dramatic to the understated, but all have one thing in common, the designer or architects’ skill in choosing the perfect stone for the desired application.

[[File:Hampstead - 2016 Natural Stone Awards Interiors Winner.jpg|4373px]]

To start your search for the ideal material and company for your next natural stone project, go to [http://bit.ly/FindAMember http://bit.ly/FindAMember].

File:Hampstead - 2016 Natural Stone Awards Interiors Winner.jpg

2017-03-08T10:08:42Z

Stone Federation GB:

File:Albion Stone Quarry.JPG

2017-03-08T10:01:39Z

Stone Federation GB: