Reimagining the future of stone as a utilitarian material; this talk will put stone centre stage and consider the concept that a brick can be a stone - and visa versa - and a stone can be an ashlar, with all of them a humble piece of rubble walling for the next century. 

As ideas of circular economy and materials reuse become established in the lexicon of architectural language, the ancient practice of Spolia is rightly back in the spotlight. Reusing components from existing, soon-to-be-demolished, or already deconstructed structures significantly reduces the need for manufacturing new components, in turn reducing the carbon cost of the building.

Shifting the status quo is vital to building more sustainably. The UK produces around 2 billion bricks a year which require high temperature kiln firing, considerably adding to CO2 emissions. Bricks are a familiar part of the UK landscape and often the go-to response by planners keen on replicating ‘context’ but a straightforward switch to natural stone bricks could be a game-changer for the future of sustainable construction.