(NOT) just another brick in the wall

Time is running out. It is becoming apparent that if the construction industry’s contribution to reaching government targets of net zero by 2050 is to be achieved, radical action is called for. Old carbon intensive practices need to go. One solution seems staggeringly simple.

The UK produces around 2 billion bricks a year which require high temperature kiln firing, considerably adding to CO2 emissions. To meet demand, we also import a huge number of bricks. 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. The production of stone bricks is characterised by cutting rather than firing ensuring remarkable environmental credentials, with carbon intensity reductions of between 75-80% when comparing stone brick EPD’s to a typical clay brick EPD produced by The Brick Development Association. Stone bricks are strong surpassing traditional clay bricks with a higher compressive strength which is more comparable to class B engineer bricks.

© Ivan Jones

The beauty of bricks from a stone is that these bricks can be taken from ‘unloved stone’. ‘Unloved Stone’ is stone that is often dismissed by specifiers that are used to the pristine surfaces of a more uniform stone. Structurally, there is nothing wrong with ‘unloved stone’, it simply doesn't meet the aesthetic criteria typically considered during the stone selection phase. Fully embracing the natural variation in tone and texture requires a shift in perspective to appreciate the inherent beauty that natural stone offers.

Stone suppliers Albion Stone PLC and Hutton Stone Co. – both members of The Stone Collective – are pioneering the production and use of stone bricks. Through investment in state-of-the-art machinery and the use of their local quarries/mines, stone bricks have the potential to seriously reduce our carbon emissions.

© Ivan Jones

The appetite for bricks from a stone is there with huge interest from architects and engineers keen to design buildings that are part of the solution not the problem. Increased recognition of the many benefits of stone bricks will lead to lower prices as the stone industry equips itself to meet demand. It’s a remarkable idea, that a simple stone brick could be the answer to decarbonising our built environment.

Vanessa Norwood is a curator and consultant for the built environment advocating for low-carbon architecture and materials.