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The aim of the Natural Stone Institute is to provide a knowledge base that will be used to promote a better understanding of all aspects of natural stone, from its quarrying to its use in the built environment - in both new build and conservation activities. The NSI will promote good practice through: education, training, research, technical innovation and information co-ordination |
NOTICE OF DISSOLUTION OF THE NATURAL STONE INSTITUTE
The Natural Stone Institute (NSI) will be dissolved on the 31st March 2008. If you have an enquiry please contact the Scottish Stone Liaison Group (SSLG).
About the Natural Stone Institute
The Natural Stone Institute (NSI) was formally launched at Stirling Castle in September 2001. Having originally been formed within the Scottish Stone Liaison Group (SSLG), the NSI is now a registered charity and a company limited by guarantee.
The NSI is seeking to establish a unique centre of excellence, offering a one-door approach. It is developing services for the dissemination of information to clients, specifiers, architects, specialist masonry builders and the general public. The NSI aims:
- To promote appropriate education and training systems that will meet the needs of specifiers, designers, students, trainees teachers and the general public.
- To promote and co-ordinate research relevant to natural stone within the built environment.
- The establish the NSI as the recognised centre for advice and information on all aspects of natural stone.
Stone has been used in construction from pre-history to the present day. Resonating with meaning, it is an exciting material for use in new construction. That the monuments built by masons 5000 years ago have survived to this day indicates just how durable a material stone can be. While stone is a finite resource, its longevity, coupled with its contribution to our quality of life, mean that stone has outstanding sustainability credentials. However, in the current construction climate stone is marginalised; there are few working quarries and a reducing pool of stonemasons skilled in working the material. Little importance is attached to teaching of masonry construction in architecture and building courses.
The NSI seeks to ensure that appropriate materials, skills, knowledge and information are readily available now, and into the future, to enable the correct repair and appropriate maintenance of our built heritage.
Currently those needs are met, in part, by a range of organisations and public bodies but it is the intention of the NSI to create a one-door Institute that will be open to all who have an interest in matters ranging from quarrying to building, from builders to professionals to members of the public and from educators to operatives. The NSI will seek to address the questions raised and supply the information sought.
Through making such material, skills, knowledge and information readily available it is considered that the NSI will meet the needs of everyone seeking to use stone - be it in the field of conservation or new build projects.However, it is stressed that the conservation field alone will not guarantee a viable industry and therefore the NSI seeks to encourage the use of stone and other indigenous materials in new build projects. Through such activity it is anticipated that the increase in demand generated should safeguard production from quarries that also provide the stone so necessary for our built heritage.
Unless there is a strong demand for their products, the producers of the very building blocks of Scotland's built heritage could be jeopardised and any subsequent reduction in the size of the Scottish stone industry would only further damage our ability to meet this generation's obligations to our built heritage.
The Natural Stone Institute will:
- Develop training materials for all sectors - from schools to the professions and industry
- Work in collaboration with Universities both in the UK and abroad
- Seek to identify research needs and to address these issues
- Build a central information source
- Provide an advisory service
- Promote its services to specifier bodies
- Catalogue natural stone sources, develop supporting technical and commercial evaluations
- In general - seeking to meet the needs of all within the natural stone industry
Natural Stone Institute Strategic Plan 2006-7
Download the NSI Strategic Plan in pdf format (2.2MB): NSI Strategic Plan
Events: Deconstructing Building Stone - One day seminar
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23 October 2007 - East Kilbride This seminar reviews the different types of building stone, including slate, used in Britain. It poses the
question of how to assess the quality of building stones, looking at British and the new European standards. This one day seminar costs £155.00 inc VAT (Save £10.00 by booking online). |
Events: NSI 4th Annual Lecture
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29th November 2007, Commencing 7pm, The Scottish Storytelling Centre, Edinburgh The 4th NSI Annual Lecture will be held on Thursday 29th November 2007 at The Scottish Storytelling Centre, Edinburgh. Malcolm Fraser, of Malcolm Fraser Architects, will be speaking about the Scottish Storytelling Centre project which combines the historic 'John Knox House' with the adjacent Netherbow Arts Centre. Following the talk there will also be the opportunity to view this
exceptionally beautiful venue with this expert guide. The evening will begin at 7pm, with a buffet prior to the lecture. |
New publication
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Published in January 2005 by arcamedia, Building with Scottish Stone is a readable introduction to this important subject and a valuable desktop reference guide for practitioners. Topics include an introduction to stone, the history of stone use in Scotland and practical information on working with and building with stone together with case studies, references and reviews of recent publications related to the use of stone in building. For designers working in the urban or rural environment, Building With Scottish Stone offers a reappraisal and fuller understanding of the often complex issues involved in procuring and using a material whose qualities have stood the test of time. |
Joining the Natural Stone Institute
Information on how to join the NSI is on our Membership page.
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Natural Stone Institute Fax: +44 (0)131 557 3696. Email: Sarah Bailey |
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The Natural Stone Institute (NSI) is a registered charity |
Last revision: 11th October 2007 Please address queries about this web site to: |