Cast Stone News & Events

Cast Stone Ecodesign (October 2010)

UKCSA members are leading the way with innovative products in cast stone for sustainable environmental design.


Haddonstone has won the Gold Award (Building Materials) for Environmental Best Practice and Sustainable Development at this year’s prestigious International Green Apple Awards, presented by The Green Organisation.

The company developed a cast stone replacement for damaged stonework at Scarborough Spa, which directly faces the North Sea. The material passed, with flying colours, strenuous salt crystallisation and water absorption tests to withstand the rigours of salt water and wind-driven spray.







Bradstone has created a classically inspired garden portico with a clever architrave feature that provides a habitat for crevice nesting birds. Unveiled at this year’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show, the Crevice Nesting Portico is on track to represent the UK in the European Business Awards for the Environment.

Designer Paul Hervey-Brookes will be presented with the Green Apple Award for Environmental Best Practice at the House of Commons in November. He said the idea was to create a beautiful portico, which was a marketable product for the building trade but also had an important environmental use in potentially helping to restore populations of crevice nesting species. The architrave of the elegant Tuscan portico is detailed with rectangular niches for nesting.











Forticrete has launched two innovations in cast stone to provide safe havens for legally-protected bats and birds in modern or refurbished buildings. The Bat Box has been developed to provide a habitat for Pipistrelle bats.

In a similar vein the Swift Box provides summer visitors with alternative nest sites due to the effective sealing of eaves. The boxes are available from Forticrete’s ‘Stone In Stock’ range although bespoke boxes can be designed and made for any application.

< Back