UKCSA 32nd Anniversary, “Excellence in the Use of Cast Stone” Awards 2023

Voting is now closed in the UKCSA 32nd Anniversary, “Excellence in the Use of Cast Stone” 2023 Awards competition, for projects that have used the cast stone manufacturing Full Members’ own cast stone. The UKCSA 2023 Awards will be judged in three Categories:

Category 1: Best use of Cast Stone on a Commercial / Retail / Mixed Use Project.
Category 2: Best Technical / Innovative use of Cast Stone on a Project.
Category 3: Best Overall Cast Stone Project.

Your votes in Category 1 and 3 will determine the Winners in those two categories. The Winner in Category 2 will be decided by an equal combination of your votes, and a specially selected judging panel. UKCSA Full Members, their employees and associates, are not allowed to vote, and any votes placed by them will be disregarded.

A full preview of the finalist entries are given below, and further details will soon be available on the linked Projects pages of this UKCSA web site now that voting has closed. The Winners will be announced at the UKCSA 2023 AGM on 28th March 2023 and free tickets for the UKCSA AGM are now available.

The decision of the UK Cast Stone Association (UKCSA) shall be final in all aspects appertaining to the competition, and by submitting an entry or vote, and by participating in the competition, then you are deemed to have accepted that this is the case.

AWARDS CATEGORY 1 – Best use of Cast Stone on a Commercial / Retail / Mixed Use Project.

Awards Category 1 – Commercial / Retail /Mixed use Project – Entry No. 1

Project name: Windmill in The City public house

Building type: Commercial

Cast stone material: Wet-cast Cast Stone

Location: Tabernacle Street, London

Background: The Windmill in The City public house is located in the heart of the City of London.

The cast stone manufacturing UKCSA Full Member was contracted to manufacture a range of cast stone components as part of the restoration and renovation of the commercial floors above the pub. The project entailed building two additional floors and roof space specifically for offices above the original space, as well as renovating the main entranceway to the building, which is located on Tabernacle Street.

The cast stone manufacturer’s team were asked to supply new cast stone window surrounds, string course and cladding for both the commercial floors and the main entrance.

Each cast stone component was manufactured in a wet cast limestone material, in Portland colour. It was integral that the new cast stone components seamlessly matched the existing stonework.

To replicate the existing window surrounds, The UKCSA Full Member commissioned 3D scans of the existing profiles. This included taking scans of the original dormer pediments before producing each new design in their manufactory. Some of the new window surrounds were radial.

The project was completed in 2022

Windmill in the City, Tabernacle Street, London

Awards Category 1 – Commercial / Retail /Mixed use Project – Entry No. 2

Project name: The Bowline – Bowling Harbour Viaduct

Building type: Landscaping

Cast stone material: Wet-cast Cast Stone

Location: Bowling Harbour, West Dumbartonshire

Background: As part of the jewel in the crown of a £10m regeneration programme at Bowling Harbour in West Dumbartonshire and Scotland’s answer to the New York Highline, The Bowline involved refurbishment of Bowling Harbour Viaduct to allow pedestrian and cycle access to and over the viaduct. Over 1350 cast stone elements were supplied for the project consisting of bridge planks, steps, stepping stones and engraved signage, all manufactured in a high quality wet cast acid etched finish in two colours to delineate pedestrian and cycle traffic.

Close co-ordination between designer, UKCSA cast stone manufacturing Full Member and installer was required throughout, particularly as some of the individual components were manufactured to specific ‘site-sized’ details. The ‘Totem’ Moulds were also supplied by an UKCSA Associate Member.

The project, which was winner of the Community Award at the CECA Scotland Civil Engineering Awards 2021, involved the transformation of the disused railway viaduct into a state-of-the-art linear park and walking, wheeling and cycling route at the western gateway to the Lowland canals.

Rankinfraser Landscape Architects. Mackenzie Construction. Blyth & Blyth. Sustrans. Scottish Canals. Foto Ma.

Awards Category 1 – Commercial / Retail /Mixed use Project – Entry No. 3

Project name: Coronation Square

Building type: Mixed use development

Cast stone material: Wet-cast Cast Stone

Location: Coronation Square, Leyton

Background: Block E at Coronation Square in Leyton is a mixed use development which compromises of both new houses and commercial space on the ground floor. Set adjacent to Leyton Orient FC 50% of the housing is affordable.

The cast stone manufacturing UKCSA Full Member has a long established working relationship with the Taylor Wimpey who led the development along with the local council. Coronation Square is designed to be contextual yet distinctive using their Portland wet cast and pink London brick to reflect the character of Leyton’s Civic buildings.

In order to meet sustainability targets for the project the Full Member made use of steel moulds as appose to traditional timber moulds they have used in the past, while this was a large investment to start it enabled them to keep production on programme with little downtime on mould refurbishments.

The UKCSA Full Member’s wet cast formed the feature façade to the ground floor commercial space and entrances to the houses with large 6m vertical columns at typically 3500mm centres. There were 34 columns in total, each weighing in excess of 1.5 tons with horizontal beams to cap of the ground floor façade. Within the entrance colonnade to the houses smaller precast blocks were manufactured and supplied which were used to create a contrast to larger wet cast units.

Awards Category 1 – Commercial / Retail /Mixed use Project – Entry No. 4

Project name: Broadmarsh Public Realm

Building type: Public area

Cast stone material: Wet-cast Cast Stone

Location: Nottingham City Council

Background: This exciting new green, pedestrian-friendly public space for the city centre involved the most significant changes to a city centre road layout for 15 years.

The cast stone manufacturing UKCSA Full Member was instructed to supply architectural wet-cast seating and step units including curved areas to the Broadmarsh redevelopement. They manufactured various samples and mix designs for the landscape architects, to find the perfect colour and finish to meet their strict criteria

The new spaces and traffic reduction allows improved pedestrian environments. The work provides a public space between the new college, shopping centre, Nottingham Central Library and Nottingham Castle, with spaces for outdoor seating, food and drink in Carrington Street and areas for children to play, creating a better atmosphere to sit and dwell during the day.

AWARDS CATEGORY 2 – Best Technical / Innovative use of Cast Stone on a Project.

Awards Category 2 – Best Technical / Innovative Use – Entry No. 1

Project name: Manor House, Devon

Building type: Restoration & Refurbishment

Cast stone material: Dry-cast Cast Stone

Location: Devon

Background: The restoration, refurbishment and conversion of a historic manor house hotel into luxury apartments.

This project was a very design sensitive restoration of an 18^th century building which burnt down and was re-built in the 1820’s, requiring replacement cast stone components to many window surrounds.

In some cases, complete window surrounds identical to the originals, replacement decorative panels, plinth, string course and the replacement of a decayed brick plinth course were manufactured by the UKCSA Full Member in cast stone.

The main challenges were colour matching, reproducing the old profiles and making the window heads into structural units.

Awards Category 2 – Best Technical / Innovative Use – Entry No. 2

Project name: Bird Nesting Boxes

Building type: Landscaping / Religious

Cast stone material: Wet-cast Cast Stone

Location: Cambridge Central Mosque

Background: Cambridge Central Mosque is the city’s first purpose-built mosque and is inspired by both Islamic and English religious traditions. As Europe’s first ‘eco-mosque’, it places sustainability and environmental protection at its heart, with an emphasis on renewable energy and preserving the natural world.

The cast stone manufacturing UKCSA Full Member was commissioned to manufacture a broad range of bespoke cast stone components for this beautiful new building project. Working closely with the project architect, their team produced a variety of bespoke stonework using their wet cast limestone in beautiful Bath colour.

In-keeping with the building’s environmental ethos, the UKCSA Full Member was asked to produce bespoke cast stone bird nesting holes. These new and innovative boxes were produced within some of the distinctive new cast stone crenellations , produced by the Full Member’s expert craftsmen, that run along the parapet of the building. The bird nesting boxes were incorporated into the new building’s design with the intention of supporting and sustaining the local swift population.

In addition to the bird nesting boxes within the cast stone crenellations, the Full Member also produced complementary large, bespoke octagonal window surrounds which were designed to sit within the exterior walls. The window surrounds were clad in tiles of the traditional Gault colour with castellated parapets, symbolising the meeting of heaven and earth.

Finally, The UKCSA cast stone manufacturer produced bespoke door surrounds for the main mosque building, as well as pier caps, balls and bases, and copings for the main visitor entrance.

Cambridge Central Mosque opened in 2019

Awards Category 2 – Best Technical / Innovative Use – Entry No. 3

Project name: Hope Sculpture

Building type: Sculpture / Landscaping

Cast stone material: Wet-cast Cast Stone

Location: Cuningar Loop, Glasgow

Background: The Hope Sculpture is located in the woodland park area of Cuningar Loop in Glasgow. The cast stone age-gender-and race-neutral child at the top of the 20m high columns, poignantly reaches out for a more sustainable future. The sculpture is the first permanent structure in the UK constructed without the use of CEM I cement, and is a showcase of how industry, organisations and people are committed to build more sustainably, as we transition to a net zero future.

The complex shape and size of the various pieces of the sculpture required a product that is readily mouldable, and one that would demonstrate a significant advancement in sustainability. A crafted and unique surface finish, texture and aesthetic appearance was sought, and trials of various mix materials and finishes were carried out before the final requirement was approved for manufacture

The concrete for the Child figure at the top of the columns was manufactured by the UKCSA Full Member using a special low carbon concrete with a minimum 70% reduction in carbon than normal, and included recycled glass as part of the mix design. The concrete surface benefits from a light etching where the aggregate beneath is exposed and a hint of glass is unveiled from within. The ability to give the sculpted figure a detailed textured finish gave the finished piece a highly crafted appearance/

The 3.5 m tall Child was manufactured as separate components (i.e. torso, arms, legs) before being assembled at the factory and shipped and installed in one piece.

Awards Category 2 – Best Technical / Innovative Use – Entry No. 4

Project name: Tower Court

Building type: Residential

Cast stone material: Wet-cast Cast Stone

Location: Clapton Common

Background: The cast stone manufacturing UKCSA Full Member was first approached by Countryside Properties in early 2019 to review and engage in technical discussions with their construction team. The project compromised of 4 new tower blocks compromising of 132 much needed new homes for the local community.

The scheme was designed by Adam Khan and had to adhere to strict planning regulations on the colours used. The UKCSA Full Member developed two new bespoke colours which were used throughout the scheme and included a mixture of limestone, granite & dies to achieve the desired result.

The scheme involved large, cantilevered balconies which were thermally broken and cast into the RC frame. The balconies were in accordance with Jewish Sabbath laws as part of the regeneration programme and designed so that every balcony has an unobstructed view of the sky which is essential for Jewish families during the feast of Sukkot which occurs five days after Yom Kippur.

The balconies varied from 1.5 tons up to 5.5 tons depending on the size and location on the blocks. There was a total of 42 Sukkah balconies each distributed over the 4 blocks. Due to the UKCSA Full Member using off-site manufacturing techniques they were able to manufacture the balconies in their factory with the thermal break system cast into the balconies, enabling them to make just in time deliveries co-ordinated with the frame contractor so the programme was kept on schedule.

Awards Category 2 – Best Technical / Innovative Use – Entry No. 5

Project name: The Frythe

Building type: Residential

Cast stone material: Wet-cast Cast Stone

Location: Welwyn

Background: The Frythe, in Welwyn is an exclusive development of high end new build homes, by Linden Homes (Galliford Try PLC), boasting an array of cast stone features and dressings.

Most impressively however, the scope of this contract also involved the refurbishment of an existing building into luxury apartments, where you will see the cast stone manufacturing UKCSA Full Member provided some impressive cast stone to complement the existing structure to the front and side extensions.

The development was complete during 2018-2019, and the UKCSA Full Member’s cast stone package value was circa £150k overall.

AWARDS CATEGORY 3 – Best Overall Cast Stone Project.

Awards Category 3 – Best Overall Cast Stone Project – Entry No. 1

Project name: Havenfields

Building type: Private residential house

Cast stone material: Dry-cast Cast Stone

Location: South of England

Background: Havenfields in the south of England was an abandoned large country house that has been extended by the new owners. The building was very bland being constructed in red brick with 65mm high concrete cills. The client requested a meeting to discuss what the cast stone manufacturing UKCSA Full Member could propose.

From the initial meeting it was clear that The UKCSA Full Member’s unique approach to supply combined with inhouse installation would be the perfect match.

The UKCSA Full Member was then instructed to provide their full turnkey supply & installation service and supplied over 55 Tonnes of cast stone which was expertly fitted by their own in house installation teams in just over 90 days. The cast stone supply and installation included cills, heads, portico, quoins and a large amount of balustrade.

By using an UKCSA Full Member for the supply and installation service their client received the best service possible from initial site meetings, survey and design, right through to the delivery and installation of the units meaning complete peace of mind for the customer.

A lot of the units supplied were highly bespoke aligned with the Full Member’s quality standards meaning that a considerable amount of time was taken up in their mould factory to ensure they could deliver exactly what their client wanted. This included many radius units of cills, heads and balustrade which all had to be templated on site and then brought back to the pattern makers for them to make the moulds from. The Full Member also utilised their partnership with a local woodworking company for them to 5 axis CNC profiles to each radius to ensure they were millimetre perfect.

The UKCSA Full Member worked to very tight timelines throughout the job so their production and installation department had to keep regular contact between the site and the cast stone factory to ensure the products arrived on time and ready for installation by their own technicians.

Awards Category 3 – Best Overall Cast Stone Project – Entry No. 2

Project name: Rosewood Cottage

Building type: Private Residential

Cast stone material: Wet-cast Cast Stone

Location: Wentworth Estate, Virginia Water

Background: The cast stone manufacturing UKCSA Full Member’s supply to the recently completed development of Rosewood Cottage on the Wentworth Estate in Virginia Water was to Applegate Homes, a client they have a long and successful relationship of working with on numerous developments in the Wentworth/ Virginia Water area. Their client was carrying out the build on this development for a Private client of their own.

The initial details for this development were drawn up by the Architect, Greene Box Design, who had numerous discussions with the Private client to ensure their wishes were incorporated. The UKCSA Full Member was then issued with the plan and elevation drawings with an indication of intended stone sections to allow them to fully detail the stone units required.

The UKCSA Full Member’s cast stone supply consisted of bespoke, wet-cast, etched stone door and window surrounds throughout, with a dentil cornice to the perimeter of the eaves. The roof line was finished with panelling, balustrading, coping & finials to the both the front and rear elevation. The eye catching elements of this development are the two 45º bays and the central main entrance area to the front elevation, that are completely manufactured from the Full Member’s Portland, wet-cast, etched stone, from ground to roof level to give a stunning visual that is finished with a bespoke square columned structural portico.

The design of the large format roof level eaves dentil cornice units were particularly interesting, with some of the units nearly 3m long and weighing 1.5 tonne. The larger units sped up the installation process with the added benefit of minimising the number of joints required to give an impressive aesthetic.

Awards Category 3 – Best Overall Cast Stone Project – Entry No. 3

Project name: Halstead Hill

Building type: Residential Development

Cast stone material: Wet-cast Cast Stone

Location: Goff’s Oak, Waltham Cross

Background: The Halstead Hill development in Goff’s Oak, Waltham Cross is an exclusive development of high end new build homes boasting an array of cast stone features and dressings, supplied by an UKCSA Full Member.

The development was complete in 2018, but remains impressive to the present time.

The UKCSA Full Member’s cast stone package value was circa £200k in total, and the main contractor was Taylor Wimpey, North Thames region.

Awards Category 3 – Best Overall Cast Stone Project – Entry No. 4

Project name: Fairholme

Building type: Private Residential

Cast stone material: Dry-cast Cast Stone

Location: Taunton

Background: Fairholme is a new build residential home, designed to be in keeping with its listed neighbouring properties with some 18^th century features, using traditional designs and materials, such as stone features, oak beams and thatched roof.

As the Client wanted to see the traditional cast stone window and door surrounds on the inside as well as outside, the cast surrounds supplied by an UKCSA Full Member have been designed to incorporate a thermal break to prevent cold bridging. This results in overcoming the problem of condensation and apparent dampness on the internal stone surfaces in the warm rooms and greatly improved thermal performance of the window and door surrounds. The front porch and rear loggia are supported by solid structural cast stone columns

The technical challenges include fixing the stone elements together and to the fabric of the walls internally and externally, selecting a suitable dense insulation and designing the stainless steel fixing components.

Awards Category 3 – Best Overall Cast Stone Project – Entry No. 5

Project name: Royal College of Music

Building type: Educational Establishment

Cast stone material: Wet-cast Cast Stone

Location: South Kensington, London

Background: An UKCSA Full Member was commissioned by their client to produce bespoke cast stone components for the newly renovated 1851 Courtyard at the Royal College of Music.

The Full Member’s team assisted the project architects during the early design stages of the project. They then worked closely with the specialist stone installers by providing both technical and design support throughout the duration of the project.

The UKCSA Full Member manufactured a range of bespoke cast stone designs including a horizontal lower cornice with decorative classical moulding; window dressings including brackets with triglyph design; door dressings; and string and plinth courses. They also produced bespoke curved benches with a bull-nose design. Each bench weighed over 600kgs.

The client wanted to ensure that the new cast stone components blended seamlessly with the existing stone of the original College buildings. To achieve this, the Full Member produced each component in a special Coade colour using their wet cast limestone.

Wet cast limestone was chosen because of its superior strength performance and because it weathers beautifully. The Full member is therefore confident that all the cast stone elements they manufactured for the restored 1851 Courtyard will remain in perfect condition for many years.

No mechanical fixings were used in the production of any of the components, so each unit was specially designed to be structurally supporting.

In total 57 tonnes of cast stone were produced for this project, comprising 130 different stone components.

Awards Category 3 – Best Overall Cast Stone Project – Entry No. 6

Project name: St Helen & St Katharine Sixth Form Centre

Building type: Educational Establishment

Cast stone material: Wet-cast Cast Stone

Location: Abingdon

Background: The St Helen & St Katharine Sixth Form Centre is a state-of-the-art education facility that required the use of precast elements both internally and externally to meet its design requirements.

The Full Member engaged with the architects and contractors early on in the project to ensure that the design and fixings of the precast elements were discussed thoroughly. This allowed for smooth approval, production, and installation on the site. The team worked tirelessly to produce 114 tonnes of precast units, consisting of 881 individual units in the colour specified by the architects. The cast stone elements were manufactured using a wet cast process, which allowed for a high level of accuracy in the finished product.

The cast stone units were robust, with clean and consistent finished faces and corners, and their quality was evident in the finished Sixth Form Centre. The client, architects and contractors were happy with the quality of the precast elements provided by the UKCSA Full Member.

Awards Category 3 – Best Overall Cast Stone Project – Entry No. 7

Project name: Union Terrace Gardens

Building type: Commercial/Mixed Use

Cast stone material: Wet-cast Cast Stone

Location: Aberdeen

Background: Cast stone from an UKCSA Full Member was used for the finish to the three pavilions in the Union Terrace Gardens project which not only allowed the architects create the symbolically important “tram” form, but also provide a finish that would complement the historic Granite heritage.

The high degree of precision in the design and manufacture of the panels allowed the elements to come together seamlessly on site, with panel joints minimised and set out to the architect’s specification. Structurally, there were several considerations in forming the components, which are both light and slender at the upper level, and heavy and expansive at the lower levels. The overall system was designed as self-supporting from foundation level, avoiding the need for any intermediate vertical support from the primary structure and ensuring consistency of the panel joints.

Achieving the profiles demanded careful consideration by the UKCSA Full Member in respect of reinforcement and cover to the leading curved edges. Detail coordination was paramount and all components (including reinforcement and cast in fixings and brackets) were modelled and detailed to BIM Level of Detail 400, to ensure a precision fit throughout production and assembly.

Small section sizes and component durability, particularly to the upper mullions and transoms, were achieved through considered detailing and specification of cover, tolerances and testing. The provision of concealed lifting and fixing points also presented challenges and drove the development of bespoke restraint brackets and cast-in plates. This required effective collaboration between designers, UKCSA Full Member cast stone manufacturer, and installer to successfully deliver the architectural vision in a buildable and robust manner.

AWARDS CATEGORY 1 – Best use of Cast Stone on a Commercial / Retail / Mixed Use Project.

AWARDS CATEGORY 2 – Best Technical / Innovative use of Cast Stone on a Project.

AWARDS CATEGORY 3 – Best Overall Cast Stone Project.

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