Given the pressing climate challenges, it is imperative that the construction industry prioritizes the assessment of embodied carbon in its practices. Within this context, only a few materials possess the qualities of being local, natural, non-toxic, resilient, and proven sustainable options, namely stone, timber, and earth.

In Germany, we are fortunate to have abundant deposits of solid stone beneath our feet, with limestone being one of the most readily available types.

The process of extracting stone is characterized by its loud and forceful nature, resulting in noticeable craters in the Earth’s crust. Despite occupying a relatively small area, quarries - and thus stone extraction - are often regarded as eyesores on the landscape. Open-pit mines stand out due to their visual and environmental impact as they are not always satisfactorily renaturated. In addition, the high transport costs generated by today’s global trade in natural stone raw materials and products must be viewed critically - and this has a negative impact on the sustainability balance of this building material.

Nevertheless, stone stands out as an incredibly adaptable material that can be directly cut into slabs and bricks on site of the quarry, eliminating the need of fossil fuels required in the production of concrete, steel, or bricks. Due to their exceptional strength, most types of stone are excellent structural construction materials. Typically, stone is about 2.5 times stronger than concrete, while some types of stones like basalt are as strong as steel under compressive loads.

Transforming rock into construction material requires just a minimal number of cuts, and the transportation from the source to the construction site could ony take a few hours.

This project investigates three active limestone quarries within german geological basins, showcasing the viability of this resource as a low-carbon alternative to overheated materials and composites, while emphasizing its structural properties and cultural significance.

Master Thesis (Material Research & Installation)