Massive precut stone facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Massive-precut stone is a modern way of building with stone that helps structures stand strong. It uses large stone blocks that are cut very precisely by machines. These blocks are like giant LEGO pieces! They are designed to fit together perfectly, making it quick and easy to build strong buildings where stone is the main material holding everything up.

This method is also called "MP stone." A key part of MP stone is cutting the blocks to exact sizes before they even get to the building site. This means workers can put them together quickly, often using a crane. The blocks might even be numbered, so builders know exactly where each one goes. Using these big stone blocks has many cool benefits!

Massive-precut stone building was first developed by Fernand Pouillon after World War II. He called it "pierre de taille" or "pré-taille" stone. Pouillon and an engineer named Paul Marcerou figured out how to use special saws, like those used for cutting wood, to cut stone at the quarry. This made it possible to create these precise, large stone blocks.

Since 1948, MP stone buildings have been constructed in many countries. These include France, Algeria, Switzerland, Palestine, the United Kingdom, Spain, and India.

What Makes Massive-Precut Stone Special?
Different Ways to Use Massive-Precut Stone
Why Massive-Precut Stone is Great
History of Massive-Precut Stone
See also

What Makes Massive-Precut Stone Special?

MP stone has five key features that make it different from older stone building methods and modern stone that's just for show.

It's load-bearing: This means the stone blocks actually support the weight of the building. They aren't just thin layers used for decoration on the outside.
Uses huge blocks: Using big stone blocks has three main advantages:
- It means fewer cuts are needed, which saves money and time.
- The thick walls help keep the building warm in winter and cool in summer.
- Cranes can be used to lift the blocks, which means less hard work for people and faster building times. It also means less mortar (the "glue" between stones) is needed.
Cut precisely off-site: The stone blocks are cut to exact sizes at the quarry or a workshop. This is like pre-making parts for a model. It means builders don't have to make adjustments on the building site. The building becomes more like putting together a kit. Precise cuts also mean less mortar is needed.
Machines do the work: Unlike old stonemasonry, machines do most of the cutting (with saws) and lifting (with cranes).
Designed for easy building: Architects design the building so that each stone block has a specific size. They try to make the blocks as similar as possible. Having fewer different shapes makes building simpler. Fernand Pouillon was able to build large housing projects much faster and cheaper than others because of this smart design process.

Different Ways to Use Massive-Precut Stone

There are three main ways massive-precut stone is used:

Solid blocks (monolithic ashlars): These are blocks cut precisely on all sides. They are used to build walls, and the tops of windows and doors. The first big use of this method was in the La Tourette area of Marseille.
Blocks with shaped ends: These are stone blocks from the quarry that have their ends shaped precisely. They are used to create strong frameworks, like posts and beams. The building at 15 Clerkenwell Close in London, finished in 2017, was the first to use this method.
"Cyclopean concrete" blocks: This is a newer method. Rough stones are put into a mold and covered with concrete. Then, the concrete is cut into large blocks for cranes to lift. This allows old, rough stones to be reused. The first time this was used in a building was for a social housing project in Mallorca in the early 2020s.

MP stone is often used with other materials, especially for floors. Stone isn't usually strong enough on its own for long, flat spans. It's often combined with reinforced concrete floors. There are also plans to use it with wood floors (called cross-laminated timber) and even special post-tensioned stone floors. Adding "post-tensioning" makes MP stone even stronger, so it could replace reinforced concrete in many places.

Why Massive-Precut Stone is Great

MP stone building has many advantages over other building methods like brick, concrete, or wood.

Fast to build: Because the stone blocks are cut precisely and lifted by cranes, buildings go up much faster than with traditional stone methods. It's also quicker than concrete, as there's less waiting for things to dry.
Simple design: Imagine building a column. With concrete, you need steel, concrete, fireproofing, and stone decoration, all put in by different workers. With MP stone, it's just a stone block lifted by a crane. This simplicity makes designing buildings easier.
Efficient design: Simpler designs mean architects can create and improve building plans quickly. Using a "design for manufacturing and assembly" (DFMA) approach, where parts are made to fit together easily, helps projects succeed.
Less labor needed: Cranes and a clear building plan mean fewer workers are needed. This saves money and means you don't have to wait as long for skilled builders.
Saves money: Using larger stone blocks means less cutting and less work for stone fixers. This can make the overall cost of building lower than using smaller bricks or stones.
Very durable: Buildings made with massive-precut stone are strong and last a very long time, just like old stone castles. They need less maintenance. Historically, stone is the most durable building material. Studies have even shown that a 20-story MP-stone tower can be very strong against earthquakes!
Looks amazing: MP stone buildings are beautiful and unique. They show off the natural beauty of stone. Many people prefer real stone over fake-looking materials.
Good for the planet: Stone has a lower "embedded carbon" (less energy used to make it) than many other materials. This means it's more sustainable and better for the environment. Building with load-bearing stone can produce about 10 times less carbon than a similar concrete building.
Can be reused: When an MP stone building is no longer needed, the large, rectangular blocks can easily be taken apart and used again for new buildings.
Great for temperature: Like traditional stone buildings, MP stone buildings have excellent "thermal mass." This means the stone absorbs and releases heat slowly, helping to keep the inside temperature steady. This can reduce the energy needed for heating and cooling.
Fire resistant: Stone is much better at resisting fire than wood or other materials. This means less or no extra fireproofing is needed.

History of Massive-Precut Stone

The massive-precut stone apartment complex Diar el Mahçoul in El Madania, Algeria.

Massive-precut stone buildings on Marseille's Vieux-Port waterfront.

Fernand Pouillon (1912-1986) was a French architect who was a pioneer in using massive-precut stone in modern buildings. After the war, he used his new stone building methods to create many important projects, especially housing. Pouillon's work was key in bringing back and expanding this way of building in modern architecture.

MP Stone in the 20th Century: Pouillon's Work

Fernand Pouillon, French Wikipedia

After World War II, Pouillon designed and built many MP-stone buildings in France and Algeria. These buildings provided tens of thousands of apartments.

Mid-century precut stone: Pouillon's new method involved using machines, like those for steel and wood, to cut stone. This allowed for very precise shaping of stone blocks from the Fontvielle quarry. Pouillon called this "ready-made" or "prefabricated" stone.
1940s: Pouillon started experimenting with machine-cut stone. A major project from this time was the design and construction of La Tourette in Marseille. A very important part of this project was the first MP stone "skyscraper," 2 Rue Saint-Laurent. It was a 16-story apartment building.
1950s: Pouillon designed and built many housing projects in France using his prefabricated stone method. These showed how fast and efficient his building technique was. He built several large housing developments in Paris.
Algeria, 1950s-1970s: Pouillon also worked in Algeria, designing big housing projects in Algiers. These included Diar es-Saâda (730 homes), Diar el Mahçoul (900 homes), and Climat de France (3500 homes). Even though these used French stone, they showed how well his method worked in different places. A famous building from this time was the Tower of Diar es-Saâda, a 20-story MP stone skyscraper. It has stood strong for 70 years in an area with earthquakes.
1980s-1990s: For several decades, MP stone was mostly forgotten. Concrete became more popular. After Pouillon died in 1986, no architects were building modern MP stone buildings. Stone became mostly associated with old buildings or used just as decoration on concrete.

Gilles Perraudin's Revival of MP Stone

Vauvert Winery, 1998: A French architect named Gilles Perraudin rediscovered Pouillon's method. He started to develop it further, beginning with the Vauvert Winery. This building used stone from a nearby quarry. A key idea here was using MP stone in a "trilithic" system, like ancient stone structures with posts and beams. This building and Perraudin's other projects helped bring back interest in massive-precut stone, especially for social housing.

MP Stone in the 2010s: A New Beginning

Apartments in Cornebarrieu, 2011: A sustainable MP stone building with 20 social-housing units was completed in Cornebarrieu, France. It was designed by Perraudin. This was the first MP stone housing project since Pouillon's time. It led to more phases, with a total of 104 units. This project showed that modern stone construction is great for today's housing needs.
House in Croix Rousse, Lyon, France, 2013: Another project by Perraudin Architects.
Toulkarem Courthouse, Palestine, 2015: AAU Anastas architects completed this courthouse, which uses MP stone with concrete.
Mixed-use building, London, 2017: Groupwork finished 15 Clerkenwell Close. This building used massive-precut stone in a unique "exoskeleton" design, meaning the stone framework was on the outside. This building used blocks that were partly shaped at the quarry, saving money on cutting. This was a new idea since Pouillon's time.
Social housing, Paris, 2017: In Paris, 92 Rue Oberkampf was designed by Barrault Pressacco architects. It used local limestone and showed that MP stone could be used for urban housing.
Plainfaing Tourist Office, France, 2019: Designed by Studiolada, this building was made from pink sandstone.
Mallorca housing, 2010s: The housing institute of the Balearic Islands (IBAVI) started a program to build over 1000 apartments using local stone. They built hundreds of apartments from MP stone and developed new techniques, like using stone barrel vaults for social housing and cyclopean concrete blocks.

MP Stone in the 2020s: Becoming More Common

Newer MP stone housing often combines materials, usually with concrete for the base and inside structure, and load-bearing stone for the outside walls. Many French architects have started using this method.

12 Rue Jean-Bart, Paris, 2020: Designed by Jean-Christophe Quinton, this building has 8 social housing units. Its stone facade helps it blend in with typical Parisian streets.
Stone Tower Research Project, 2020: Experts showed that a 30-story office skyscraper made with an MP-stone outer frame and post-tensioned stone floors would cost less than a concrete building. With wood, it could even be "carbon negative," meaning it removes more carbon than it produces.
"The New Stone Age" exhibition, 2020: Massive-precut stone was a big part of this exhibition at The Building Centre.
52 Rue des Cévennes, Paris, 2020: Architect Raphaël Gabrion designed a sustainable building with 9 social housing units. It uses load-bearing stone on the outside and concrete inside. The stone can be easily taken apart and reused.
Plan-les-Ouates, Switzerland, 2021: 68 apartments were completed here.
Versailles apartment building, 2021: Architects Denis Eliet and Laurent Lehmann completed a building with 16 units, mainly using cut stone.
21st Natural Stone Construction Prize, 2021: This French award only gave prizes to projects that used load-bearing stone construction.
Rajkumari Ratnavati Girl's School, India, 2021: Designed by Diana Kellogg, this school in Jaisalmer was built with local golden sandstone.
"L’Îlot fertile," Paris, 2022: Designed by TVK architects, this large development used stone and concrete.
Lyon mixed-use building, 2022: Perraudin and WYSWYG architects completed this building.

MP Stone in the Future

Many MP stone projects are currently being planned or built.

Rosny-sous-Bois apartment building, 2023: This large development will use cut stone, wood, and concrete.
317 Finchley Road, London, 2024: This 10-story MP stone building will use huge Sicilian basalt stones. Post-tensioning will be used to make it even more stable.
Covered market in Saint-Dizier, France: Designed by Studiolada.
Castle Park, Bristol: Groupwork won a competition for a housing project that includes a 30-story tower made from MP stone and wood. When finished, it will be the tallest massive-stone skyscraper, even taller than Pouillon's 20-story tower in Algeria.