The International Workshop Stereotomic Stone Architecture took place at FAUP from May 4 to 8, 2026, bringing together students, researchers, and professionals for an intensive exploration of sustainable approaches to the design and construction of structural stone. Over the course of five days, participants engaged with stereotomy through lectures, digital workflows, hands‑on experimentation, and direct contact with industry.
In a context shaped by increasing environmental pressures, the workshop highlighted stone construction as a low‑impact, durable, and reversible alternative to conventional systems with high embodied carbon. As a natural material requiring minimal processing, stone offers a compelling path toward reducing the environmental footprint of the built environment.
The program adopted a critical and practical approach to stereotomy, revisiting this historical craft through contemporary methodologies that integrate architectural geometry, digital modelling, and fabrication processes. Participants explored design principles, cutting strategies, and assembly methods associated with stone vaults, culminating in the collaborative construction of a small stereotomic prototype.
Throughout the week, the group visited the Solubema quarry and extraction site in Vila Viçosa (Alentejo), as well as the ETMA processing plant, gaining first‑hand insight into the full chain of stone production — from extraction to transformation. These visits provided essential context for understanding the material, its constraints, and its potential within contemporary construction.
Back at FAUP, two intensive working sessions were dedicated to the Voussoir plugin, during which participants developed a series of distinct stereotomic architectures using Grasshopper/Rhino. Each proposal was refined within a digital workflow and prepared for 3D‑printing, allowing participants to understand the full pipeline from geometric conception to fabrication. From these designs, one was selected for the construction of a bigger paper stereotomic model, enabling a rapid physical exploration of its structural logic. The workshop concluded with the collaborative assembly of a post‑tensioned stereotomic arch, built on the final day as a synthesis of the principles investigated throughout the week.
