Stone matters is an experimentations-based research into the potentials for including structural stone in the language of contemporary architecture and for combining traditional craftsmanship and materials with innovative construction techniques. First born as a reaction to a systematic misuse of clad stone in Palestine, the project takes its cue from the historic reoccurrence of stone-made architectural elements found in Palestine. The architecture of Palestine combines disparate architectural elements brought by various civilizations from abroad with local elements found in situ. Through time, certain architectural attributes, originally found locally, returned to Palestine as imported architectural elements. In an attempt to blur the limits between local and global architecture, Stone matters puts forward the relevance of the research beyond space and time.

To this day, Stone matters formalizes into a series of site specific real-scale experimentations (a vault, a lintel, a slab, a wall), academic articles, and a soon-to-be launched community based worldwide atlas of elements of architecture made out of stone.Stone Matters fabrication process combines traditional local stone cutting and masonry techniques with contemporary technology. Designed on a computer, cut by robots and hand-finished by local artisans, it presents a modern stone construction technique as part of a local and global architectural language.