As part of the International Conference on the Dimensional Stone Industry, February 2, 2003 saw a host of eminent architects come together to discuss the Usage of Stones in Contemporary Architecture.

Lighting the lamp was Ar. P R Mehta, President - Council Architecture, India and Mr. Alok Ranjan, President, Indian Institute of Architecture, Rajasthan Chapter; while Mr Alok Kumar, CEO - CDOS delivered the welcome address. A note by the Honorary Consultants to the Conference, Mr. Nimish Patel was also read.

Session I on the first day elaborated on the Usage of Stones as a Construction Material

Architect Dashrath Patel explained how Stone has life and has to be touched in its original shape and was the first learning material for man period of Homo sapiens, Sapiens stone was the tool to start with.

``Stone is the source of enormous knowledge,'' remarked Patel and focussed his deliberation on original form and not the contemporary of stone. He questioned the changes/developments on stone without understanding its properties and warned all architects not to get caught in the age of modernity. An interesting slide presentation by Architect Dashrath Patel showed the evolution in stone from the stone used by Adivasis to the beautiful stone Jalis in Tajmahal.

Architect Meenakshi Jain has traveled and worked tremendously on Rajasthan and is a great thinker on Rajasthan's heritage architecture, rain water harvesting, stepped wells of Rajasthan and Gujarat and conservation of Havelis and forts. She keeps all these issues and use of stones very close to her heart. She questioned the illegal quarrying of stones as it might adversely affect nature and stressed how the use of stone need to be encouraged by the Govt. agencies and development authorities. The slides presented by her on conservation of Nagore Fort was much educating which has been an award winning project

Architect Shashi Kala Anantha expressed her concern towards commercialization today and affects on the nature and stressed the need to study the tradition and then act. She advised all architects to feel texture of stone and not the colour and to focus on original character of the stone. Slides presented by her showed us the use of stones in temple architecture.

Architect S.N. Kanade began with some of his own works and explained his experiences with stonework at Bangalore and highlighted the angle of cost in putting stones in buildings. He also had an aesthetical angle attached with stone in interiors as exterior in buildings. He felt that we need to look back, learn tradition, study historical buildings, and note how stone was used there in those building. Depending on past experience we should decide for the contemporary use of stone as a construction material.

Session II on the first day elaborated on the Usage of Stones as a finishing and Decorative Material.

Architect Deepak Gahlowt pointed out that we use stone only because we like stone, intuitively and highlighted the importance of creation of standards in usage of stone. Architect Dashrath Patel emphasized that a change in terms of technology development is inevitable. ``We must learn from our own experience to utilize it in the best way possible,'' remarked Patel. Architect Marcantonio Ragone from Italy stressed upon the architects to `know' the stone they are trying to use and the importance for continued education in the field. Introducing some innovative technology to achieve an architecturally brilliant end product, his presentation aimed at bridging the gap between the traditional and contemporary usage of stone.

Architect Shenzui Endo of Japan demonstrated the versatility of stone, combined with other materials in modern architecture. Architect Yogesh Vani spoke on the importance of a structural analysis of stone since the varieties are many. Mr Amarender Mishra from Wacker, Germany, highlighted the techno - commercial angle of stone usage and chemicals. Architect N S Rathore from the Aayojan School of Architecture took the architects through a visual `journey' of the use of stones over the ages and based on examples from historical monuments all over the world, illustrated the field usage of a variety of stones.

Day II highlighted the usage of Stone through the presentation of numerous Case Studies on Projects where Stone has been extensively used.

Mr. Alok Ranjan chaired the concluding session. Presenting Case Studies here were well known architectural names like Architect Anu Mridul. Architect Ravi Gupta's Case Study focused on the use of Stone as a finishing material.

Architect Dinesh Sareen, while presenting a Case Study, touched upon various issues related to stone like light and shadows, detailing, texture, colour and patterns etc. ``The sensitive uses of stone and detailing can enhance its presentation and quantity,'' said Sareen, while mentioning how even colours can create striking elevations.

Architect Nimish Patel's & Ms. Parul Zaveri's presentations were the highligts of the event and their case study emphasized on the tradiaional stone heritage of India and its use in contemporary architecture. they presented a case-study of Udai Vilas amongst others.

Architect Christopher Benninger's Case Study illustrated, by way of visuals, how buildings seem to emerge out of the surrounding landscape, creating a natural environment.

While all the presentations were interesting and highly educational for everybody present at the conference, it was the privilege of having a variety of ideas on stones from all the eminent speakers from all the different parts of the country which was most appreciated. Everybody presented beautiful slides, pictures to strengthen their views.