[HBP#37] - Pierre Bidaud - The New Stone Age: Rethinking How We Build

🎙️ You can also access the full Audio version of this Podcast by searching for 'Heritage Buildings Podcast' on Apple, Spotify, Amazon, PocketCasts, and your favourite podcast apps.Welcome to the Heritage Buildings Podcast! In this episode, Vincent Reed sits down with Pierre Bidaud, an experienced French stonemason, heritage conservation specialist, and advocate for innovative stone construction.Pierre shares his journey from joining Les Compagnons du Devoir to spending nine years travelling across France and the UK, restoring some of Europe's most important historic buildings, including Gloucester Cathedral. Along the way, he discusses the craftsmanship, precision, and passion behind traditional stonemasonry and heritage restoration.Discover how historic stone buildings are repaired using centuries-old techniques, from setting out and templating to hand-carving decorative details and assessing natural stone. Pierre also explores how modern engineering is transforming the industry through post-tensioned stone, prefabrication, and sustainable products like Rock Block and Augmented Stone, helping shape the future of low-carbon construction.Topics covered include:• Pierre's journey through Les Compagnons du Devoir• Restoring historic buildings including Gloucester Cathedral• Traditional stonemasonry and architectural stone carving• Stone setting out, templating, and repair techniques• Assessing natural stone and conservation best practices• The emotional connection between craftspeople and historic buildings• Post-tensioned and prefabricated structural stone• Sustainable stone construction and low-carbon building materials• Rock Block, Augmented Stone, and the future of natural stoneWhether you're a stonemason, architect, conservation professional, heritage enthusiast, or simply fascinated by traditional building crafts, this episode offers valuable insights into both the timeless skills and exciting innovations shaping the world of heritage construction.Below is a more detailed breakdown of the video with relevant timestamps(Click the time on the left to jump straight to that section)00:00 Who is Pierre Bidaud00:19 Finding a Trade in France01:58 Compagnons Journey Years05:16 Cathedrals and Craft Mindset07:16 How French Heritage Works13:30 Apprenticeship Reality Check16:14 Becoming Pro and Advising18:38 Setting Out and Templates25:15 Stone Selection and Faults30:44 Repairs and Architect Education34:20 Reinforced Stone Innovation36:24 Stone vs Concrete Explained41:58 Floating Stone Staircases43:21 Sagrada Familia Stone Towers44:27 Rebar and Post Tensioning45:51 Why Stone Got Expensive49:06 Concrete Creep vs Stone51:40 Georgian Torsion Stairs54:26 Modern Cable Stair Build57:10 Company USP and Origins59:17 Rock Block and Augmented01:05:23 Stone Demonstrator London01:06:37 Screen Share Staircase Tour01:12:10 Teamwork Love and Challenges01:15:50 Stone Collective and FarewellConnect with Pierre Bidaud using the links below:Website: www.thestonemasonrycompany.co.ukLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pierre-bidaud-82364b16/Company: The Stonemasonry Company LimitedEmail: Pierre@thestonemasonrycompany.co.uk Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stonemasonry_comp_stonestair/https://www.instagram.com/pierre.bidaud/*🔗 Learn more about the Heritage Buildings Association*https://heritagebuildingsassociation.com*Click here to join the conversation:*https://heritagebuildings.forum/share/dDYOnkLWJAkaA5xE?utm_source=manual👉 Don't forget to like, subscribe, and share this podcast to support the heritage buildings community!#Stonemasonry #StoneCarving #NaturalStone