Stone was originally used as a structural material and it was relatively late in the evolution of construction techniques that its use was determined primarily from aesthetic reasons. The use of stone is now virtually always for decorative purposes and, furthermore, it is invariably designed as facing to structural walls.

The technology used in the design and construction of buildings has impacted dramatically on stonework. The desire to reduce the weight of buildings, and subsequently the cost, has resulted in the detailed design of stone cladding becoming highly specialised. Szerelmey are regularly contacted at the earliest stages of the design and procurement process to discuss and provide the expertise in the selection of stone, the development of early working details and full budgetary information.

The design process is complicated by the fact that stone is a natural product and there are many types with widely differing performance characteristics. The result is the need to source and test the stone, which has initially been chosen for aesthetic reasons, to determine the parameters which must be adopted in the detailed design process.