A Career in Ruins: Can the stonemason’s craft contribute to contemporary architecture in a digital era? Part 2 Dissertation 2025 Rebecca Smith RIBA Studio | UK Craft and the act of making is at the very root of architecture, with the stonemason historically taking on the role of designer, architect, engineer and builder. It is now a profession at risk due to rapid technological advancements that influence the way we build and design. There is a fear that traditional skills will be replaced with the machine, a highly relevant topic as society begins to re-examine traditional jobs and crafts in the digital age.This dissertation focuses on the challenges and opportunities faced by stonemasons in the context of new technologies in construction and is supported by active research including building visits, stone carving workshops and face-to-face interviews with a local quarry, Salisbury Cathedral works team and a disbanded college Stonemasonry Course.The author concludes that we are witnessing a new era in construction and stonemasonry, where sustainable building methods and materials are being championed by a new role, one which marries the digital with craft and knowledge; The Stone Alchemist. This is not a single entity, but a collaborative being where the traditional roles of architect, engineer and stonemason are blurred, working in unison towards a more sustainable future, with craft at the heart of design. Tutor(s) Simon Beeson