Stone has long stood to represent permanence.

However, despite being traditionally

carved into delicate forms, stone has always given the impression of grandness,
strength and empowerment due to its natural high density. For that reason, I find
that it has been well used at Ham House to represent the wealth and hierarchy of the
original owners. Stone is of the most basic building materials, and until today it can
be used with minimal human enhancement, which allows it to preserve a more pure
and natural appearance. Without, for example, the stone quoins, sashes and
windowsills, Ham House would only appear to be an ordinary brick building, however
the contrast of the large stone decorative elements, with the small regular bricks, gives
Ham House its authenticity. Furthermore, its durability, I find, works as an advantage
to such an iconic house, not only in a practical sense, but also in the way that it can
hold a lot of history such as carvings, small chips and signs of weather changes. Its
smooth texture allows it to present a sense of friendliness, while its positioning on
Ham house (around windows, on corners, between floors) also appears to serve as
protection.