# Yabba dabba doo! Could these bulging, Flintstones-style towers be the future of eco-building?

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/yabba-dabba-doo-could-these-bulging-flintstones-style-towers-be-the-future-of-eco-building/
- Published: 2026-11-10T14:25:29+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-10T14:57:06+00:00
- Original publisher: The Guardian (publisher lean: Left)
- Original article: https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2026/nov/10/petra-heights-flintstones-style-towers-future-of-eco-building
- Topics: Culture, Fashion

## Key points

- Petra Heights brings structural stone into a modern housing project.
- Its rough rock slabs create a landmark beside a London station.
- The project is estimated to cut emissions by 30% against concrete or steel.

## Summary

Architect Amin Taha and engineer Steve Webb have built Petra Heights, three residential towers beside Finchley Road & Frognal station, from large, roughly finished slabs of igneous rock. The unusual design is intended to make the station easier to spot and to demonstrate that structural stone can return as a practical building material.

The towers range from six to 10 storeys, and their three-tonne stone slabs were shipped from Norway. The project is estimated to produce about 30% fewer carbon emissions than a comparable concrete or steel-framed building; Taha says a planned cross-laminated timber frame could have reduced emissions by around 75%. The lift shaft is also made of stone, while open stairs lead to a communal roof garden.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.