10/01/2022
The Faroe Islands is a little-known archipelago located 320 kilometers north of Scotland. Where the weather is cold all around the year and the islands have an average of 210 rainy or snowy days per year. However, these extreme climatic conditions create exceptional natural landscapes. Architecture in the Faroe Islands is therefore crucial to create […]
20/10/2021
Few people know that Marianka (Slovak Republic) was an important place for slate mining. Its fame lasted for almost 100 years during the 19th and 20th centuries. A group of enthusiasts founded the civic association Spolok Permon Marianka in 2006. We speak to Josef Kráľ, a founding member of the association. CUPA PIZARRAS – When […]
22/06/2021
The expedition of Magellan and Elcano was the first journey around the world in human history. It took them 1,125 days to complete. Jules Verne’s Phileas Fogg did it in just 80 days. And we wonder, how many times would it taketo circle the globe jumping from one natural slate roof to the next? Everyday, […]
19/05/2021
Heavy 3 slate has been used to rebuild a previously run-down village hall, into An Talla Loch Ness Visitor Centre, a visitor gateway to Loch Ness and the Caledonian Canal. The renovation project used Heavy 3 slate for its similarities, aesthetically and characteristically, to the traditional Scottish Ballachulish. Part of a £2.5 million project, the […]
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Dr. Víctor Cárdenes Van den Eynde
Geologist and roofing slate independent consultant
05/05/2021
As some of you may know, I have been teaching courses about roofing slate for the last few years. People that are new to roofing slate usually think that slate is a rather dull material, as to them, all roofing slates look the same. Well, we know that this is not true. Roofing slates have […]
29/04/2021
Minimising our carbon footprint is a top priority for CUPA PIZARRAS. For that reason, we are thrilled to announce that the 100% of our electric energy consumption during 2020 was from renewable energy sources certified by the Spanish Origen Warranty (GdO, by its Spanish acronym). The GdOs are titles expelled by the National Commission of Markets and […]
Dr. Víctor Cárdenes Van den Eynde
Geologist and roofing slate independent consultant
29/03/2021
Why do we use slate to cover roofs? There are many good answers to these questions: slate is waterproof, can be split into thin, regular and flat shingles. Slate is durable and has been used for centuries in many exceptional buildings, and (my favourite) slate is a beautiful natural rock with outstanding aesthetics. However, have […]
Dr. Víctor Cárdenes Van den Eynde
Geologist and roofing slate independent consultant
08/03/2021
Today I will discuss something that can either be very funny or very sad, depends on the eye of the beholder. Let me explain some of the facts about fake roofing slates. Nowadays it is possible to find artificial or synthetic “slate” shingles, usually made of asphalt, rubber, plastic…anything but stone. Of course, companies that […]
