Carlos’s work revolves around the building of dry-stone masonry. In Asturias this technique has traditionally been widely present, especially in rural areas. Dry-stone building has a vital role to play in the recovery and potential development of much of Asturias’s architectural heritage.

The system used, involving… small wedge-shaped stones, is known as racheado. The heart of the wall is made of a filling that may include mortar, mud, etc.

Dry-stone building requires a thorough knowledge of the materials, of the structural forces and thrusts at work and of the local terrain and climate. The stone used comes always from nearby: limestone, slate, sandstone or quartzite.

Carlos’s tools are pry bars, sledgehammers, club hammers, Portuguese bell mallets, Spanish mallets, picks, mattocks, toothed chisels, bolsters, stone chisels, plumb bobs, levels, squares, bevels, bush hammers, planes, cutting discs, etc.