Cultural Activities

Although it is a material that has been used for thousands of years, stone is still central to design and technological research, and to university and professional training, in part thanks to the novel interest within architecture in "skin" and the tactile/visual values of surfaces.

Thanks to the know-how acquired by VeronaFiere in 30 years of organising the Marmomacc show and the support and experience of the most important Italian stone companies, in-depth training courses now focus on the culture and use of stone materials. Ten years ago, this prestige on an international scale was confirmed when the American Institute of Architects recognized Marmomacc - the only trade show organiser in the world to have been recognized - as an authorised provider of continuing education for American architects. These educational programmes are organised directly by Marmomacc to promote contacts between professionals in the design and natural stone fields, thereby challenging a building market still dominated by the largely wood-based balloon frame technique. A few years later, RIBA and the RAIC - respectively the architectural associations of Great Britain and Canada - also granted recognition to VeronaFiere’s continuing education program.
The courses are offered during Marmomacc itself and the main American sectoral trade shows.

Beyond education for international professionals, VeronaFiere also offers patronage and support for education on the informed use of stone materials through Italian universities. These courses focus on specialisation and are held at the end of curricular studies, largely due to the complex approach to relationships with history, composition and technologies.

Milan Polytechnic University. The first Advanced Specialisation course for students also open to professionals started in Italy in 2006 and was coordinated by Massimiliano Caviasca at the Mantua Regional Centre. The educational programme guides students from the analysis of historic building techniques through to visits to quarries and companies. The objective is to raise direct awareness of technological processes, through the development of a project theme - a small stone museum - approached trough a reversed perspective, starting from the construction details up to the general plan.
The Polytechnic University also engaged Massimiliano Caviasca in research focusing on “Studies for the Enhancement of the Contemporary Use of Stone”, with the objective of developing potential contemporary applications of this material, designing the landscape and recovery of quarries and the restoration of stone material elements.
Developments currently include a Third Level training scheme involving the Italian provinces directly involved in stone quarrying and processing.

University of Trento. In 2008, the Faculty of Engineering at Trento University launched the Stone Design course for students preparing their degree thesis. Coordinated by Massimiliano Caviasca, the course aims to develop professional capabilities in line with culturally appropriate stone design and advanced techniques for new projects and conservation work.

University of Ferrara. Alfonso Acocella and Vincenzo Pavan offer fifth-year students a workshop tackling an exhibition hall project: ”A space for communicating stone”. The purpose of the course, launched in the 2007-2008 academic year, is to identify and critically interpret the languages of stone architecture by analysing the connection between architectural design and building techniques linked with the new frontiers in the processing and treatment of stone materials. Integrated by intense conference activity and project reviews involving Italian and international visiting lecturers, and supported by direct contacts with companiess, which are the ultimate recipients of these design projects, the course aims to provide a cultural basis for aware and informed use of stone materials with the intention of bonding design concepts, construction and materials into a unitary process.
In order to provide students and professionals with effective tools for awareness of culture in stone construction, the Ferrara Faculty of Architecture has also launched - under the direction of Alfonso Acocella - a research programme named “Lithospedia” which already includes scientific projects such as “Stones of Italy” and “Stone Design”.

University of Chieti. “Stone Skins for Contemporary Life” is the title of a seminar embracing four courses/workshops at the Faculty of Architecture of Pescara offered by Francesco Girasante and Domenico Potenza. These courses tackle the design of multi-functional building elements and the application of technologies for the targeted utilisation of stone in residential design, with a particular focus on the topic of buildings for commuters and disabled persons.

Texas Tech University. Given the strong interest in stone materials in the United States, Texas Tech University has organized, during May-June 2008, a Summer Design course in Verona entitled “Lithic Latencies”. Christian Pongratz and Vincenzo Pavan will guide American and Italian students in the study of Lessinia stone architecture, through visits to the architectural heritage of the local building tradition, and the development of residential design projects in a mountain environment. The course also includes experience with 3D modelling, with the goal of producing and modelling using numerical control machines, in order to explore creative and contemporary applications of Lessinia stone in new construction settings.

Polytechnic University of Bari and Ecole d’Architecture Paris-Malaquais. Giuseppe Fallacara and Luc Tamborero, respectively students and researchers of Claudio D’Amato Guerrieri and Joël Sakarovitch at the Faculties of Architecture in Bari and Paris, present the results of research carried out over the years by their "masters": constructive morphological updates of stereotomy. The joint research by these two young authors has substantiated itself over the years through the production of demo and experimental works in dimensional stone, in contrast with current CAD/CAM design techniques and speculative activity.
The substantial idea underlying this research lies in the desire to re-think stone spaces as a rewarding, theoretical-practical route well worth taking in contemporary architectural design. Theoretical considerations emerge as production and construction ideas, thanks to collaborations with companies and builders specialising in the natural stone field.

In the context of the event in October 2008, Marmomacc will organise a round table to debate and compare experiences at these universities, with participants to include students and professors.

Marmomacc will have the great pleasure of exhibiting, during the 2008 edition, the projects of "its students and researchers" in a specific show area.