VERONA, ITALY - Santamargherita and renowned designer Aldo Cibic collaborated on the project “Stone in Blossom” as part of the “Marmomacc Meets Design” program at the fair, and the design utilized an innovative variety of quartz surfacing that relies on recycled content as a key component of the matrix.

The project used products from the “Argilla” variety of Santamargherita’s “Second.Life” line of recycled engineered stone, and panels were used as both flooring and wall cladding. The darker pieces are sandblasted and slightly repolished, while the lighter pieces are actually the back-sides of the finished pieces.

“Often the stone remains found in archaeological sites possess a special charm,” stated Cibic. “This is not only due to the beauty of the unfolding architectural masterpiece, but to the fact that nature itself has largely occupied it: a thriving vegetation, made of bushes and saplings making their way through the cracks, weeds and flowers that have done their job. This installation is reminiscent of that feeling of nature transforming situations, making them more human, livelier and nicer.”

Moreover, since consumers usually associate engineered stone with countertops, this application as wall cladding and flooring was a new concept in the use of the product.

Santamargherita’s Second.Life collection includes recycled quartz, porcelain, glass and mirrors. It has the same technical characteristics as traditional quartz surfacing, and can be polished using the same methods.

“Second.Life is an idea, a name, a new brand,” stated Santamargherita. “With this new product line, Santamargherita materializes an ambitious plan - manufacture engineered stone with up to 95% recycled content. At Santamargherita, we have always been committed to environmental responsibility as an integral part of our business. Thanks to the continual research by our laboratories, Second.Life reflects the will to preserve the planet and the awareness that the resources to do it are readily available. Our new product line gives a Second.Life to materials that in the past have had different forms and applications. We recycle these materials by incorporating them in the manufacturing process using the latest technology to produce an engineered stone of high aesthetic beauty and value.

“With Second.Life, Santamargherita gives professionals, builders and private consumers an engineered stone line meeting several criteria of the LEED building system,” the company continued. “Our contributions to the achievement of certification for sustainable building is according to U.S. Green Building Council standards.”