Now that summer is almost here, I can finally breathe and relax a little. Looking back, the first half of the year was busy. There were several trade shows that I attended as well as a couple of international trips where I was fortunate enough to visit some quarries and stone processing plants. Most recently, I joined a group of architects on a voyage to Portugal where we had the opportunity to explore several marble and limestone quarries.
The trip was organized by the Portuguese stone association Assimagra and Veronafiere Marmomacc Stone Academy. The course, “Designing with Natural Stone Portugal 2014,” was the first initiative of its kind developed in Portugal and directed to foreign architects in the U.S., Canada, UK, Brazil and South Africa. The architects were able to earn 21 educational credits approved by the American Institute of Architects (AIA), the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada (RAIC) and Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA).