In June, a group of architects participated in the first “Designing with Natural Stone” Portugal, which is a branded event of the Marmomacc Stone Academy. The course, which offered 21 educational credits, was organized by Veronafiere and Assimagra — the Portuguese Mineral Resources Association. The course is approved by the American Institute of Architects (AIA), the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada (RAIC), the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) and the South African Institute of Architects (SAIA).
“Designing with Natural Stone” Portugal presented an opportunity for participating architects to learn about Portuguese natural stone materials and their extraction, processing and cladding technologies, new products and surface finishes. The course was led by Vince Marazita, a member of the Marble Institute of America (MIA) and president/owner of Marazita & Associates, an international consulting firm specializing in market research and seminars in the natural stone industry.