Editorials Comments
Reaching new heights with a fresh perspective
(February 2024) | A change of approach is often the secret to achieving new goals and improved results. A famous example is that of Dick Fosbury, the US high jumper who revolutionised his sport by introducing the Fosbury Flop in place of the then prevalent straddle technique, winning gold medal at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics in the process.
In this issue of Cer Magazine, Alessandra Coppa interviews a group of young architects who met while studying at Milan Polytechnic. They chose the name Fosbury Architecture to reflect their “oblique” design philosophy, integrating architectural principles with sociological and environmental considerations to develop fresh and inventive solutions.
In the face of a challenging construction market, both in Italy and globally, the pursuit of alternative strategies is imperative. While there are no miracle cures, leveraging available resources is a positive first step. Italian ceramic surfaces offer excellent opportunities across a wide range of non-residential applications such as airport floors and hospitals, as illustrated in several of the projects featured in this issue of Cer Magazine. Unlike the residential sector, these applications normally benefit from staggered economic cycles, rigid compliance with timeframes, and different funding mechanisms to those available to end consumers.
New opportunities also emerge from innovative applications of ceramic tiles, such as on the exterior façades of buildings. This solution has been gaining traction recently, largely due to tax incentive such as Italy’s Superbonus scheme. The potential benefits – including reduced energy consumption for heating and air conditioning, eliminating maintenance costs and the opportunity to upgrade entire buildings without having to demolish and rebuild them – are all factors capable of opening up new business opportunities if promoted effectively.
Italian ceramic tiles are popular for a number of reasons, including their exceptional quality, the wide range of available surfaces and adhesives, their suitability for complex projects, and the certified sustainability of products, processes and production facilities.
The same level of excellence is also evident in the Ceramics of Italy for Sustainability campaign, which won first place in the “Integrated Campaign” category at the 2024 Media Key Venice Award. The compelling content and informative videos hosted on the website www.ceramica.info and disseminated through social media pay tribute to the hard work and investments made by the Italian ceramic tile producers.
