Brazilian architect visits Marmomac 2023 after winning the Natural Stone Challenge

Camilla Eleodoro, the winner of the Natural Stone Challenge – 1st Brazilian Academic Architecture Award, is back in Brazil after her trip to Italy, which will leave a deep mark on her career. Winning first place in the national competition provided her with the opportunity to attend Marmomac 2023, the main international fair in the natural stone industry, which took place in Verona, Italy, from September 26 to 29.

Having recently graduated in Architecture, she defeated several competitors in the challenge organized by the Brazilian Center of Natural Stone Exporters (Centrorochas), the World Natural Stone Association (Wonasa) and Vitoria Stone Fair, held between the second half of 2022 and the beginning of this year. Eleodoro designed a Mental Health Support Center, incorporating the use of natural stones to highlight the solidity and flexibility of these materials.

At the ceremony, which marked the end of the challenge, the winner had the opportunity to present details of the winning project. The celebration was attended by the president of Centrorochas, Tales Machado; the president of Wonasa, Paulo Giafarov; the CEO of Milanez e Milaneze, Flávia Milaneze; the president of Abea, Ana Goes Monteiro; the president of AsBEA-BR, Danilo Batista; the director of industry and services at ApexBrasil, Maria Paula Velloso; the representative of VeronaFiere, the organizer of Marmomac, Alessandro Giolai; the executive director of Centrorochas, Giovanni Francischetto; and the winner’s mother, Fátima Santos.

Geared towards students and recent graduates from all over Brazil, the Natural Stone Challenge aimed at contributing to the training of new professionals for the use of natural stones in architecture. “The challenge highlighted the exceptional talent of Brazilian students in using our natural stones creatively and innovatively. The quality of the works we received was extraordinarily high, reflecting the dedication and commitment of the participants. Providing Camilla, the winner of the competition, with this experience was gratifying,” said the president of Centrorochas, Tales Machado, during the awards ceremony.

“I visited several booths and I did not see stones that are as beautiful as the Brazilian stones in any of them. Being at Marmomac and seeing different shapes and textures will certainly contribute very positively to my next architectural projects,” said Eleodoro.

The Natural Stone Challenge was held by the Brazilian Center of Natural Stone Exporters (Centrorochas), the World Natural Stone Association (Wonasa) and Vitoria Stone Fair. It was institutionally supported by the Brazilian Association for Architecture and Urbanism Teaching (ABEA), the Brazilian Association of Architecture Firms (AsBEA), Autodesk, and Unity. It was sponsored by ETC Brasil. A new edition will be announced soon.