Unprecedented academic challenge will reward architecture and urbanism student with trip to Italy

With the aim of spreading the application of natural and ornamental stones from Brazil in the architecture sector and contributing to the improvement of the training of new professionals, the Brazilian Center of Ornamental Stones Exporters (Centrorochas), the World Natural Stone Association (Wonasa) and Vitoria Stone Fair launched the Natural Stone Challenge – 1st Brazilian Academic Architecture Award for students and recent graduates.

Students from the 3rd year and recent graduates (2nd semester/20 to 1st semester/22) of Architecture and Urbanism courses in Brazil, duly enrolled in an educational institution or registered with the Council of Architecture and Urbanism, may participate. There will be regional stages, with prizes, and the big winner of the national stage will win an international trip, with the right to a companion, to participate in the 2023 Marmomac Fair, the main international event in the ornamental stone sector that takes place in Verona, Italy.

Proposals for academic projects that specify the use of Brazilian dimension stones will be valid. The works must be sent in digital format, until the 30th of October, and there will be no registration fee. Those interested should access the Natural Stone Challenge website (www.desafionaturalstone.com.br) to ensure their participation, as well as check the regulation and complete schedule.

Regional stages will also be awarded

The five best individual projects from each of the national regions will be awarded a course “Coordination and Flow in BIM” (totaling 32 hours). The regions will be divided as follows:

Region 1 – Acre, Amapá, Amazonas, Federal District, Goiás, Mato Grosso do Sul, Mato Grosso, Pará, Rondônia, Roraima, Tocantins.

Region 2 – Alagoas, Bahia, Ceará, Maranhão, Paraíba, Pernambuco, Piauí, Rio Grande do Norte, Sergipe.

Region 3 – Espírito Santo, Minas Gerais and Rio de Janeiro.

Region 4 – São Paulo.

Region 5 – Paraná, Santa Catarina, and Rio Grande do Sul.

National stage and awards

The top five in the regional stage, in each region, will be the finalists of the national stage and will compete for the main prize:

1st place: an international trip, including a companion, to Verona, Italy, to participate in the 2023 Marmomac Fair, the main international event in the ornamental stone sector;

2nd place: a trip to Espírito Santo to participate in the Cachoeiro Stone Fair, which will take place from 22 to 25/08/2023.

Winners in 3rd, 4th and 5th place will win an Android tablet.

Greatest geodiversity in the world

Holder of the greatest geological diversity in the world, Brazil has more than 1,200 varieties of natural ornamental rocks. These materials and the most diverse forms of finishing will serve as a source of inspiration for students during the Natural Stone Challenge, a national architectural project competition aimed at students and recent graduates of Architecture and Urbanism courses throughout Brazil.

The challenge is carried out by the Brazilian Center for Ornamental Stone Exporters (Centrorochas), World Natural Stone Association (Wonasa) and Vitoria Stone Fair, with institutional support from the Brazilian Association for Teaching Architecture and Urbanism (ABEA), the Brazilian Association of Architecture (AsBEA), Autodesk, Unity and sponsored by ETC Brasil.

Service

Natural Stone Challenge – 1st Brazilian Academic Architecture Prize

Registration until 10/30/22: www.desafionaturalstone.com.br

Disclosure of entries in the regional: 10/31/22 to 11/01/22

Judgment and dissemination of the results of the regional stage: 11/01/22 to 12/31/22

Judgment of the national stage: 01/16/23 to 01/30/23

Disclosure of the national stage result: 02/07/23 to 02/10/23