Designing with Santamargherita: how to create a Stone

The marble-based material used at Queen Alia International Airport (QAIA) has been designed and conceptedthanks to a strict collaboration with architects at Foster+Partners.But why designing with agglomerated stone? And how is it possible to create a custom-made product?

We at Santamargherita believe that our Engineered Stone offers to designers and architects a chance to use the stone in different and wider applications than other materials, and aesthetical features that answer better to the designer’s needs. This is thanks to the versatility, affordability, repeatibility, resistance, and relatively short delivery terms requested for big or small quantities of tiles, slabs or cut-to-size pieces.

The most interesting aspect for designers is the chance to give particular aesthetical values to Santamargherita Engineered Stone, as done by Foster+Partners for QAIA. In fact, when the project is wide enough to back a full production run (in general, some thousands of sqm), a great number of possibilities becomes suitable, working on different raw materials, structures, colours and finishes.

The designer has more tools to achieve her/his ideas, and has more choices in front of her/him. These choices influence many phases in the project, and each phase implies an inter-action with Santamargherita. At each step, Sales Department is the connection between the company and the designer/architect.

Each step matches a particular need: Aesthetical needs (chromatic and visive effect): the designer can choose her/his favouirite colour and texture of the material; Economic needs (available budget, restrictions, etc): there are price differences between quartz- or marble-based materials, and there are sizes of tiles or cut-to-size pieces that are cheaper or more expensive; Technical needs (kind of application, finish of the surface, fixing, particular needs): the material could be required to be not scratchable, not stainable, or to match specific safety needs (anti slip, etc).

Designing the/with Santamargherita Engineered Stone means therefore matching ideas with real possibilities, and integrating knowledge.

If this coordination between the designer and Santamargherita takes place only at the end of the designing process, the result will likely be less than expected. But if the cooperation starts at the very early stage of the project, the result will be better and better, to match and even go beyond the architect’s and customer’s expectations.

12/03/2013