All undergraduates at the Faculty of Architecture at Riyadh University the students that took part in the fifth Learning Marble and Stone in Carrara, a specialisation course in the use of marble and natural stone organised by King Saud University and Internazionale Marmi e Macchine. Enthusiastic about Carrara and the surrounding area, they all successfully passed the final exam. Now they will have to put their knowledge acquired during the course into practice in their design.

At the end of two intense weeks of class lessons, visits to quarries, sawmills and research centres, the fifth “Learning marble and stone in Carrara” has come to a close with the final exam. The course, a specialisation course on the use of natural stone organised by the Internazionale Marmi e Macchine in conjunction with King Saud University in Riyadh, saw the participation of twelve students (accompanied by two professors) who are about to finish their degree studies at the Faculty of Architecture at the King Saud University.

The course was conceived and developed to create expertise in the use of marble and natural stone in the building industry in order to enhance the aesthetic and functional characteristics of the materials. All the students passed the final exam of this high profile course with flying colours.

This is the fifth time the course has been held as part of the institutional activities carried out by the IMM Carrara. It is the result of institutional relations to give young Saudi professionals the opportunity to widen their knowledge as regards natural stone and the processing and application techniques through specific training with classroom lessons (total of 60 hours) and visits to the places of production and design offices with lessons held by expert IMM  trainers and free-lance professionals.

Some lessons were held on the key areas for designers such as production (quarry and processing), the sourcing and choice of materials, application in architecture, the installation of materials, innovation, design, artistic production and the production of everyday objects.

“A perfect scientific approach – said Professor Amer Elsayed Mohamed Abdelfattah enthusiastically who led the group with his colleague Bagasi Omar Abdulhammed  - who praised not only the organisation but also “the technical and scientific expertise of the Internazionale Marmi e Macchine and Carrara too that fascinated all the group in terms of its history and great expertise in the industry which enabled them to acquire first-hand knowledge of the most up-to-date uses of marble applied to important works of architecture and lay the foundations for a sound specific knowledge of the materials. The group now have the necessary tools to begin work in modern design using marble”.

After the final interview, the customary photo where the students: Abdulaziz A. Almalki, Omar A. Algrnas, Jazaa M Alharbi, Salem Bahammam, Ali M Annaim, Mishal E. Alkadi, Omar Alotaibi, Saad Fhad Abufaihah, Ebrahim Ali Aldosari, Musaad S.Alhoudaithi, Hassan E Ghunaymi and NaifI Aldwela show their diplomas.
The lessons were held in English and were coordinated by the IMM staff.

It is not all over for the students however. Emphasising the need to constantly train and experiment, they have all taken on the task of designing three different types of flooring (residential, religious and oval) using the techniques and concepts acquired during the Masters.

Very satisfied with the success of the course, the IMM Chairman Giorgio Bianchini repeated the desire to “proceed with such strategic activities for the technical promotion of marble, enabling people to learn from the experience gained in many years of relations with architects, universities and companies the world over. Thanks to this unique knowhow we can offer architects, especially the younger ones, indispensable knowledge for the correct use of natural stone. This is our duty as an institution but also an investment for the entire “marble system” that constantly needs to strengthen relations with designers, thereby creating a privileged link with our district”.