Young Brazilian architect Camilla Eleodoro is about to go on a journey to Italy that will mark the beginning of her promising career. She won the trip to visit Marmomac, the main international fair for the natural stone industry, which will take place in Verona from September 26th to 29th, after taking first prize in the Natural Stone Challenge – 1st Brazilian Academic Architecture Award, held between the second semester of 2022 and the beginning of this year. 

With an innovative project for a Mental Health Support Center, Eleodoro chose to incorporate the use of natural stones to highlight the solidity and flexibility of the materials. According to the architect, her objective was to act effectively to control the population's illness, reducing the rates of suicide and mental disorders, in addition to valuing the space as part of the treatment. “In this context, natural stones were selected to be a part of the color composition, materiality and biophilic design of the project. Therefore, the versatility of the stones combined with the flexibility in handling and the possibility of cutting are characteristics that are present in the entire environment, designed exclusively for the user’s comfort,” she explained.

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