IRIS CERAMICA GROUP FOUNDATION CONTRIBUTES TO THE ESTABLISHMENT OF SOS SCHOOL OF SUSTAINABILITY FOUNDATION

The newly created SOS School of Sustainability Foundation is established thanks to the contribution ofthree founding partners, Mario Cucinella Architects, Iris Ceramica Group Foundation and SAIB Spa, based on the shared common values and the goal to educate the next generation of sustainable design professionals in the framework of the 17 SDGs of the UN agenda for sustainable development.

The foundation, through its activities, will act and work to promote sustainable development in its social, environmental and economic dimensions. From the new state of the art facilities in Milan, SOS will be grounded in the legacy of LOCAL culture and enforced by technological innovation, in an interdisciplinary format and thanks to the integration between the industry, the institutions and the community at large.

Founded in 1992 in Paris by Mario Cucinella, MC A is now based in Bologna and Milan and is made up of over 100 professionals. Mario Cucinella Architects specialize in architectural design that integrates environmental and energy strategies, with a dedicated internal R&D department that investigates the issues of sustainability through a holistic approach. The studio has carried out projects in Europe, China, North and Central Africa, the Middle East and South America and is currently planning and/or building about 50 projects.

In 2019 Iris Ceramic Group Foundation was established on the initiative of the President and Founder of Iris Ceramica Group, Romano Minozzi, and his daughter Federica Minozzi, CEO of the Group, as an expression and source of inspiration and with a shared code of ethics and values with the companies of the Group. Iris Ceramica Group Foundation is a non-profit organization intended to promote environmental protection, sustainable development and social cohesion. It supports projects aimed at developing new ways of bringing people together and achieving collective well-being, and the dissemination of ethical guidelines for companies and people.

SAIB is one of the leading Italian companies producing raw and melamine-faced chipboard panels. Its products are marked RPB – Regenerated Particle Boards due to the particular manufacturing process which consists in transforming end-of-life wood. Constant investments in new technologies, together with research aimed at obtaining surfaces with a strong tactile yield and emotional impact, make chipboard panels made from recycled material a new frontier for furniture manufacturers and interior designers, providing an ethical and innovative choice at the same time. The commitment to sustainability and circular economy positions SAIB Spa in the forefront of respect for the environment and health.