Petralumina is a modular flooring and cladding system made of natural stone with integrated photoluminescent decorative patterns. The product line consists of two-dimensional and three-dimensional modular elements manufactured using CNC machines and incorporating a mixture of natural resins and photoluminescent powders. These materials ensure the re-emission of absorbed photons (from natural or artificial light), generating safety lighting in the absence of light or under minimal lighting conditions.
The tiles are available in various dimensions: 15×15 cm, 30×30 cm, 30×60 cm, 60×60 cm, 90×90 cm, 60×120 cm, and in different thicknesses. The photoluminescence embedded in Lecce limestone combines design with eco-sustainable architecture. It features an infinite charge–discharge cycle, making it a fully green and natural product, a clean and renewable energy source that contributes to energy savings.

Petralumina: it is in darkness that light is found.

Designed to challenge the production limits of CNC fabrication techniques, this experimental prototype was created using specific subtractive digital fabrication processes that approximate the results achievable through hybrid prototyping techniques. These results are obtained by superimposing sections produced through a robotic machining process known as double processing.

The artefact’s geometries are designed using a procedural algorithm aimed at demonstrating the structural performance of minimal surfaces known as gyroids, which allow for a significant reduction in structural weight without compromising mechanical performance.

The objective of the research is to take the first steps towards demonstrating the vast potential of reusing waste materials from stone processing for high-performance circular architecture. Future implications include interdisciplinary collaboration with material science, the development of hybrid digital fabrication technologies, and the exploration of increasingly complex geometric forms that cannot be achieved through purely subtractive or additive techniques alone.

The M(AIR)ble Chair is the result of the combination of two different digital fabrication techniques: 3D printing of a gyroidal structure made of flexible material and robotic milling of marble. This hybrid approach introduces a new chair concept that establishes a novel balance between flexibility, strength and aesthetics.
The load-bearing structure of the chair is based on a gyroid geometry, a mathematical structure belonging to the class of minimal surfaces. The gyroid is characterised by a repetitive grid extending infinitely in three dimensions, composed of interconnected curved and twisted surfaces that form a network of channels allowing air to pass through the structure.
The gyroidal base is produced through an FDM 3D printing process using TPU (thermoplastic polyurethane), a single-process material that combines the properties of rubber and plastic, providing flexibility, elasticity and resistance to impacts, shocks and chemical agents. The Carrara marble seat and backrest cover the upper part of the base, integrating seamlessly with the sinuous form and maintaining continuity with the gyroidal structure.
The combination of a flexible material extruded into a mathematical repetitive geometry and the robotic milling of marble gives the chair a new equilibrium between strength and flexibility, allowing for comfortable seating while preserving structural integrity.

The organic design is freely inspired by the reticular geometry of coral. The seat is conceived as part of a potential complex modular system. Its curved lines and cavities respond to a generative mathematical logic, resulting in an object that conveys a non-conventional image—a metaphor referring to the structure and the most intimate components of the material.

Stone Origami is a fragment of a roofing system inspired by the triangular geometry of origami. The prototype is conceived as an urban shelter for passers-by and travellers. It features a multifaceted geometry composed of assembled two-dimensional elements.
The research focuses on the possibility of creating a double-sided sandwich panel capable of fulfilling both structural and aesthetic functions. The panel consists of a load-bearing metal sheet, an aluminium honeycomb core and a thin layer of natural stone (pierre bleue de Savoie and pierre de Chandoré).
The resulting panels can be endlessly assembled through mechanical metal connections to create complex forms generated by the triangular composition of elements. The construction system can be easily disassembled and reassembled, allowing for multiple formal configurations using the same components.
The complete prototype was presented at the Rocalia trade fair (Lyon, France) in December 2023.

Sempiternal Renascence offers a contemporary contribution to history, combining craftsmanship and ancestral knowledge with new technologies to address the challenges of digital fabrication in the most appropriate way.
The sculptural project consists of three elements made of Swiss Cristallina marble, joined by two flexible pneumatic joint elements produced through 3D printing. In addition to ensuring a soft connection between the marble blocks, these joints guarantee adhesion through the micro-suction cup configuration of their components.
The form of the project derives from an original 60 cm marble sculpture by artist Anne-Cécile Surga, which was digitised in 3D, divided into three elements and cut using CNC machinery. After the robotic cutting phase, the artist manually reworked the marble to achieve the final form.
The project connects art, science and technology: alongside the artist’s creativity, concepts of geometry and fluid stereotomy, as well as advanced computer-based mechanisation, are required. These three research axes are metaphorically embodied in the three elements of the artwork, unified by a layer that weaves together what might be perceived as opposites into a harmonious whole.

The research project proposed by the University of Auckland team is a furniture element generated from a conceptual design based on the particle system traces of Unity. In this specific project, the particles consist of small coral-like structures inspired by bone morphology, which are assembled to create a new model.
The conceptual project reproduces an approximation of the internal structure of bones—cancellous bone—as observed through scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Cancellous bone is located within the internal structure of bones, while compact bone forms the outer layer. Cancellous bone is characterised by honeycomb-like cellular structures that provide support and strength to the human skeleton.

The evolution of the project focused on a small portion of the original structure, exploring various possibilities for transforming it into an architectural element. Through algorithmic modelling, the structure is translated into an arch-shaped object that can be scaled and employed in different contexts and for different purposes (e.g. architectural element, furniture).
The object has the potential to become modular and to be used as a component within other structures. Particle-Trail uses two arch-shaped structures (identical but mirrored) that form the load-bearing structure of a table. Originally conceived as a set of 3D-printed components, the project ultimately aims to exploit advanced subtractive fabrication technologies to design and manufacture furniture in natural stone.

The project is based on technology-driven innovation, focusing on the integration of new technologies into either the product or the production process in order to improve performance, usability and production costs. The adopted design process follows user-centred design methods, placing the user at the core of the design approach, and employs digital fabrication techniques enhanced by parametric–generative methods.
As a result, theoretical and technological aspects can be refined to innovate the processes of transformation, prefiguration, composition and prototyping of stone materials, leading to improved usability and accessibility through user experience testing.

The starting point of the experiment was an investigation into the multiple interactions between stone design and technology, with particular attention to mathematical research oriented towards the experimentation of a vase. A more effective design strategy was identified through a generative method based on the creation of an algorithm containing simple design data (geometric and formal aspects), which can be enhanced through additional constraints (such as production, assembly, structural characteristics and materials) or parametric variables (environmental conditions or specific structural stresses).
The generated algorithm was uploaded onto a web platform featuring a three-dimensional preview and a control bar for the variables. The interface is designed to be implemented on a website and is particularly suited to commercial applications.

MultiSENSE consists of inclusive modular seating that combines different sensory experiences to support people with reduced perceptual abilities. The aim is to create urban furniture that is not only accessible to everyone, but also contributes to improving accessibility within the spaces in which it is placed.
The use of marble evokes the artistic and architectural tradition of many historic environments, while simultaneously creating a symbolic counterpoint between the monumental and the everyday.

The seating elements are part of a broader system currently under development, integrating stone processing with advanced sensing and Wi-Fi communication systems. The four prototypes on display correspond to a series of sensory experiences, each based on one of the five senses.
HEAR_IT incorporates an audio source activated to provide information, such as urban orientation cues.
WATCH_IT uses a light stimulus to attract attention and provide directional guidance.
SNIFF_IT releases a scent that facilitates identification of the seating element and enhances the user experience.
TOUCH_IT may include tactile signals or Braille, while surface finishes can be customised according to orientation to provide additional guidance.

In the commercial version, the seating elements can be activated either automatically or via a switch. The project was conceived during the Architecture and Building Design II laboratory (Prof. Marco Ferrero) within the MSc programme in Architectural Engineering at Sapienza University of Rome and later developed in collaboration with Balducci Marmi, which also produced the prototypes.
Students were supervised by architects Elio Ravà and Carlos Acosta Fontana, as well as Prof. Marco Ferrero. The digital platform is currently under study at the Faculty of Civil and Industrial Engineering of Sapienza University.

The central set-up of the Marmomac Meets Academies exhibition consists of a suspended “vault” composed of pieces of artificial coral breccia hung from the ceiling according to a precise geometric scheme. The research focuses on three fundamental aspects:
the first concerns the possibility of artificially replicating natural coral breccia using specific aggregates, binders and additives;
the second relates to the ability to recreate the spatial perception of a vaulted space by controlling the global geometry of the dome and its ceiling attachment points;
the third refers to the interpretation of the Greek term stereoma (translated into Latin as firmamentum, meaning the starry sky, the place where stars are fixed within infinite space), focusing on its fundamental elements—fixed stars suspended within the celestial vault.

The pieces made from recomposed coral breccia contain fragments of recycled glass that illuminate when struck by artificial or natural light, simulating the glow of stars. The term stereotomy derives from stereoma and refers to the discipline concerned with the scientific cutting of stone to construct vaulted spaces.
Finally, the recomposed coral breccia closely resembles the coral breccia of Castel del Monte and can be considered a tribute to this monument, built in Apulia by Emperor Frederick II of Swabia in 1240.