Cosentino Group and the Make it Right Foundation come together to support sustainable building

Cosentino group, market leader in the manufacturing and distribution of innovative surfaces in the world of design and architecture and “Make it Right”, the non-profit organisation, founded by the actor Brad Pitt and dedicated to the construction of sustainable houses for people without sufficient means, are organising a conference on access to sustainable and ecological housing for families with limited means. This will take place on 29th October in Barcelona.

Image number 32 of the current section of Cosentino Group and the Make it Right Foundation come together to support sustainable building in Cosentino Australia

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The conference is part of the “World Sustainable Building 2014” Conference. This is the biggest meeting on sustainable construction throughout the world, and the most important and influential international institutions in the field are expected to attend. This year’s conference is organised by Green Building Council Spain, of which the Cosentino Group is Gold Sponsor.It will take place between 28th and 30th October at the conference centre, Palacio de Congresos de Catalunya, in Barcelona and expects to host more than 20,000 visitors, coming from more than 50 countries.

The conference is the result of the partnership established in 2010 between Cosentino group and “Make it Right”. It will be one of the main events. The Spanish Multinational have donated their product,Eco by Cosentino®,to the organisation. It is a revolutionary surface made from recyclable materials for use in the bathrooms and kitchens of the 150 houses that “Make it Right” built in New Orleans after the catastrophe caused by Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

It is precisely this event that started the Foundation. It was founded in 2007 due to the actor Brad Pitt’s links with the North American city. His goal was to regenerate the area most affected by Katrina, namely Lower Ninth Ward. To do this, the Foundation took charge of the much needed construction of safe, energy-efficient homes that were accessible to victims of the hurricane.

Over the following years, “Make it Right” has developed into a non-profit organisation that constructs a great many affordable homes with high environmental standards. Architects such as Frank Gehry, Shigeru Ban and David Adjaye have designed houses all over the USA.  The Foundation also provides advice on innovative and sustainable methods of construction to other organisations all over the world.

As part of Cosentino group’s commitment to social responsibility and the advancement of sustainable architecture and design, the company has collaborated with the Foundation on many different projects.  For example, in 2012 the company also donated Eco by Cosentino® material to the project that sought to reform and rehabilitate the Bancroft Primary School of Kansas City (Missouri).

The most recent act of collaboration took place this year with a variety of ECO surfaces being used for the Foundation’s Second Annual Gala, held in New Orleans last spring. The main purpose of the event was to raise new funds for the organisation. There were numerous celebrity appearances, with actors such as Chris Rock and Jim Gaffigan, singers such as Bruno Mars and the rock group Kings of Leon, as well as Pitt himself.

For Santiago Alfonso, Director of Marketing and Communication for Cosentino, “the partnership with Make it Right in the USA reflects our commitment to innovation and sustainable construction. For all of us this connection is a real source of pride. One has to bear in mind that all the products that Make it Right use in construction are selected according to strict environmental criteria that take into account sustainability and energy efficiency. They are also all authorised with the Leed Platino stamp of approval.

“The WSBI4 Congress in Barcelona is an unbeatable opportunity to inform our country (Spain) of these four years of collaboration. In this way, it will contribute to several of the most innovative and advanced housing projects that are currently under way worldwide as it will ensure the support of the most prestigious architects of our time,” concludes Santiago Alfonso.

The event will take place on 29th October and will feature an appearance from Tom Darden, Executive Director of Make It Right and Craig Turner, Construction Manager of the Foundation. Wolfram Putz, founding partner of the German architecture studio Graft, and Valentín Tijeras, Director of Product and Innovation of the Cosentino Group, will also take part in the event.