Andil general meeting: change is the watchword

The General Meeting of Andil, the Italian brick and tile manufacturers’ association, was held on 10 June this year in Catania and was attended by numerous construction industry entrepreneurs and professionals.

Introduced by Andil’s chairman Luigi di Carlantonio, the day’s proceedings explored the theme of change and the many factors that are powerfully reshaping the Italian construction market.

The country’s brick and tile industry is in a poor state of health having lost three quarters of its output and closed down 50% of its facilities since 2007. Amid the tentative signs of recovery, the industry clearly needs to look beyond the limitations of the past and abandon models that are no longer sustainable.

To overcome the critical factors, the brick and tile industry must embrace innovation as a key growth driver. It must strive to develop integrated, complete and autonomous construction systems in combination with other materials. With this in mind, Andil is already involved in the European projects Lifeherotile and Insysme, which focus respectively on ventilated roofs and earthquake-resistant masonry infills.

Attention to sustainable use of natural resources and reduced energy consumption coupled with living comfort and healthiness of buildings are other key issues that have been identified by the association and which were discussed during the General Meeting. Special reference was made to the model of the Mediterranean House, presented by means of a dedicated Manifesto launched by the Federazione Ceramica e Laterizi (Ceramic and Brick Federation) as a virtuous example of building materials, components and systems rooted in the local area and its climate.