MADE expo in the spotlight

MADE expo, the trade show devoted to the world of architecture and building design, is preparing for this year’s appointment (Milan Rho 5-8 October 2011) with a packed programme of initiatives. In 2010 the event attracted 242,152 attendees (23,810 international visitors) and hosted more than 1,700 exhibitors (254 non-Italian companies) in an exhibition space of 90,000 square metres. This year it will be focusing on innovation, technological development and the design world. Plenty of space will be set aside for innovative and high-performance products capable of combining aesthetics, environmental sustainability and a focus on the trends that are expected to dominate the building market over the next few years, namely remediation of the existing building stock, renovation and redevelopment and social housing.

One of the new features of the fourth edition is Components & Contract, the new exhibition of components, materials, technologies and machinery for design, contract and interior decoration which aims to help the sector locate new sales channels. Following last year’s success, the Building Technique Forum will be back with a packed programme of conferences and debates on issues ranging from protection of the environment and sustainability to social housing, materials and technologies for seismic building, fire-protection technologies, technological innovation and control systems. The second edition of “Borghi & Centri Storici” will showcase the sector’s technical expertise in the field of restoration, design, bioarchitecture and new energy sources while exploiting the opportunities offered by the Italian heritage of more than 5,000 historic towns and old city centres suitable for renovation. MADE expo also gives the maximum visibility to social housing with an exhibition and a conference organised in cooperation with My Exhibition. The exhibition entitled “Social Home Design 2011” will be held in a 1,000 square metre space focusing on architecture, contract design and building which will showcase four houses designed by prestigious architects, prefabricated and furnished in accordance with the principles of social housing and Italian design.

Plenty of space will also be given to themes of the environment, the contemporary habitat and sustainable architecture. With AAA Agricoltura, Alimentazione, Architettura (Agriculture, Food, Architecture), an initiative devoted entirely to new trends in green architecture, Made expo will be transformed into an eco-friendly building site where participating companies will present proposals that fully comply with principles of environmental sustainability, combining technical and professional development with urban progress and promoting a useful interchange of knowledge and expertise between architects, engineers and agronomists.