Porcelain panels for industrialised construction

“Compared to materials such as concrete, aluminium or wood, industrialised construction with ceramic materials has received less attention. Probably because they have been excessively associated with their manual laying brick by brick, tile by tile. However, prefabricated panels with lateritious and porcelain finishes have been around for some time in the market, although more so in the international market, especially in those countries with powerful industries and greater needs for industrialization of construction due to climatic and/or economic requirements. In our country, some manufacturers are beginning to stand out that can offer industrialized answers to the problems of current construction that have already begun to generate interesting architectures. Ceramic materials offer great advantages for six main reasons: they have great durability with little maintenance (not all materials can boast a useful life of up to 150 years), they offer maximum fire resistance (Euroclass A1), they provide thermal inertia and acoustic attenuation advantages, they connect easily with our historical and cultural context and they allow formal innovations, chromatic and textural features that continue to amaze today. To face competition with other materials and products from other countries, a prepared industry and architects with broad curiosity are needed: the industry can offer products and construction systems that seduce the imagination of architects and persuade them to use their proposals. But architects must also know the industrial processes and their different particularities from on-site construction. What tooling, machine or installation does the industry have that can do what a bricklayer could not do on a construction site? Let’s take a look at what is already being done in Amsterdam, Copenhagen or London and check it with what can be done in Spain. It is about confirming that with the same ingredients of traditional construction, systems can be manufactured for a fast-assembly architecture, using without prejudice an ancient material with formats adapted to the current needs of ease and speed of installation. In this second session, we will discuss how large formats have been achieved by porcelain stoneware manufacturers to allow them to be introduced as continuous finishes of very interesting panels both in the industrialised construction of bathrooms and kitchens and in façade systems with the incorporation of devices for carpentry and installation passages. Those attending this session will receive a copy of the book “Brick system off-site: New strategies for industrialized architecture” courtesy of MIVAU and Hispalyt. Those attending this session will receive a copy of the book “Brick system off-site: New strategies for industrialized architecture” courtesy of MIVAU and Hispalyt.