14 students from the Ceramics Chair at UIC Barcelona School of Architecture visited, on 18 October, the factory the ceramics company Rosa Gres has in the town of Vallmoll, near Tarragona. The students were accompanied on their visit by the director of the chair, Vicenç Sarrablo, by lecturers Jordi Roviras and Cristina Garcia Castelao, as well as the CEO of the company, Marcel·lí Sugranyes. 

The students were able to learn about the different methods of tile production, enamelled stoneware and porcelain stoneware: from the mixing of raw materials, to shaping of the piece (through pressing and extrusion systems), and finally, enamelling. Similarly, the students found out about the different quality controls in place for ceramic pieces before being distributed and sold on the market. “It’s very important for our students to see and learn about the different production systems of the materials they are going to use as experts and that they appreciate the weight of the ceramics industry in our country. The visit to Rosa Gres will also be able to stimulate their imagination when designing new products for the market. It’s a real privilege for us to be able to visit their premises”, Vicenç Sarrablo stated.

Rosa Gres is a company specialised in manufacturing high-quality ceramic pavements. The company is a member of the Spanish Ceramic Tile Manufacturers' Association (ASCER), which sponsors the Ceramics Chair at UIC Barcelona School of Architecture. Last year, Rosa Gres signed a research agreement with the LITEIS (Laboratory for Technological Innovation in Industrialised and Sustainable Construction) group at UIC Barcelona in order to promote the development of new building systems using ceramic materials, thereby fostering industrialisation and sustainability in architecture.