Photo: from left Mauro Ardagna and Simone Guggiari. Photo AM Suisse Ticino
AM Suisse is the professional trade association representing production, service and trading companies in the metal construction, agricultural engineering and jawing industries in Switzerland. At its autumn assembly in Mendrisio, AM Suisse Ticino awarded the Metal Award, which was established in collaboration with the Department of environment constructions and design SUPSI.
The purpose of the award is to significantly promote the use of metal in civil and industrial construction by highlighting the decisive role of this material in terms of sustainability and reuse.
The award for the 2023 edition went to engineer Simone Guggiari for the thesis project for the new cycle-pedestrian walkway on the Cassarate, while for the 2024 edition it went to engineer Mauro Ardagna for the project Realisation of walkways for alpine paths with recycled steel elements. Both attended SUPSI’s Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering at the Department of environment constructions and design.
In addition, four mentions were awarded to graduates of 2023 and 2024: Elisa Somaini for the project New Sant’Antonino kindergarten, Mattia Ciriello for New industrial steel building, Teresa Morelato for Meeting room in the former Centrale AET in Bodio and Emanuele Tulipani for Covering the former school square.
The president of AM Suisse Ticino Fabio Cameroni wanted to emphasise the important work carried out within the Association in various areas, placing particular emphasis on the issue of generational turnover. ‘It is a problem,’ he said, ‘with which many companies in the sector will have to contend, ready, however, to offer their know-how to young recruits who are offered the chance to learn, thanks to an apprenticeship in the relevant sectors, professions that are certainly stimulating and, above all, able to offer various career opportunities’.
The award certainly bears witness to the close cooperation between the worlds of education and business. Members of the 2024 jury include members of AM Suisse Ticino (Piergiorgio Rossi, Marzio Regazzi and Alberto Belloli) and lecturers from the Department of environment constructions and design in the field of steel structures (Stefano Bernasconi, Leo Girardi, Renato Guidicelli) together with the head of the Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering, Manuel Lüscher.