I’ve always believed that being an architect is not a choice. When you realise that architecture is a natural instinct within you, you must be able to face the responsibilities of this profession, which will inevitably be with you for the rest of your life. The architect is an eclectic and versatile professional, who makes each experience an opportunity to grow and enrich its cultural background. I think that,indeed, in order to be capable of Architecture you should take into account the human aspect, as well as the creative one. For this reason it is essential that the architect feels a strong empathy for places, people and for the society within he/she works and lives. In the same way, I do believe that this sense of empathy is strongly linked to the ethical responsibility that our profession carries on: designing a good architecture does not only mean responding to a purely functional need, but working punctually with actions that enhance the culture and living condition of mankind.
On these assumptions I have undertaken my education and my professional activity.
During my Master’s Degree in Architecture at La Sapienza in Rome, I immediately felt the necessity to deal with realities other than my own, convinced that cultural exchange was the key not only for my academic achievements, but also for my personal growth. Therefore I spent one year at the RWTH University in Aachen and two years at the TU in Munich, as ERASMUS student. in munich I had not only the opportunity to deal with teaching methods far from the Italian one, but also to take part in the design workshop of Prof. Kaufmann. having the opportunity to deal with African architecture for the first time, i immediately felt in love. thanks to this workshop, we also had the opportunity to take part in the construction of the semester project: a canteen for the students of the Manus Dei School. during the summer of 2014 I spent, then, two wonderful months in Kibwigwa, in the region of Kigoma, Tanzania. From this experience, not only a strong passion for vernacular construction methods was born, but a strong friendship with the beautiful people I met.
From this experience, my master thesis about vernacular african architecture was born: “Make a virtue, out of necessity “.
After my degree in Architecture I decided to start working immediately in an architecture studio in Munich (2017),OSA Ochs Schmidhuber Architekten, where I spent the next two years. In January 2019, I decided to quit my job to focus again on research, with the aim of finding out which were the common characteristics of the new generation of architects, looking for the contemporary movement they could belong to. From this research two projects are born: #Remix, a book in collaboration with Gizmo, a collective research founded by Prof. Marco Biraghi from Politecnico di Milano, and J A C Q U A R D of living, a multidisciplinary magazine about architecture and sustainability.
Today, in parallel with Jacquard's direction and my personal architectural research, I am currently working at the firm Schützdeller Architekten, based in Munich.
Born and raised in Sicily, fueled by Mediterranean temperament, I like to think that Visual Art hasn’t just been a hobby or a passion, but a fil rouge that tagged me along throughout my whole life, phase after phase.
After I first painted with my hands at the age of 3, held my first brush in Kindergarden, doodled in my notebook and organised the layout of my notes in Middle School and fell in love with Art History in High School, I decided to make Art my job and my life, something that in southern Italy requires a lot of courage. I decided to dedicate energy and hard work, to invest time and money on what I thought it was the most important goal of my life: being independent doing what I love.
I studied Graphic and Visual Design at the Academy of Fine Arts in Palermo in the Technology for Applied Arts Department, where I had the possibility to attend Masterclasses and Courses with national and international Artists and Designers like Giovanni Anceschi, pioneer of Kinetik Art, Jürgen Böttcher (in art “Strawalde”), and Stefan Koppelkamm, Professor in the Weissensee University of Berlin, where I studied as an exchange student.
After getting my BFA Degree, I packed my experiences and ambition and I flew to Germany for my first abroad internship experience at Landor&Fitch Hamburg, one of the most prestigious Branding Agency in the world.
After 4 months I was promoted into Designer, and recently into Senior Designer, working across key global brands, developing mainly packaging and visual identity systems, both locally in Europe and also across the broader network of the market of Asia, Middle East, North America and Latin America.
I proudly joined J A C Q U A R D team because in a world dominated by mediocrity and will of doing less and less, I admire who still believes in something and pursue it with ambition, determination and proactivity. As youngsters, it is important to give our contribution to this world!
I firmly believe that Visual Art is the strongest and the purest way to communicate, where no definitions, words, labels or explainations are ever needed. The power of what your eyes are capable to signal to your brain is a mystery that hopefully will never be revealed.
A freckled, Sicilian girl, always on the move as the sea waves surrounding my island. I’ve always been fascinated by nature and art. Since I was a child, I’ve had the opportunity to travel and know different landscapes, lights, and architectures in various world cities. The
driving force behind my passion for architecture and engineering are curiosity and openness to diversity, which my grandmother passed on to me.
My studies began at the University of Palermo, in the Double Master's degree in Building Engineering and Architecture. Here, I took part in some international workshops (Edinburgh, Warsaw University of Technology), talks (with Franco Purini, Sete Alvarez, and Pablo Millan, among others), and internships (e.g. Palazzo Butera, owned by Massimo Valsecchi).
In 2016, wondering about an educational experience abroad, I packed my stuff with hope and determination and joined the Erasmus+ Exchange Programme. My destination was the Architecture Faculty of Rheinisch-Westfaelische Technische Hochschule (RWTH) in Aachen, Germany. Cold and tasteless food aside, I found a second home here: they hold young people in high regard due to their great potential, and you get the chance to work across most different fields.
After the German experience, I longed for doing more. I then decided to return to the RWTH and work on my thesis upon agreement with the University of Palermo. As the main topic, I chose the urban regeneration of inland towns in Sicily. I analyzed the potential of speculative, new foreign settlements, believing firmly in caring for traditions and territories.
As my University career ends in March 2021, I promptly leave for Spain. Currently, I’m working as a project planner for the SOL89 firm in Seville, Spain, and remotely as a systems engineer for the Oregon-based company ContekPro. I believe the ability to work in architecture demands cohesion between engineering and art. I share the idea that every project is unique and has, therefore, value.
When Jacquard offered me to join, I was delighted by that. For me, it represents a different way of expressing the ideas of new, young workers who want to make their way in a world that is often too competitive, where we don’t linger on the beauty and care of what happens around us. Jacquard is a collateral thought, a time for reflection and action on approaches and views we want to communicate to others. And this is art too.
I remember the day I realized I was an architect. It happened unexpectedly; a strong creative impulse and a feeling of stomach bite turned quickly into a necessity, a pressing need to make a choice that would have influenced my whole life.
What does it mean to be an architect? It means to see the world with different eyes, creative and critical, but also to be charged with a sense of strong responsibility. The architect's work has in fact immediately brought with its burdens and honors: being free to read the city, the landscape and society with the eyes of those who not only belong to it, but are able to leave a sign. On the other hand, there is a strong responsibility linked to these operations. For this reason, I felt it was fundamental to be totally involved not only in the architectural studies, but also in that complex and international society that has guided me throughout my professional growth.
After graduating at the University of Roma Tre with a Bachelor's Degree and completing a year at the RWTH University of Aachen as an Erasmus student, I decided to challenge myself again by starting my master's degree at the TU in Munich. During my stay in Munich I was able not only to get to know a culture quite far from mine, appreciating its merits and defects, but thanks to my work experience (at the a+p studio and the ringvanrittau studio) I soon experienced for myself what it meant to be a young architect today.
It was, therefore, easier for me to decide to take part in the J A C Q U A R D project, which I immediately welcomed not only because of the modernity of the topics addressed, but also because of the way in which it works, that I find extremely consistent with the contemporary scenario.
I’ve always believed in the communicational power of a photography. A simple image can overcome the differences between our languages, and it has the power to unify different people with a gesture as simple as looking. An everyday gesture we’re all get used to.
My photographic investigation focuses on places and territories inhabited by men, how they are constantly shaped by the people who lives in them. I strongly believe that a rigorous approach and a strong research are the real challenge to make the project successful. I’m interested in social themes, and I always follow my feelings, my heart, my mind when shooting.
When I wonder through places, I’m always looking for that sparkle that catches my attention and resonates with my eyes. Objects and ordinary situations, that are always passing by our careless eyes, suddenly became important and acquire meaning. After years, analogue photography still teaches me the discipline and the patient that allows me to fully concentrate.
After a degree in Astrophysics at Sapienza in Rome, I began a new adventure graduating in photography and visual communication at IED in Rome. Like many people, I diverted from my original path in order to follow my real passion, that is now my profession. During last academic year, I realized a project “Where the rivers flows” about the pollution of Valle del Sacco near Rome.
Now I work in a communication agency in Milan, meanwhile I work as a freelance.
I’ve decided to join JACQUARD team, because I strongly believe that it can become a reference point for youth of all Europe, and because it is a real and possible answer for a requirement of a meaningful connection in this digital and yet fragmentary world.
Art and architecture produced always emotions in me, the buildings and urban areas have shown always beauty to my eyes and given me feelings. I chose, then, to be an architect. But I have an engineering attitude inside me, so I chose to be both. I think that being an architect means change the world in a way to make it a better and beautiful place. Being an architect means to me to have the power to do this, to realise an idea using a project. All this can change people and their feelings. In the meantime, the engineer that lives inside me thinks about order, giving roles to my “architect part”. I think, anyway, that engineering and architecture can be merged in myself.
I have graduated in Engineering/Architecture, I attended the University in Rome and I studied one year abroad at the Architecture University CEU in Madrid, as Erasmus student. As I felt in love with Spain and I appreciated the Spanish approach to architecture, after my graduation I decided to work in BCQ Architecture in Barcelona. After this experience I came back to Rome to start my PhD in Architecture and Construction.
Nowadays I've completed my doctoral studies and I'm co-founder of an innovative start up: DoT5-Lab.
