Davide Macullo Architects

Davide Macullo Architects is studio based in Lugano in southern Switzerland. The studio has an international aspect, working on projects with partners in Milan, Athens and with a studio in Seoul, South Korea. The ethos of the studio has developed into one of ‘cross-experiences’ and promotes an open and cultural exchange with architects and collaborators coming from different backgrounds. The diverse individual contributions encourage, and help sustain, a local-meets-global, embracing approach to architecture, spanning from the theoretical to the practical and detail level, to territorial analysis, pedagogy and sustainability in construction

The studio was founded in 2000 and since then has grown steadily. Currently they are working on several houses in the Alps surrounding Lugano, a new commercial headquarters project in northern Switzerland, a beachfront property on the island of Crete in Greece, a house in Jeju island, Korea, a dozen residential, commercial and masterplan projects in Milan and a design school in Germany. They have also recently been invited to participate in competitions in China, Italy and Germany.

The studio has received numerous awards over the years. In the last year, they have been nominated in two categories at the World Architecture Awards in Barcelona; shortlisted for the WAN House of the Year Award; shortlisted for the European Hotel Design Awards and the Copper in Architecture Awards in London. They have been awarded the Tecu Award for residential buildings, the Luigi Cosenza European Architecture Award and named as one of the ‘world’s most exciting new architects’ by Wallpaper magazine. In China the practice has recently been awarded the Building Industry Environmental Design Medal. Davide has also been invited by Hungarian colleagues to participate in their Venice Architecture Biennale drawing project this year.

The work of the studio has been published widely both at home and abroad; in Italy, France, Greece, Germany, Austria, Hungary, Russia, China, Korea, Australia, Argentina, Ireland, UK and in the US.

Prior to founding his own studio, Davide was with Mario Botta Architects for 20 years as international project architect. In this capacity, he worked on over 200 projects worldwide including the LEEUM museum in Seoul; the Spa facilities in Tschuggen Grand Hotel, Arosa and the Tata administration offices in India.

Biography
Davide Macullo
Davide Macullo (b. Giornico, Switzerland, 1965) lives and works in Lugano, Switzerland. Following commercial and technical studies in Zug and Lucerne, he graduated from the Professional University of Art & Design in Lugano in 1989 and has been a member of the Swiss Register of Architects and Engineers since 1998.

After several study visits to Asia, the US and within Europe, he began his working career in the atelier of Mario Botta in 1990 as project architect with responsibility for international projects. He opened his atelier in 2000 and currently the studio is involved in projects in Switzerland, Italy, Holland, Greece, France and in South Korea. His work has been published and acclaimed both at home and abroad.

The ethos of the studio has developed into one of ‘cross-experiences’ and promotes an open and cultural exchange with architects and collaborators often coming from different backgrounds. The diverse individual contributions encourage, and help sustain, a local-meets-global, embracing approach to architecture, spanning from the theoretical to the practical and detail level, to territorial analysis, pedagogy and sustainability in construction.

The research for synthesis between the individual and the collective expectations filters our approach to architecture. Architecture and design should positively influence our lives. They are the disciplines that relate people to cultural and social life, both physically and emotionally. This belief encourages us to look for quality in the production process by considering the clients, the consultants and all the persons involved. Holding in mind the functional, technical and pragmatic aspects of the work, the new artificial landscape has to be thought at human scale and represent the fertile ground that feeds one's needs. Our task means the complete involvement in the process from the preliminary concept to the realisation.