ABOUT

Studio Ossidiana is an award-winning practice working at the crossroads of architecture, design, and landscape, led by Giovanni Bellotti and Alessandra Covini. Balancing research and fabrication, the practice explores innovative approaches through buildings, materials, objects, and installations. 

Poetic and thought-provoking, Studio Ossidiana’s ambition is to design usable and generous spaces, materials, and concepts, to both participate in a global architectural debate, as well as ground the thinking in the built environment, through permanent or temporary projects. 

Studio Ossidiana is based in Rotterdam, working with an international team of architects, designers and researchers, and is actively involved locally and globally with projects across the Netherlands, Italy, Sweden, Turkey, and the US.

In 2018, SO was awarded the Dutch Prix de Rome, the most prestigious prize for architects under the age of 35. The studio’s work has been exhibited in international exhibitions, among others, at Venice Architecture Biennale, Istanbul Design Biennale, Chicago Architecture Biennale, Rotterdam Architecture Biennale, and Shenzhen Architecture Biennale.

FOUNDERS

Alessandra Covini studied in Milan and Lisbon and received her master’s degree in Architecture at the University of Technology in Delft (NL). Alessandra is the winner of the Prix de Rome Architecture 2018, the oldest and most prestigious award for architects under the age of 35 in the Netherlands. Alessandra has taught and lectured at TU Delft, Rotterdam Academie van Bouwkunst, Piet Zwart Institute, KABK Den Haag, Rietveld Academy.

Giovanni Bellotti studied in Venice and Delft, and received his master’s degree in Architecture from IUAV University of Venice (IT), and a postgraduate degree from MIT (US) in Architecture and Urbanism. Giovanni is a Fulbright fellow and Miguel Vinciguerra award recipient. He worked as a researcher for TU Delft’s The Why Factory and MIT’s Center for Advanced Urbanism. Giovanni teaches at Rotterdam’s Piet Zwart Institute and lectures regularly in the Netherlands and abroad.

SELECTED CLIENTS

Alcantara, MAXXI Museum, Solid Nature, Dedar Milano, Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen, Het Nieuwe Instituut, ArkDes, Municipality Schiedam, Municipality Almere and Flevoland Province, La Biennale di Architettura di Venezia, Shenzhen Architecture Biennial, Istanbul Design Biennial, Chicago Architecture Biennial, Municipality Utrecht, Atelier Rijksbouwmeester, The New York Times Style Magazine, RAUM, Unesco

NOMINATIONS & AWARDS

2023 Sustainable Achievement Edida Award, Milan Design Week, 2023 Public Award and Academic Committee Award, Shenzhen Architecture Biennial (CN), 2023 AD100 Architectural Digest, 2022 Golden Bee Award Dutch Pavilion 23° Triennale di Milano (IT), 2022 First Prize competition public artwork De Akkers, Schiedam (NL), 2022 Shortlisted Young Architect Award De Architect (NL), 2022 Shortlisted European Public Space Prize, 2022 Shortlisted Almere Architecture Prize (NL), 2020 First Prize, ARC 20 Meubel Awards, Furniture for Humans and Birds (NL), 2020 Shortlisted Dutch Design Awards, “Paper Gardens” (NL), 2020 First Prize competition Kunstpaviljoen Flevoland, Museum for Land Art and Multimedia, Floriade, Almere ( NL), 2018 Winner Prix de Rome Architecture, Mondriaan Funds ( NL), 2018 First Prize, competition, Playground/Public art, Utrecht (NL),2017 Studio Prize, Architect Magazine, with "The Civic Forest". With Prof. Rafi Segal and Marie Law Adams, 2017 Lafarge Holcim Award, Acknowledgement Prize, with Adèle Santos, Debora Mesa Molina, Alexander Wiegering and Justin Lim, 2017 First Prize, competition Facades Kruidenbuurt, TRUDO (NL), 2016 Finalist project, Prague 7 City Hall, with Pablo Roquero and Felix Madrazo, Prague (CZ), 2016 Finalist project within "Imagining New Eurasia" competition, "Grand Tour of Tomorrow", Gwangju (KR), 2016 Finalist project, "Dear Architecture", Blank Space Competition (US), 2015 Finalist Project Turkish Pavilion Venice Biennale, Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Art (TU), 2015 First Prize, invited competition, Stichting Kunsteiland (NL), 2015 Finalist Project, competition Wellness Club, YAC (IT), 2015 Second Prize, competition Bamiyan Cultural Centre, UNESCO (AF), 2015 Mention, competition for Borbonic Cistern, Formia Municipality (IT)

TEAM 2015-2022

Vicktoria Bacheva, Pedro Daniel Pantaleone, Edward Zammit, Konstantin Beck, Mariagiulia Pistonese, Lyubov Viller, Daniele Ceragno, Han Sol Hwang, Maurane Gabriel, Jackie van Dijk, Leopold Castin, Marie Saladin, Sze Wing Chan, Lauren Boots, Ebru Güner, Pawel Szubert, Mariana Fernandez, Miriam Asghdom, Lisa Hens, Hugo Lopez, Akina Yoshitake Lopez, Mees Temmink, Tomas Dirrix, Francesco Apostoli, Manfredi Villarosa, Delfino Sisto Legnani, Filippo Garuglieri, Niki Revo, Regina Makhmutova, Matthew Cook, Arthur Schoonenberg, Noortje Weenink, Kevin Westerveld.  

EXHIBITIONS

2023 Biogrounds, Isola della Certosa, Alcantara & Maxxi (IT) 2023 Padiglione Italiano, La Biennale di Architettura di Venezia (IT) 2023 Concentrico Festival, Logroño (SP) 2023 Beyond the Surface, Solid Nature, Oma, Milan Design Week (IT) 2023 Dropcity, Aspen The Italian Manifesto, Milan Design Week (IT) 2023 Concentrico Festival, Logroño (SP) 2023 WeBuild, Triennale di Milano (IT) 2022 10 Architetture Italiane, Triennale di Milano (IT) 2022 Shenzhen Architecture Biennale (CN) 2022 The Planetarian, Beijing Design Festival (CN) 2022 International Biennale Rotterdam (NL) 2022 Unknown Unknowns, 23° Triennale di Milano (IT) 2022 Assab One, Milan Design Week (IT) 2022 Kunst und Natur, Bad Homburg (DE) 2021 Dutch Design Week Eindhoven (NL) 2021 Chicago Architecture Biennial, Chicago (US) 2021 La Biennale di Architettura di Venezia, Venice (IT) 2021 Istanbul Design Biennale, Istanbul (TR) 2021 ArkDes, Sweden National Centre for Architecture and Design (SE) 2021 Raum der Lusten, Leidsche Rijn (NL) 2021 Bird Island, Amsterdam (NL) 2020 Open Studio, Van Eyck Academy, Maastricht (NL) 2020 The State of the Art of Architecture, Triennale di Milano (IT) 2019 Buyukada Songlines, Istanbul Art Biennale, Istanbul (TR) 2019 Architects at Play, CIVA, Bruxelles (BE) 2019 Animal Encounters, Het Nieuwe Instituut (NL)
2019 Triennial of Small Sculptures, Fellbach (DE) 2019 Amsterdam Allegories in Villa Volten, Taak, Amsterdam (NL) 2019 MIT Museum, Drawing, Designing, Thinking: 150 Years of Teaching Architecture at MIT 2018 Gallery 9, Cambridge (US), Between Birds and Humans
2018 Prix de Rome 2018 Exhibition, Het Nieuwe Instituut (NL)
2017 Petrified Carpets in 5VIE,  Milan Design
2017 The Materiality of the Invisible, Marres Contemporary House of Culture (NL)
2017 Capitalism is Over, Milan Design Week (IT)
2017 Open Studio, Jan Van Eyck Academy (NL) 2017 Spazio FMG per l'Architettura, Milan, The Why Factory Exhibition (IT) 2017 COAM Colegio Oficial Arquitectos de Madrid, The Why Factory: Research, teaching and public engagement (2006-2016) (ES) 2016 Asian Culture Center, Gwangju, Republic of Korea, Grand Tour of Tomorrow (KR)
2016 Prayer Rug Platform, Het Nieuwe Instituut (NL)
2016 In No Particular Order, Dutch Design Week (NL) 2013 Dostoevsky Library, Moscow, “Moscow’s Libraries Atlas” (RU) 2013 Kunsthall Rotterdam, International Rotterdam Architecture Biennale, IABR 2013, project and research display for “The Wild City” (NL) 2012 MAXXI Museum of Rome, Re-Cycle exhibition, project and models from “Agropoly” (IT)

GRANTS

2020 Internationalization, Creative Industries Fund NL 2019 Internationalization, Creative Industries Fund NL 2019 Jan Van Eyck Academy Residency (NL)
2018 Professionalization, Creative Industries Fund (NL)
2018 Young Innovator 2018, College van Rijksadviseurs (NL)
2017 Embassy and Consulate of the Netherlands in Milan (NL) 2016 and 2017 MIT Department of Architecture Graduate Fellowship (US)
2016 W. J. Fulbright Fellowship (IT/US)
2016 Talent Development (Jan Van Eyck Academy) Creative Industries Fund NL
2016 Talent Grant Moving up, Young Italian Artists (IT)
2016 Architecture Grant, Creative Industries Fund NL
2015 Talent Development, Creative Industries Fund NL

PUBLICATIONS

2022 Interni Magazine, September 2022 Elle Decor Italia, September 2022 G+L 05/2022 zum Thema Stadtmobilität Europa. Buyukada Songlines 2022 Architectenweb, Nieuwe Gezichten:Studio Ossidiana. Interview by Joost Ector 2022 Elle Decoration NL, Studio Ossidiana2021: Play, The Architectural Review, May 2021 2020 Il Sole 24 Ore. How to spend it.  2020 Platform Architecture and Design. Best Italian architects and designers under 40 2020 Elle Decor. 30 Young talents to Follow 2020 Elle Decor Italia, Let’s Stay Together, April (IT) 2020 Plot #52, Amsterdam Allegories, March (AR) 2019 Architecture in the Netherlands 2019, nai010 publishers (NL)
2019 The New York Times Style Magazine, May (USA) 2019 Vers Beton, Interview, June (NL) 2019 De Architect, Interview, June (NL) 2019 ICON, Voyage to Ossidiana, Interview, April (UK) 2019 Domus 1035. Il Gioco é finito. Text by Menno Schilthuizen. 2019 ArchitectuurNL, Interview, March (NL) 2019 Landscape Architecture Frontiers - Economics and Landscape Architecture - Issue 36. The Civic Forest.
2018 Het Financieele Dagblad, 9th March (NL)
2018 Het Parool, 20th October (NL)
2018 Trouw, 19th October (NL) 2018
2018 de Volkskrant, 18th October (NL) 2018 Prix de Rome 2018 Architecture, nai010 publishers (NL)
2018 DAMN° Magazine, January/February (BE)
2018 FRAME Magazine, January/February (NL)
2017 Mint Magazine, Interview, November (FR)
2017 Garten + Landschaft, Interview, October (GE)            
2017 BauMeister Das Arkitectur-Magazine, September (GE)
2017 Ideat, Milan 2017 Renouveau Cratif, Julie-August (FR)
2017 Elle Decor Italia, Materiali 2017, June (IT)
2017 Casas, Especial de Deseno, June (PE)
2017 Interni, Brutalist Playground, May (IT)
2017 Icon Design,The book club,  April (IT)
2017 Repubblica, Primitivi d’autore, April (IT)
2017 Corriere della Sera, April (IT)
2016 Jantje Engels, Marius Grootveld, ‘Building upon Building’, Nai010 publisher, March (NL) 2015 Lobby Magazine #2, “The City scale Narrative” article and “Conversational Skeleton” image
2015 Dear Architecture, essay and illustration, with James Taylor-Foster, Blank Space Publishers
2014 Harvard Design Magazine #37, Featured project in “Ditch Urbanism revisited”, by Wouter Vanstiphout, “448 Rooms with a view”
2013 The Architectural Review, October (UK) 2013 AD Magazine # 83, The New Pastoralism, Featured project “The Wild City” 2012 City Shock. Planning the unexpected. published by nai010 uitgevers. Contributor with The Why Factory. 2012 Anarcity. Abitare #523. Illustrations and editing for The Why Factory

ONLINE MAGAZINES

2020 Elle Decor Italia, The Urban Poetry of Studio Ossidiana, Interview 2020 Dezeen. The World Around/Earth Day. Interview 2020 Domusweb. Interview 2019 A/D/O Journal. Studio Ossidiana: the secret life of things, Interview 2019 Architectuur NL, Studio Ossidiana over relatie mens en dier 2019 de Architect, Animal Encounters installatie en lezing door Studio Ossidiana 2019 The New York Times Style Magazine, April (USA) 2018 de Volkskrant, 20 November (NL) 2017 MilkDecoration, June (FR)
2017 ArtTribune, Interview, June (IT)
2017 Yellowtrace Australia, March (AU)
217 Yatzer, Bests of Milan Design Week 2017, April
2017 Living Corriere Italy, Bests of 5Vie, April (IT)
2017 IconDesign, 5Vie Art+Design, le Novità, April (IT)
2017 Metropolis M, March (NL)
2017 Elle Decor, 3 Emerging Talents to do not miss at Salone del Mobile in 5VIE, February (IT)
2017 ArchitectuurNL, February (NL)
2017 DeArchitect Buisiness, Interview, February (NL)
2016 Domus, October  (IT)
2016 Dezeen, October
2016 SightUnseen, Our Top Findings from Dutch Design Week 2016, November 2016 (USA) 2014 ArchDaily, Reimagining 448 Moscow Libraries

EDUCATION

2020-23 Domestic Territories, MIARD, Willelm de Kooning (NL) 2021 The Design of the Encouner, Design Academy Eindhoven (NL) 2020 The Design of the Encounter, design studio, RAVB (NL) 2020 PLAY, Rietveld Academy (NL) 2019 Domestic Territories, Rietveld Academy (NL)
2019 Shapes of Play Workshop, Faculté d'Architecture La Cambre Horta (BE) 2019-2021 Platforms for Homo Ludens, IST course, with Francesco Apostoli, KABK (NL)
2018 Landmarks, Study of Forms, with Frederik Poll, RAVB (NL) 2017 Play Ground Structures, Workshop with Francesco Apostoli, TuDelft (NL)
2017 The Bed in the Age of Social Media, Masterclass with Beatrix Colomina, Berlage Instituut (NL) 2017 Petrified Landscapes, Building Technology Workshop with Giulio Margheri, KABK (NL)
2017 The Bed in the Age of Social Media, Masterclass with Beatrix Colomina, Berlage Instituut (NL)
2017 Teacher, RCR Architects Architecture and Landscape Workshop VI (SP)

LECTURES

2022 Ordine degli Architetti di Catania (IT) 2022 Ordine degli Architetti di Treviso (IT) 2022 Working on Common Ground, Triennale di Milano (IT) 2022 Casa dell’Architettura di Roma (IT) 2022 The Design of the Encounter, Architecture school St-Etienne (FR) 2022 The Design of the Encounter, UCD Dublin (IR) 2022 The Design of the Encounter, The Independent School of the City 2022 IDEE@IN/Arch Piemonte (IT) 2022 ALTRE 15 ARCHITETTURE ITALIANE, Triennale di Milano (IT). 2021 Farrell Centre / Newcastle University lecture series 2021 Muse Trento 2021 Politecnico di Milano 2021 Phyllis Lambert Seminar, Université de Montréal 2021 IUAV, Venice / Studio Ossidiana 2021 Oslo Architect Association autumn 2021 2021 Lecture at ArkDes, Stockholm 2021 Association Architects Sweden, Malmo 2021 CIVA, Brussels. Building Institutions/Emancipation (BE) 2021 CIVA, Brussels (BE). Variations on a Birdcage (BE) 2021 The Design of the Encounter, Royal College of Art, London (UK) 2021 Representations/Investigations, Architectural Association, London (UK) 2021 Variations on a Birdcage, Design Academy Eindhoven (NL) 2020 Contested Natures, Pollen20, Brighton (UK) 2020 Earth Day, The World Around Symposium, Dezeen 2020 The State of the Art Architecture, Triennale di Milano, Milan (IT) 2019 Utopian Radicalism, A Festival of Creative Urban Living, Milton Keynes (UK) 2019 Variations on a Birdcage, Het Nieuwe Instituut, Rotterdam (NL) 2019 Studio Ossidiana, Recyclart, Bruxelles (BE) 2019 Inclusive Cities, We Make The City, Pakhuis de Zwijger, Amsterdam (NL) 2019 Studio Ossidiana, INDESEM, TuDelft (NL) 2019 Studio Ossidiana, Tilburg Academy of Architecture (NL) 2019 The Shape of an Action, TuDelft (NL) 2019 ACSA Conference. Black Box. Carnegie Mellon University
2019 LUCAS Graduate Conference. Animals. Leiden University
2018 Amsterdam Allegories, Prix de Rome, Het Nieuwe Instituut, Rotterdam (NL)
2018 Interior Building Cities, TuDelft (NL)
2018 The Next Power of Dutch Architecture: A Change of Perspective, Design Museum Den Bosch (NL)
2016 In No Particular Order, Dutch Design Week(NL)
2015 RCR Architects Architecture and Landscape Workshop VI (SP)

WRITING

2022 Authorship in Scale, What is Architecture, Archined 2021 Songlines of the Islands, Empathy Revisited: Designs for more than one 2021 In Practice, The Architectural Review #1481, Play 2021 The Carpet and the Territory, The Rug Mac Guffin Magazine 2019 Models Across Scales, Koozarch (online journal)
2019 The Civic Forest, Landscape Architecture Frontiers #36 2015 The City Scale Narrative, Lobby Magazine #2 2015 Dear Architecture, Blank Space Publishers. With James Taylor-Foster.2019 Models Across Scales, Tools, KooZA/rch
2016 Prayer rug: the intersection between the carpet and architecture, Online magazine Het Nieuwe Instituut

JURY

2023 MAIA, Master of Arts in Interior Architecture, HEAD, Geneva (CH), 2022, Jury Prix de Rome Architecture (NL), 2021, Jury Archiprix TuEindhoven (NL), 2021 Jury member Meubel Awards, 2020 Jury De Meester, RAVB (NL), 2019 Jury Indesem, TuDelft (NL)