Silvia Piardi

Born in Milan, graduated in Architecture at the Politecnico di Milano with top marks in 1975, the same year she enables the profession of architect.

Member of the Order of Journalist, since 2003 is full professor in Industrial Design at the Politecnico di Milano, Department of Design. She co-founded and directed until 2003 the Degree in Interior Design; She participated in the design and chaired the Master of Science in Naval and Nautical Design, joint between the Politecnico di Milano and the University of Genoa, from its inception in 2005 to 2011.

Since its establishment in 1999 to 2015 she was Director of the Master of the Politecnico di Milano in Yacht Design, she is currently teacher. Recently retired, she has been a member of the Design School at the Politecnico di Milano, where she continues to hold the project studio for degree thesis.

From 2011 to 2019 she has been the Head of the Department of Design at the Politecnico di Milano, member of the Academic Senate of the Politecnico and part of the Scientific Commission of the University and of the Commitee for Regulation. She founded and currently directs the Series “Design International” for Franco Angeli editor in Milan. The Series published till now 22 texts on contemporary design issues.

In November 2021 she was appointed honorary professor of the Politecnico di Milano.

ROBERTA BUSNELLI

After completing the university studies in the humanistic-linguistic area at IULM in Milan, Roberta Busnelli entered the world of journalism and specialized publishing in the early 90s. In 2005 she founded the publishing house Verbus Editrice in Milan, responsible for the publication of the IQD architecture and design magazine, now internationally recognized as one of the most dynamic and authoritative publications in the sector. In the last years, the publishing house has become a reference point for the publication of architectural books, such as the recent Vacua Forma by architect Beniamino Servino, and collections of architectural and interior design projects. She collaborates with the most important exponents of the architecture world, who directed the magazine’s issues within a farsighted project of shared communication, such as Alfonso Femia, Alexander S. Brodsky, Giancarlo Mazzanti and Renato Rizzi. Alongside IQD’s Editorial Director activity, in recent years she has promoted events and activities aimed at supporting the culture of the project and encouraging meetings between the various protagonists of the design and architecture scene in the world.

Sergio Nava

Sergio Nava is an Italian architect and designer. He graduated from the Politecnico di Milano, and obtained a “PG Cert in Learning and Teaching in HE” at the Manchester Metropolitan University. He gained a long-standing experience as a Professor in both Italian and international universities. He has been the Programme Leader of the Visual Design Department at Istituto Marangoni School of Design Milano, where he is currently the Director of Education.

He has been working in the design and communication field for over 20 years. In 2007 he founded the design brand Kreaton. While working at Kreaton he won several international awards, like the Red Dot Design Award 2010. In particular, among the communication awards, he won the ORO at A.D.C.I. Award 2019 with the project “Suono Positivo”. He was the founder and consultant of many innovative start-ups, such as NTT Design, Restopolis (now named TheFork and under the TripAdvisor company) and Kleemotion.

His works have been published in the most renowned design magazines of the world. During his career he collaborated with important brands such as Adidas, Google, Versace and FCA.

Fratelli Carpanelli

Carpanelli is a family company that from 100 years has rooted in the artistic manufacturing of wood and in high level cabinet-making.
The third generation with Giuseppe, Angelo and Daniele has taken the witness of a great historical reality enriching the “added values” always recognized in the Carpanelli style, trying to interprete the challenges of today furniture world.
Giuseppe, graduated at Politecnico of Milan in Archiecture by making his degree thesis with professor Arturo Dell’Acqua Bellavitis, coordinates the creative and project phases.
Angelo, graduated in law at Università Statale of Milan, is the sales manager of the company.
Daniele, graduated in Economics at Univesrità Bicocca of Milan with a specific degree thesis about the evolution of distribution in the furnishing sector, is the administrative responsible for the management and control phases.

Italo Rota

Born in 1953 in Milan where he graduated from the Polytechnic University of Milan. At the end of the 1980s, he moved to Paris, where he signed the renovation of the Museum of Modern Art at the Centre Pompidou (with Gae Aulenti), the new rooms of the French school at the Cour Carré at Louvre, the lighting of the Notre Dame cathedral and along the Seine and the renovation of the centre of Nantes. The Italo Rota studio handles the complexities of major international projects, from product design to the design of large urban areas.

In 2008 for EXPO in Zaragoza the studio designed the thematic pavilion “Ciudades de Agua”. In 2006, for Turin 2006 XX Olympic Winter Games, he designed Medal Plaza in Piazza Castello. 2006 was also the year of important exhibitions. “Good N.E.W.S.” at the Triennale of Milan with the  particular scenographic objects; “Fashion DNA” at Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam; DARC Sculpture Pavilion (10^th International Architecture Venice Biennale), the “City-Harbour” Exhibition  (10^th  International Architecture Venice Biennale – Palermo) and the installation for Antiquarian Exhibition at Stupinigi (Turin). Scientific Director at NABA (Nuova accademia di Belle Arti di Milano/ New Academy of Fine Arts in Milan) and Domus Academy, Italo Rota has been awarded several prizes, including the Gold Medal to the Italian Architecture for the public spaces, the Gold Medal to the Italian Architecture for culture and leisure, the Landmark Conservancy Prize, New York and the Grand Prix de l’Urbanisme, Paris.

Italo Rota is co-designer of the Italy Pavilion at Expo 2021 Dubai.

Marcello Francone

Marcello Francone 1959. He studied graphic and photography at “Istituto d’arte” of Monza with AG Fronzoni.
After the studies he worked with Friedmann Kaltbrunner at Contact Studio, he collaborated with G&R Associati and Studio Anselmi.
In 1983 he began to work on books with the publisher Electa, where in 1985 he took on the management of the graphic design office and in 1988 he performed the position of art director.
From 1994 to 2016 he held a publishing course to the students of the third year at “Accademia di Comunicazione” in Milan.
In 1995 he started his collaboration with Skira, taking part to the relaunch of the historical Publishing Art house of which he is currently art director.
In 2005 he was Visiting professor at Design faculty at Politecnico di Milano Bovisa, where he held a workshop called “Disegnare libri che raccontano il progetto”. From 2017 he is professor of editorial graphics, Visual Design course at Raffles Milano.

Roberto Semprini

Born in Rimini in 1959, he studied architecture in Florence. In 1989 he created the Tatlin sofa by Edra, which was among the winning products of the prestigious Top Ten Award in Dusseldorf. In 2000 he moved to Rimini where he opened “RM 12 art & design”, Art Gallery and Design/Interior Architecture Studio. In 2010 he was invited by Seoul Living Design Fair (Korea) to exhibit “The Italian/Korean house”. He is currently a tenured professor at the Academy of Fine Arts in Bologna. He is “Chiara Fama” (for outstanding reputation) lecturer without tenure of the course of Outdoor Design at the Milan Polytechnic. He won the Gold A’Design Award 2017 with the project of Nemo table for the Company SCAB Design.

Francesco Scullica

Francesco Scullica, architect and research doctor in interior architecture, is an associate professor in industrial design at the Department of Design of Politecnico di Milano. Since 2012 he has been the scientific director of the Interior Design Master of the Politecnico di Milano- POLI_design; he graduated from the Faculty of Architecture at Politecnico di Milano. From 1990 to 1999 he began to collaborate in the interior design and design courses of the furnishing products held by Prof. Arturo Dell’Acqua Bellavitis at the Politecnico di Milano, paying particular attention to interior design, product design, mobile and design in general. In particular, in relation to this educational collaboration, there are tutoring activities carried out on projects related to major Italian companies (“Bernini”, “Cassina”, “Fiat Auto”, “Techno” and “Zambon”). He has participated and participates in the activities of visiting professor in international seminars and workshops in foreign schools, including the Barcellona School of Architecture (SP) La De Montfort University in Leicester (UK), the Institute of Art Visule of Orleans (F), the Fachhoch-schule fur Gestaltung Schwabish Gmund (DE), the TEI (Technological Educational Institution) of Athens (GR) the Lantao Culture- (China), the HEAD (Haute Ecole de Design- Art) in Geneva ( CH), the Tongji University of Shanghai (China). This in relation to his role as Co-Director of the Executive Design Management Master for Innovative Environments- Politecnico di Milano and Tongji University of Shanghai, the RTU Riga Technical University and the Academy of Art and Design of Riga. His main research interests are focused in interior design, hospitality and hotel design, furniture, office, retail, sustainability in the interior design in relation to Design for All.

He has published many articles, essays, texts, conference proceedings for national and international publishers.

From the academic year 2000-01 he teaches at the School of Design of the Politecnico di Milano. His most recent consultancy activities include the role of scientific curator of the “Hybrid Lounge” exhibition at Homi, the Lifestyle fair at Fiera Milano, an exhibition on new trends in interior design finishes and materials.

Brian Sironi

Brian Sironi was born in Seregno, near Milan, in 1977. He graduated from Politecnico in Milan with a degree in Industrial Design and then he began collaborating with architects, designers and professional artisans in the design industry such as carpenters, blacksmiths, wood carvers and upholsterers. Trained in the heart of Brianza, his background is both practical and academic with a strong connection to the territory which is an integral element featured in his work as an Italian as well as cosmopolitan designer. He continued his training in the United States and, upon his return in Italy, he founded his own Studio Brian Sironi, specializing in product design, interior design and architecture. In his work, he focuses on the relationship between object and user, between shape and function of the product, favoring the search for a form at its purest, with the aim of improving everyday life, adding a little surprise in front of a detail. With the Elica lamp, manufactured by Martinelli Luce, he was awarded the “Design dello Stupore” Young & Design in 2009 and the Red Dot Design Award and the Compasso d’Oro in 2011. In 2010 he was selected for the exhibition “The New Italian Design Reloaded” at the Milan Triennale, an exhibition that travelled in various museums around the world.

Luisa Bocchietto

Architect and designer, she works with her own studio in Biella, Italy. She has carried out building renovation and urban planning projects, worked as an art director, and a visiting professor. She participates in International Juries. Author of the book Abitare nel Biellese, and of the books and exhibitions “DcomeDesign” and “POPDesign”. She was Ambassador for Italian Design Day in the world in 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021 for La Farnesina – Ministry of Foreign Affairs and curator of Torino Design of the City 2017.

She was President of ADI Association of Industrial Design (2008 – 2014), President of WDO – the World Design Organization (2017 – 2019).

She is currently Senator of WDO.

Paolo Posarelli

Born in San Miniato in 1969, he graduated in Architecture with honors at the University of Florence and later he achieved an advanced Master in Bio-Architecture at the Faculty of Environmental Sciences in Urbino. After several years of research with the urban design professorship at the Faculty of Architecture in Florence, in 1999, together with architect Gianni Bellucci, he founded the firm LDA.iMdA architetti associati and dedicated himself to professional practice. The firm, which has also been based in Brazil since 2012, has won several awards over the years, including the prestigious Barbara Capocchin international architecture award in 2019 and the Tuscan Architecture Award in 2022. Paolo Posarelli has been invited to numerous Lectures in national and international universities. He is a member of the scientific committee Toscana 2050, of the CISDU International Center for Urban Design Studies, of AIAC Rome, Italian Association of Architecture and Criticism, and of ALA Assoarchitetti Vicenza.

Marcio Kogan

Born in São Paulo, Brazil in 1952, he graduated in 1976 from the School of Architecture and Urbanism at the Mackenzie Presbyterian University. Son of engineer Aron Kogan, who was famous in the 1950s and 1960s for the design and construction of big buildings in São Paulo, such as Edificio São Vito and Edificio Mirante do Vale, he has followed his father on construction sites since he was a child. During the onset of his career, he divided his time between cinema and architecture, until 1988, when he decided to devote himself exclusively to architecture. At the end of the 1970s he founded the MK27 architecture firm in Sãn Paulo, today comprised of over 30 architects, winner of more than 250 national and international awards, including: IAB (Institute of Brazilian Architects), São Paulo Architectural Biennial, WAF, Architectural Review, Dedalo Minosse, Record House, Leaf, D&AD, Spark, Barbara Cappochin, Iconic and Buenos Aires Ibero-American Architectural Biennial. In 2012 the studio represented Brazil at the Venice Biennale. The projects by StudioMK27, particularly appreciated for their formal simplicity and attention to detail, show, on the one hand, the best of Brazilian modernism – at least from a formal point of view – while, on the other hand, they continue that initial process of opening to contemporary international production from countries such as Spain, Belgium, the Netherlands and Japan. The strength of his work lies in the precision of design and practice. His projects include: “Casa Plana”, “Casa Pasqua”, “Casa Tetris”, “Casa Da Rampa”, “Casa Na Mata”, “Livraria Cultura” and “Casa MM”. Marcio Kogan is Professor at the Milan Polytechnic and at the Escola da Cidade in São Paulo and an honorary member of the “AIA” (American Institute of Architecture).

James Christopher Postell

Engaging interdisciplinary projects through teaching, writing, research, scholarly activities, and service complement my passion for professional practice and making. For 32 years, I served as faculty at the University of Cincinnati and since 2019, faculty at the Politecnico di Milano. I often cross disciplinary boundaries (i.e. architecture with the humanities, product design with ergonomics, interior design with behavior science, and graphic design with psychology). I have worked closely with colleagues, professionals, and students on a variety of projects (and at a variety of scales). The pursuit of furniture design, product design, interior design, and smaller-scaled architectural commissions, generate the foundation of my work focused on design processes, material applications, interactive & human considerations, making prototypes, and studying innovative fabrication technologies.

Massimo Farinatti

Born in 1958 in Milan and graduated in architecture in 1984 with professor Marco Zanuso, when his chair was still called Art Design for the Industry, Massimo Farinatti has begun his professional career during his academic period by working for prestigious creative studios and ateliers in Milan. In 1985, he founded the Triplano Associati studio for architectural and industrial design projects. In 1997, he transferred his operative seat in Brianza, opening his studio in Merate, and then he moved to Milan, where he created a network of partnerships able to face international challenges. He has taught Industrial Design at International College, Camera della Moda, Scuola Politecnica di Design and Design in Town, actually he is professor at Politecnicoof Milano and holds workshops at schools of industrial design and communication. He is a member of ADI (Association for Industrial Design) since 1983, he is the Coordinator of the Designers Department, he is Vice-President of ADI Lombardy, Coordinator of ADI Design Permanent Observatory of Lombardy for the selection of ADI Design Index and Compasso d’Oro and  he was member of the board of Fondazione ADI Collezione Compasso d’Oro. He is a speaker at conferences and member of juries for national and international competitions and awards. Over the years, he has focused his activity on interior design and industrial design, collaborating with major companies of the design sector to create new types of products, as well as new ways of living the environments. The works conceived by his studio combine the ambitions and the desires of the customers in projects characterized by a rigorous methodological basis and a solid vision of the available resources and technologies, resulting into architectures and products destined to last over time.