Paolo Brescia

Paolo Brescia is an Italian architect and founder of Open Building Research. He graduated with a degree in architecture from the Politecnico di Milano in 1996 and had his academic fellowship at Architectural Association in London. After working with Renzo Piano, he founded in 2000 OBR with Tommaso Principi to investigate new ways of contemporary living, creating a design network among Milan, London, Mumbai and New York. He combines his professional experience with the academic world as guest lecturer in several athenaeums, such as Accademia di Architettura di Mendrisio, Kent State University, Aalto University, University of Oulu, Academy of Architecture of Mumbai, College of Architecture of Pune, Mimar Sinan Fine Art University, Hacettepe University. He was university professor in charge at the Faculty of Industrial Design at the Politecnico di Milano (2004-2005) and professor of architectural design at University of Genoa (2013-2015). With OBR his projects have been featured in international exhibitions, including at X Biennale di Architettura, Venice 2006; Architecture: Where to, London 2007; V Bienal de Arquitetura, Brasilia 2007; XI Bienal Internacional de Arquitectura, Buenos Aires 2007; AR Award Exhibition, Berlin 2008; China International Architectural Expo, Beijing 2009; International Expo, Shangai 2010; UIA 24th World Congress of Architecture, Tokyo 2011; Energy at MAXXI, Rome 2013; Italy Now, Bogotá 2014; Small Utopias, Johannesburg 2014, XIV Biennale di Architettura, Venice 2014, Triennale di Milano, Milan 2015 and Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum, New York.

From 1998, Brescia worked with Renzo Piano till the establishment of OBR Open Building Research in 2000. With OBR, he won several design competitions, such as: Pythagoras Museum (2003), Galleria Sabauda in the Real Palace in Turin (2003), Milanofiori Residential Complex (2005), Ex Cinema Roma in Parma (2006), Galliera Hospital in Genoa (2009), Polo di Funo in Bologna (2009), Fair of Messina (2010), Cesme Waterfront (2012), Via XX Settembre in Genoa (2012), Santa Margherita Ligure Waterfront (2013), Michelin HQ and Research Labs in Delhi (2014), Terrazza Triennale in Milan (2014), Parco Centrale di Prato (2015), Comparto Stazioni Varese (2016).

• In 2012 he designed the first technology park in Ghana, the Hope City

Paolo has received several awards from around the world. They include:

• Emerging Architecture at the RIBA Royal Institute of British Architects London (2007)
• Plusform award for Best architecture realized by young architect under 40 (2008)
• Urbanpromo by INU at 11th Biennale di Venezia (2008)
• Gold Medal finalist for Italian Architecture at Triennale di Milano (2009)
• Europe 40 Under 40 in Madrid (2010)
• Ance Award, Realized Architecture by young architect, Rome (2011)
• Overall Leaf Awards Winner, London (2011)
• Wan Awards Residential, London (2011)
• Finalist for the Gold Medal for Italian Architecture, La Triennale di Milano (2012)
• Ad’A Award for Italian Architecture, Roma (2013)
• Finalist for the Architizer Awards, London (2013)
• Building Healthcare Award for Best International Design, London (2014)
• Inarch International Award for Architecture and Design, Milano (2015)
• American Architecture Prize for Architectural Design, Restoration & Renovation, New York (2016)