Info

Matteo Biella is an Italian architect (BSc at Politecnico di Milano, Italy, 2011 & MSc at TU Delft, the Netherlands, 2015) whose scope of work expands beyond architectural design, blending into art and engineering.

By experimenting with parametric design, architectural fabrication processes, new materials, digital modeling and visualizations, Matteo brings his architectural knowledge into artistic works and design experiments.

He experiments with various materials and has a preference for reusing waste, in particular wood from broken skateboards, but he picks up whatever is locally available.

Matteo has worked as an architect in China and Japan and has carried out Artist-in-Residence programs and exhibited his works in Shanghai, Chengdu, Tokyo, Sapporo and Saigon, and has lectured in Rajkot (India) local University.

I conceive the object I make as toys or games to play with: the various layers of complexity and significance embodied get gradually peeled off while exploring them. Ultimately they reveal, often unexpectedly, simple principles around which the objects have been conceived. Moreover, I believe functionality is an added value as it facilitates active interactions and confrontations between the user and the object.

Recycling is key in my practice. I regard used materials with an extra potential, granted from their unique history that I strive to keep memory of. In this regard, wood from broken skateboards is in my view charged with a hidden beauty that I want to extract and bring back to life under new forms.

Technically, the implementation of Parametric Design within the design process allows me to not only manage design complexities but also to find new ways of expression. I often use Parametric Design as a smart tool to control iterations or repetitive tasks, optimize and simplify design and to ultimately facilitate the visualization of abstract scenarios. Finally, I combine both traditional crafts and recent technologies (laser-cut, 3D printing, CNC milling) while continuously experimenting with new materials and techniques.