Interview with Beatrice Bonzanigo

I was born in a family surrounded by architecture. I used to visit construction sites with my mother, father and grandfather. I remember the perfume of dust and fresh paint. I’ve always been interested in ancient civilizations, astronomy and philosophy. At 18 I found out that Architecture could embrace them all.

I choose it.

I mostly design apartments and villa's renovations projects in Italy and abroad. I would love to design more private houses from scratch.

Ahah, follow their heart.

A great designer has more courage than a good designer.

A really good design has to make obvious the desire that represents and it needs to be aesthetically pleasant.

As an architect I think that a good design needs to represent human beings as much as possible. Architecture has always been the most powerful tool for evolution.

A city that doesn't need any modern technology.

A city that doesn't need any modern technology.

I truly trust my life and I don't compromise a lot.

Frank Lloyd Wright, Peter Zumthor, Valerio Olgiati, and my mother Isabella Invernizzi.

Villa Alem by Valerio Olgiati. It is as provocative as simple. It is a step forward.

A winery in Chianti. Born from the embracing hill as it opens over the surrounding vineyards, the project harmoniously integrates with the aesthetics of the Tuscan landscape, sharing its poetry. And it has been a successfull war against Italian bureaucracy.

I keep traveling a lot.

I probably would have traveled in Space.

Poetry. Design and Architecture are the most powerful instrument to transform ideas, dreams and imagination into reality.

My mother, Architect Isabella Invernizzi.

I truly love what I do and I know how to listen to my dreams.

Italian bureaucracy and closed minded people.

I don't trust expectations, I trust what life brings to me. I would love to keep being an architect and use my job to represent our reality for future generations.

Bring ancient civilizations' skills to our society.

Unfortunately, to never fail.

I hope that form will not destroy functionality. Architecture could really help evolution.

I am working for starting the production of Casa Ojala, which is a big exciting challenge.
Also, we are following an interesting exhibition design project at MADD – Musée des Arts Décoratifs et du Design in Bordeaux for Memphis. It is called "Plastic Field", in the old prisons of Bordeaux. A black field with black tropical plants to enlighten Memphis' forms and bright colors.

The project of a winery in Chianti. It took 7 years of hard work facing Italian bureaucracy. It has never been built for personal's reasons of the Client, but it has been the most complete school for me.
It is a project of a new building to welcome the entire production of wine, from the grape to the bottle of Chianti Classico.

I'd love to see more attention to functionality and less attention to weird forms.

I cannot answer this. It depends on each design needs.

I take a lot of time to imagine and think.

Trust your own life without fear or compromise.

Trends set the design, unfortunately.

It depends.

Autocad and photoshop the most.

Ambient is the core. Materials and color born from the idea.

Where can I buy it?

I empathize a lot.

I currently work with my mother as a partner and I could't ask for more.

My family.

The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand, Footprints of the Gods by Graham Hancock.

I keep traveling a lot and looking around for new inspiration.

Leonardo Da Vinci.

I don't think I am famous, yet.

I keep changing my mind, but I do love pizza and summer.

During the Design Week somebody told me that Casa Ojala wasn't big enough for people, looking at the scale model 1:10.

I love not having a day like any other. I take time for meditation.

Not at all. It was obvious that I was a dreamer.

The world will be inhabited by a new human civilization that will have nothing to do with ours.

In 2009, I graduated from the Academy of Architecture of Mendrisio (Switzerland), joined my mother’s firm (Architect Isabella Invernizzi) and contributed to the development of a humanistic design culture inspired by the philosophy pursued by my mentoring architects. We opened IB Studio in 2014. From the elegant apartments in the city centre, to the farmhouses in the Tuscan countryside and from the villas on the Riviera to the chalets at the foot of Mont Blanc, IB Studio’s design language is never limited to simple philological recovery, but aims to a functional and aesthetic improvement of the buildings.
Our portfolio also includes other types of projects, such as a hotel in the Umbria region, a chain of restaurants in Japan, a villa in Australia and a winery in the Tuscany region, for which we've been awarded the prestigious American Architecture Prize in 2016.
Recently, IB Studio participated in several installations of exhibitions, including one at the Venice Architecture Biennale and one currently in progress at MADD – Musée des Arts Décoratifs et du Design in Bordeaux.
We received a nomination as Best Country Home Renovation Firm 2019 – Italy from the British magazine BUILD and Best of Houzz Design 2019 from the global leading online home renovation and design platform Houzz.
In recent years, we expanded our activities to the USA and Latin America.

Poetry. Design and Architecture are the most powerful instrument to transform ideas, dreams and imagination into reality.

I love residential as it is the expression of human being's life.

The project of a winery in Chianti. It took 7 years of hard work facing Italian bureaucracy. It has never been built for personal's reasons of the Client, but it has been the most complete school for me.
Born from the embracing hill as it opens over the surrounding vineyards, the project harmoniously integrates with the aesthetics of the Tuscan landscape, sharing its poetry.
It is a project of a new building to welcome the entire production of wine, from the grape to the bottle of Chianti
Classico.
It is by studying the singular topography of the place that I ended up designing the main façade: an arched stone wall that follows existing ground levels, with an overlook path on top. The wall it is divided in five parts to be able to embrace the natural hill development. It grows from the lower level and returns to the ground on the highest level leaving behind three consequent arches.
Different paths help the visitors to naturally scroll the beautiful surrounding landscape from diverse perspectives, ending at the end of the tour in a hidden garden that hosts a glass pavilion for tasting and selling area. The unique view on the vineyards is then framed by the three arches.
The garden is the result of two simple architectural gestures: the arched wall and the production areas underground which is mostly on one single floor, as requested by their own function and the landscape itself.
The building hosts harvesting lay-by, fermentation, ageing, pressing & filtering, depots, packaging,
tasting & selling areas, in addition to technical & service rooms and a warehouse for farm machineries. Few additional external paths connect entrances of the building with existing farm tracks giving flexibility to workers’ activity.
Main materials are high quality white concrete, traditional local stones, burnished brass finishing and least but not last, a selection of native and grass plants in purple, red and yellow tones. The hidden garden harbors a choice of special roses and climbing plants.
Structure in concrete and high tech hydraulic and mechanical systems complete building's strength.

A winery in Chianti.

I don't have a favorite material or technology. I love being surprised during my researches.

When I travel around the world. Even if my biggest inspirations came while having an hot bath at home.

I like embracing our Client's wishes and transform them into a good and balanced architecture.

Happiness, fear, joy, sadness facing limits of our society, fulfillment.

Awareness for choosing the best job.

I have no idea. It keeps surprising me.

It has to be obvious the desire that represents and it needs to be aesthetically pleasant.

Respect Nature as much as possible but also to create an useful spark in human's minds.

I hope that form will not destroy functionality. It could really help evolution.

My last exhibition was at Milan Design Week (2019), at Galleria Post Design / Memphis. I presented Casa Ojala and I've very surprised about people's reaction facing my project in a very small room. I will participate to Prague International Design Festival in October this year with Casa Ojala.

Speaking about Casa Ojala, I’ve been traveling frequently to South America in the past years, as I felt I needed some fresh inspiration by in nite lands and a younger approach to contemporary architecture. Italian bureaucracy sometimes is too much for an architect. Visiting Argentinian, Chilean, and Uruguayan beautiful and still very untouched lands, I found out that hospitality for travelers is very limited and localized. It was a pity to go back to centralized structures – even if in beautiful hotels – after a day on horseback or by jeep, full of dust and savage nature. It was a pity not being able to experience those wonders more, few days in a row, day and night, to really get in contact with the unlimited inspiration that those in nite spaces and sky can give.
Sometimes I want to look at the Andes having an hot bath; sometimes I would love to be surrounded by traditional and perfumed textiles while I looked at the stars next to a replace and nothing else; sometimes I want to share all this with one or two friends; sometimes I need a wardrobe even if I’m the middle of a desert; sometimes the wind bothers me while I'm reading next to the ocean; sometimes I want to be touched by the wind fancing a swing under some wooden shades; sometimes I want to experience from my bed 360° of planet earth with no boundaries in between. And in the meantime, I love to feel good comfort, safe, at home.
What about a new architecture that could speak about those feelings and that could fully transmit the feeling of utter freedom that these endless lands convey? the outdoor about? How to truly inhabiting nature without infringing it, and yet without renouncing the rest and pampering one may nd in a hotel? What architectural structure could I make disappear on request? How could I satisfy the thirsty eye without constraining its views in an arti cial frame? What could be self-su cient enough to function in isolated spots? How to make its host part of nature and safe at home in the meantime? What is that travelers are really looking for? So, I started thinking about a very exible little house.
Then the idea of a small space with literally in nite possibilities came about.
Traveling it is definitely my biggest source of inspiration.

I think I don't have a proper design style. But looking at all my projects I see a common thread. I think is the expression of me being a tireless dreamer. I am often quite surprised at the end of a design process when it becomes very clear the path I followed. During the process I only work with my stomach and heart.

I live in Milan. I love the city as it became very international and inspirational. I do think that Italy has the greatest sophisticated taste. I surely love living here. The black hole is its bureaucracy that very often is very tiring and frustrating, as an architect.

It really depends on each project.

I think that designers should choose companies depending on the project's needs.

I spend a long time thinking and imagining. Then usually in one day the all project comes out. It could take a long time without drawing a single line.

My very old piano, a B&B leather sofa that was my grandfather's, my very white and simple kitchen, a wooden rocking chair that I found in a market, my tango shoes.

It is impossible. I think I don't have a day like any other. I am a Scorpio.

Trust your own life without fear or compromise.

There's no negatives. Creativity is always good.

Trust your own life without fear or compromise.

Patience, and the ability to create a good working team.

I still draw by hand, I also use Autocad and Photoshop.

I force myself going to pilates to free my mind every day, even if I am tired.

I cannot answer this. It depends on each design needs.

Are you an interior architect?

Finding out that working with my mother is great.

Private clients, from Italy and abroad.

I love residential as it is the expression of human being's life.

Keep working as an architect. I dream about designing a new city that doesn't need any modern technology.

It depends.

We are following an interesting exhibition design project at MADD – Musée des Arts Décoratifs et du Design in Bordeaux for Memphis. It is called "Plastic Field", in the old prisons of Bordeaux. A black field with black tropical plants to enlighten Memphis' forms and bright colors.

beatrice@ib-studio.eu