OBR Open Building Research - Wikipedia

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In the year 2000, Paolo Brescia and Tommaso Principi established the collective OBR to investigate new ways of contemporary living, by creating a design network among Milan, London and New York. After working with Renzo Piano, Paolo and Tommaso oriented the research of OBR towards the integration artifice-nature, to create sensitive architecture in perpetual change, and to stimulating the interaction between man and environment.^[1]

The team of OBR develops its design activity through public and private social programs, promoting, through architecture, the sense of community and the individual identity. Today, the OBR group is open to different multidisciplinary contributors, by cooperating with different universities, such as Accademia di Architettura di Mendrisio, Aalto University, Academy of Architecture of Mumbai and Mimar Sinan Fine Art University.

Among the best-known works by OBR are the Pythagoras Museum, New Galleria Sabauda in Turin, Milanofiori Residential Complex, Children Hospital in Parma, Galliera Hospital in Genoa, Lido of Genoa, Ex Cinema Roma, and the Triennale di Milano Terrace.^[2]

Under-construction projects by OBR include the Lehariya Cluster in Jaipur, the Jafza Traders Market in Dubai and the Multiuse Complex Ahmad Qasir in Teheran.

OBR's projects have been featured in Venice Biennale of Architecture, Royal Institute of British Architects in London, Bienal de Arquitetura of Brasilia, MAXXI in Rome and Triennale di Milano.

OBR has been awarded with the AR Award for Emerging Architecture at RIBA, the Plusform under 40, Urbanpromo at the 11° Biennale di Venezia, honourable mention for the Medaglia d'Oro all'Architettura Italiana,Europe 40 Under 40 in Madrid, Leaf Award overall winner in London, WAN Residential Award, Building Healthcare Award, Inarch Award for Italian Architecture and the American Architecture Prize in New York.

Since 2004 OBR has been evolving its design parameters according to the environmental and energy certification LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) and since 2009 OBR is a partner of the GBC (Green Building Council).^[3]

Paolo Brescia was born in Chiavari on 6 July 1970.

After his degree in 1996 in Architecture from the Politecnico di Milano, he started in 1998 his collaboration with Renzo Piano Building Workshop.

In 2000 he founded OBR Open Building Research with Tommaso Principi.

Since 2000 he is guest professor in several athenaeums lecturing at Faculty of Architecture of the Università degli Studi di Genova, Politecnico di Milano, Università di Trieste, Luiss, Sapienza Università di Roma, Kent State University, Mendrisio Academy of Architecture, Helsinki Aalto University, Academy of Architecture of Mumbai. From 2004 to 2005 he was university professor in charge at the Faculty of Industrial Design at the Politecnico di Milano.^[4]

Tommaso Principi was born in Firenze on 20 May 1970.

Before his degree in 1999 in Architecture from the Università degli Studi of Genova, he studied Civil Engineering at Università degli Studi di Bologna and he worked with Renzo Piano Building Workshop. In 2000 he founded OBR Open Building Research with Paolo Brescia.

Since 2000 he is guest professor in several athenaeums lecturing at Faculty of Architecture of the Università degli Studi di Genova, Politecnico di Milano, Sapienza Università di Roma, Università degli Studi di Bologna, Università di Messina and Kent State University.

In the 2007 he coordinated the International Workshop ICAMP for the Sustainable Developmement of the Area of The Stretto di Messina, Italy.^[4]

• OBR – official website