BDR bureau works in the fields of architecture, it is based in Turin and was founded by Alberto Bottero and Simona Della Rocca. It develops projects ranging from the habitat unit to the urban scale through public and private competitions and assignments. The studio pays particular attention to the architecture of re-use and the re-adaptation of living, work and educational spaces. BDR bureau’s projects originate through a broad interpretation of the sites and a deep understanding of the context, with the intention of transforming limits into opportunities. Each project experiments with spatial solutions based on the idea of an open, simple and unexpected architecture that meet the evolving needs of our times. The studio has received awards in various international competitions, and published in several magazines. In 2019 BDR bureau received the award for “Young talent of Italian architecture”, promoted by the national council of architects. BDR bureau has also participated in two editions of the La Biennale di Architettura in Venice: in 2016 (Venice Pavilion, with a vision on the future of Porto Marghera) and in 2018 (Italian Pavilion, with a research project on the re-use of the railway yards).

BDR bureau_profile

awards

  • Finalist, 2022 European Union Prize for Contemporary Architecture – Mies van der Rohe Award, Fermi school
  • Honorific special mention, Big Mat International Architecture Award 2021, Fermi school
  • Award, PremioT Young De Albertis 2021, Comitato Claudio De Albertis
  • Award for interventions realized by young architects, Premio In/Arch Nazionale 2020, Fermi School
  • Winner, Big See Architeture Awards 2020, Fermi school
  • Finalist, Premio Italiano di Architettura 2020, MAXXI Roma and Triennale Milano, Fermi school
  • Moira Gemmill Prize for Emerging Architecture 2020, Women in Architectural Awards, Simona Della Rocca shortlisted
  • Award, Giovane talento dell’architettura italiana 2019, CNAPPC national council of architects
  • Mention, Categoria di restauro e recupero 2019, CNAPPC national council of architects, Fermi school

competition awards

  • OO4103 Zwevegem, Construction and renovation of school buildings for Kappaert educational campus, with Carton123 Architecten, 2021, 1st prize
  • New school and sport campus in Varese, invited design tender with Archisbang, 2021, 1st prize
  • Renovation of the former Saint-Bénin priory in Aosta into boarding school, 2021, 2nd prize
  • Renovation of industrial building in Verrès into a boarding school, 2021, honorable mention
  • The transparent factory, refurbishment of a factory with offices, 2020, 1st prize
  • Novalevante Sporthouse, 2019, 2nd prize
  • Milano in Crescita, Scialoia new school campus, 2019, 2nd prize
  • Spazio elementare, a new public square in Rivarolo, 2018, Finalist
  • Torino Fa Scuola, refurbishment of secondary school Enrico Fermi, 2017, 1st prize

lectures (selection)

  • “Turin meets Leipzig, BDR bureau + Meier Unger Architekten”, cycle of seminars “Young quality- european and american architects”, Munich University of Applied Sciences, 25th may 2021
  • “Restore”, Conference “Arkkitehtipäivät 2021”, Finnish Association of Architects, Helsinki, 07th may 2021
  • “Paragrafi”, cycle of seminars at Università Federico II, Napoli, 27th january 2021
  • “Italy 2020 best italian architects under 40”, seminar at ADI design museum organized by PLATFORM, Milano, 08th october 2020
  • “Sconfinamenti”, cycle of seminars “Scenari Post-Covid” organized by IUAV and CASABELLA Formazione, 22nd september 2020
  • “BDR bureau+Carlana Mezzalira Pentimalli”, cycle of seminars “Giovani Architetti italiani” organized by CASABELLA Formazione, 11th june 2020
  • “on objects, landscapes and spatial systems”, cycle of seminars “Spazi Sospesi”, Ordine degli Architetti di Firenze, Palazzina Reale di Firenze, 22nd November 2019
  • “what we talk about when we talk about architecture trough the eyes of emerging practices”, seminar at Politecnico di Milano, 12th january 2019
  • “Fare spazio all’educare” seminar at Ordine degli Architetti di Trento, 14th December 2017
  • “Città pubblica e rigenerazione urbana” seminar at Università La Sapienza, Roma, 30th November 2017
  • “Progettare Scuole Insieme” seminar at Università di Bolzano, Bressanone, 27th October 2017
  • “Torino Fa Scuola, i risultati” seminar at Ordine degli Architetti di Milano, 19th October 2017

exhibition (selection)

  • Premio Italiano di Architettura exhibition, 2021, TRIENNALE, Fermi school exhibited at TRIENNALE in Milan
  • Premio Italiano di Architettura exhibition, 2020, MAXXI Roma, Fermi school exhibited at MAXXI in Rome
  • Biennale di Venezia 2018, Padiglione Italia, “Laboratorio Basento”, realized for the exhibition “ARCIPELAGO ITALIA” curated by Mario Cucinella
  • Unbuilt Rome, curated by Campo, “Overlapping uses, design speculation on A. Anselmi project”, exhibited at Campo Rome and RIBA London, 2017
  • Biennale di Venezia 2016, Padiglione Venezia, “Sampling Opportunities” a project for Porto Marghera, exhibited in “UP! MARGHERA ON STAGE” curated by Matteo D’Ambros
  • “Piccole Utopie/Small Utopias” itinerant exhibition supervised by MAXXI Museum, curated by Pippo Ciorra, 2014/2015. Exhibited at Istituto Italiano di Cultura in: Shanghai, Pechino, Miami, San Francisco, Atene, Istanbul,
    Bogotà, Bratislava, Hanoi, Barcellona, Zagabria.
  • YAP 2013 exhibition, curated by Young Architect Program, The project exhibited at MAXXI Rome, MOMA PS1 NY, ISTANBUL MODERN, CONSTRUCTO Santiago of Chile. June-October 2013

publications (selection)

  • DETAIL n° 12 2020 “Bauen mit Beton Concrete construction”, “Redevelopment of Fermi School in Turin”, Frank Kaltenbach, p. 50-59, December 2020
  • PLATFORM n°27 2020 “Italy 2020 Best italian architects and designers under 40”, “BDR bureau”, p. 46-47, July 2020, ISSN 2420-9090
  • DBZ-Deutsche Bauzeitschrift n°06 2020 “Schulbauten”, “Offen für die Nachbarschaft”, Nadine Schimmelpfennig, p. 40-45, June 2020, ISSN 0011-4782
  • db-Metamorphose n°154 “Stadt-spaziergänge”, “Bildung auf balkonien”, Tanja Feil, p.92-99, June 2020, ISSN 0721-1902
  • Architetture in Acciaio n° 28, “Scuola Enrico Fermi Torino”, Federica Calò, p. 28-33, spring 2020
  • The Architectural Review n°1469, “Masculinities + W Awards”, “Upping the grade: Fermi Secondary School in Turin”, Davide Tommaso Ferrando, p.128-136, Mar 2020
  • Baumeister n°111 “Lichtblicke, Junge architekten große aufgaben” , “zeitlose verjüngung”, Leonardo Lella, p.18-31, Feb 2020
  • Bauwelt n°117 “Schulen für den Nachwuchs”, “Quartiersschule weiterbauen ”, Ulrich Brinkmann, p.36-41, Jan 2020
  • Industria delle Costruzioni n°470, “Enrico Fermi School in Turin ”, p.52-58, Nov-Dic 2019, ISSN 0579-4900
  • RUM International edition DEC/19, “Pastellfärgat plugg”, Ellinor Thunberg p.139-148, Dic 2019
  • onOffice n°150 “The leisure issue”, “School’s out ”, Dominic Lutyens, p.56-61, Dic 2019
  • AREA n°167, “Beyond crisis. Open dialogue on Italian architetture ”, p.19, Dic 2019
  • AMC n°282, “Restructuration d’un collège Turin”, Pauline Malras, p.46-50, Nov 2019, ISSN 0998-4194
  • “Arcipelago Italia, Progetti per il futuro dei territori interni del Paese”, Catalog of Padiglione Italia at the Biennale Architettura 2018, Quolibet 2018. ISBN 978-88-229-0176-7
  • “Unbuilt Rome” curated by CAMPO, Libria publisher, Roma 2016. ISBN 978-88-6764-109-3
  • “MAXXI Architettura. Catalogo delle Collezioni”, edited by Margherita Guccione, Fondazione MAXXI, Quodlibet 2017. ISBN 9788874629831
  • “Piccole Utopie/Small Utopias”, curated by Pippo Ciorra, Fondazione MAXXI, Quodlibet 2013. ISBN 978-88-7462-603-8