Andrea Bertassi - Architect (IT) In 2009, Andrea started XCOOP with Cristina C. Murphy, Paco Maron and a small group of friends. Within XCOOP multidisciplinary dynamics, Andrea leads several designs, combining a straight forward analytic approach to a playful creativity, generating an unpredictable mix of traditional elements shuffled into new forms. At XCOOP, he is the main contact between the office and China: he facilitates creative exchange inducing innovative design concepts. On commercial projects, Andrea is keen in maximizing clients' investment efficiency while providing high quality spaces, regardless of the scale of the intervention. Recently, Andrea led the design of Alibaba Headquarters in Shenzhen and the International Exchange Center of Hefei University, in Hefei, China, and the Law and Education buildings of the Qatar University in Doha, Qatar.
Aside from the big scale, he is profoundly committed to the principles of universal design, intending design as a tool to neutralize discrimination and inequality, and promoting a holistic approach to sustainable living. Andrea is launching an illustrated book to sensitize children on the up-cycling of materials and on a concept collection for 'universal fashion'. In the last few years, Andrea has been invited to share his experiences within XCOOP in various universities and institutions: he is an Assistant Professor of Practice at the University of Arizona, he lectured at the University of Central America in San Salvador, El Salvador, at the University of Cagliari, Italy, at Florida Atlantic University in Miami, Florida and at the City Think Lab in Amsterdam. He has been guest professor, critic and thesis adviser at TU Delft and at Piet Zwart Institute at University of Rotterdam, a guest professor at the University of Mumbai (KRVIA) and at the Academy of Architecture, also in Mumbai. Between 2014 and 2016, he has been a Visiting Fellow at the Frank Lloyd Wright School of Architecture at Taliesin and Taliesin West. Finally, Andrea bridges creativity and business through workshops aiming at strengthen businesses with the use of creativity and unconventional approaches.
Before establishing XCOOP, Andrea collaborated for four years with the Office for Metropolitan Architecture in Rotterdam, where he worked on architecture and masterplan projects in Europe, Middle East and Asia. At OMA, Andrea worked on the winning scheme for the Stock Exchange competition in Shenzhen, China, on the redevelopment of the former Mercati Generali in Rome, Italy, and on the construction documents of the Congress Centre in Cordoba, Spain. Still at OMA, Andrea worked on museums and curatorial projects, such as the Francisco Goya Museum in Zaragoza, Spain, the Contemporary Art Museum in Riga, Latvia, the Danish Architecture Center in Copenhagen, Denmark, and the Prada Foundation Museum in Milan, Italy.
Andrea studied architecture and urban planning at the Institute Superieur d'Architecture Victor Horta in Bruxelles and at the IUAV University of Venice, where he graduated (M.Arch) in 2004. He holds a master degree in Music at the Conservatory F.A.Bonporti of Trento.
