Partner 2: Mario Cucinella Architects
MCA, Mario Cucinella Architects, founded in 1992 in Paris and in Bologna in 1999, is a company with a solid experience at the forefront of contemporary design and research. MCA has an integrated approach to design work based on close collaboration with multi-disciplinary consultants to create an innovative and appropriate design response for every project and clients requirements. MCA develops projects at different scales, from building design to product design, from environmental and technological research to large-scale urban projects.
Sustainable building design and the rational use of energy is one of the central concerns in MCA’s work and research. The environmental quality of designs is analysed and developed using specialized software and testing models in order to produce buildings of architectural quality with state of the art energy performance.
Significant buildings include the Sino-Italian Ecological and Energy Efficient Building (SIEEB) in Beijing, China, the Bergognone 53 office complex in Milan and the new Civic Offices in Bologna, Italy.
Mario Cucinella and his partner Elizabeth Francis lead an international team of architects, engineers and designers. They are involved in international teaching and have participated to several EC funded research projects including the Joule PDEC project and the Altener project.
Mario Cucinella Architect
Born in Italy in 1960, he studied architecture at the University of Genoa graduating in 1987.
Mario founded MCA in Paris in 1992 and Mario Cucinella Architects Srl. in Bologna in 1999. Prior to this he worked with the Renzo Piano Building Workshop for five years in Genoa and later in Paris. He is actively involved in education and is visiting Professor at Nottingham University. He lectures regularly on his work in schools of Architecture around Europe.
Mario Cucinella’s work has been internationally recognised and he has won many competitions and awards. He was honoured with the ‘Outstanding Architect’ award by the the World Renewable Energy Congress and in 1999 he received the prestigious ‘Forderüngs Prize’ for Architecture by the Akademie der Künste of Berlin.
Elizabeth Francis BArch
Joined MCA in 1994 and is a partner since 1997. Born in Ireland in 1969, she studied architecture at University College Dublin and graduated with honours in 1993. Prior to joining MCA she studied and worked in France, Ireland and the UK. She received a research scholarship from UCD for a PhD and has taught Ecological Design Studio in the faculty of Architecture, University College Dublin.
Elizabeth has a particular interest in architectural research and has developed a variety of projects such as JOULE and Altener European research.
