Photo by Angelica Gioiele
A3+ Architects – European Platform for Architectural Culture and Innovation is an architecture collective founded in 2025 from the synergy and experience of Vincenzo Gioiele, Matthias Schmidt, and Tommaso Vecci. With offices in Lugano, Weimar, and Naples, the collective is the result of a convergence of diverse cultural and design traditions, combining sensibilities and approaches ranging from architecture and urban regeneration to technological innovation and sustainability.
The collaboration between the three founders is not limited to the sum of their experiences, but represents a true creative laboratory capable of addressing the global challenges of modern architecture, with particular attention to local contexts and the unique characteristics of each territory.
A3+ Architects is characterized by a multidisciplinary approach and fluid collaboration among its members. The combination of the diverse professional and cultural experiences of the three founders allows the collective to approach each project from multiple perspectives, creating solutions that not only meet the technical and functional requirements, but also the social and emotional needs of users.
The studio's goal is to tackle projects in global contexts, always maintaining a strong connection with local culture and the specificities of the territory.
Vincenzo Gioiele (Lugano, 1970) completed his education and professional training in Ticino. After an internship at the Sandro Cantoni Architecture Studio, he earned a diploma as a technical assistant at the Trevano Professional Center in 1996. From the beginning of his career, he developed a keen sensitivity for the environmental and landscape context, orienting his design approach toward quality and attention to detail. He subsequently worked at Studio Silvio Tarchini (Tarchini Group) as head of the technical office and construction management, developing expertise in the technical and financial management of complex construction projects, primarily in the commercial and industrial sectors. At the same time, he began working as a freelancer with Studio F. Ghelfa SA and Studio Sandro Cantoni, independently managing significant construction projects. In 2001, he co-founded GIEFFE Studio in Lugano, through which he completed numerous real estate transactions, often for private ownership, addressing design challenges in complex geomorphological contexts. His work stands out for its focus on optimizing construction processes, from the feasibility phase to construction, with a focus on material selection, cost management, and execution quality. His approach integrates technical expertise, entrepreneurial vision, and a constant focus on architectural innovation. Throughout his career, he has directed and coordinated numerous construction sites, collaborating with
public bodies, institutions, and private individuals, contributing to the transformation of urban, infrastructural, and residential spaces. His projects stand out for their use of advanced technological solutions in complex contexts, defining a coherent, functional, and innovative architectural language.
Matthias Schmidt (Weimar, 1975) studied architecture at the Bauhaus University in Weimar and the University of Naples Federico II, where he developed a design approach sensitive to the Mediterranean context. He graduated in 2002 with a Diploma in Architecture. From his early years, he developed an interest in the interaction between built space, local culture, and environmental sustainability.
He began his professional career at Richard Brosi und Partner in Chur, where he worked as a designer and contributed to the creation of an architectural competition department. From 2005 to 2015, he worked at GIEFFE studio in Lugano, Switzerland, actively participating in the firm's growth and the implementation of numerous residential projects. During this period, he explored the themes of contemporary living and spatial quality in relation to the Alpine and urban landscape.
Since 2016, he has collaborated with Hartung & Ludwig in Weimar, where he coordinates projects with a strong focus on environmental sustainability and design innovation. Among these is the project "Living the new ecological Porous Garden" in Wernigerode, developed in collaboration with the Padua-based studio CoPE. At the same time, he promoted the creation of a competitions department and an internal communications structure.
In 2016, he founded glueckskind & schmidt, a studio that explores the relationships between architecture, space, and design through an interdisciplinary approach. His work is accompanied by competitions, art studies, and publications. Among these, the books "Altstadtperlen Weimar" (2017) and "Weimarer Landpartie" (2019), published by Rhino-Verlag Ilmenau, in which he curated the concept, layout, and photography, represent a visual reflection on the urban and rural landscape of Thuringia.
Since September 2016, Member of the AKT (Architects' Association) in Thuringia, Germany (Architektenkammer Thüringen) / authorized to submit building projects
July 2007 – July 2015, Member of the OTIA (Order of Engineers and Architects of the Canton of Ticino, Switzerland)
July 2006 – July 2017, Individual Member of the SIA (Swiss Society of Engineers and Architects), Switzerland
Tommaso Vecci (Naples, 1975) studied architecture at the University of Naples Federico II and the Bauhaus University in Weimar, graduating in 2001 in Naples under Nicola Pagliara. In the first few years after graduation, he worked with Fernando Menis in Tenerife. In 2005, he founded his own architecture studio in Naples, his hometown. From his early years, he explored the relationship between Italian and Spanish architecture through study trips and design experiments. In 2007, he published theoretical reflections on the work of Rafael Moneo and Guillermo Vazquez Consuegra.
Drawing on a profound theoretical foundation, the projects explore the possibility of combining the contemporary with the essence of ancient architecture, seeking to align architectural design with local specificities, historical traditions, and community needs. Design work has always been accompanied by research through participation in national and international competitions, receiving several awards and recognitions over the years, including first prize in 2012 for the design of the New Town Hall of Rodano (Italy), and in 2011 the Santiago Ydanez Museum in Jaén (Spain) was a finalist in an international competition whose jury was chaired by Manuel Aires Mateus.
His projects and creations have been published in national and international magazines, industry portals, and exhibited in group exhibitions in Italy and abroad. From 2015 to 2018, he worked in Switzerland at Gieffe Studio and Mischa Groh , collaborating on the design of several residential buildings.
In 2018, upon his return to Naples, TVS – Tommaso Vecci Studio was founded, a combination of cultural and professional experiences gained in Italy and abroad. In 2024, the Casa R project was selected for the traveling exhibition "New Normalities, Spaces, Architectures and People," and in the same year, the Casa SR project was selected for the Hyper Regionalism exhibition curated by Luigi Prestinenza Puglisi. Since 2024, he has been an Adjunct Professor of Interior Architecture at DiArch – Department of Architecture , Federico II University of Naples.
Portraits of Simona Manna
TEAM
Camilla Palma (Naples, 1998) studies architecture at the University of Naples Federico II.
Since 2019, she has been working at TVS – Tommaso Vecci Studio , where she has experimented and expanded her design practice, actively participating in numerous interior and exhibition design projects. Her professional career is also supported by research through active participation in architectural competitions.
In 2024 he collaborated in the teaching activity at the DiArch - Department of Architecture Federico II in Naples in the Interior Architecture and Exhibition Design courses of Tommaso Vecci.
Since 2025 he has been collaborating with A3+ Architects.
Alessia Ficuciello (Avellino, 2001) studied architecture at the University of Naples Federico II and enriched her academic career in Spain at the Escuela de Arquitectura de Toledo, an opportunity to explore a different design and cultural sensibility.
For her, architecture represents a continuous exploration: into details, colors, shapes, and a direct dialogue with the material that changes under her hands. Attention to the language of space and the perceptual quality of environments guides her design approach.
Since 2025 he has been collaborating with A3+ Architects.
Francesca Casalino (Pomigliano d'Arco, 1996) holds a PhD in Architecture and is a lecturer in Interior Architecture at the University of Naples Federico II, where she studied. She has spent study periods abroad at the CEU San Pablo in Madrid and the Escuela de Arquitectura in Toledo as part of the Erasmus+ program.
She is co-founder of the research and design group LAPS (Laboratorio di Architettura Permanente alla Sanità), active in the Naples area, and a grant holder for the G124 Renzo Piano. Mending the Suburbs project for the years 2025 and 2026 at the DiARC in Naples.
Author of articles and essays in journals and collective volumes, her research focuses on the relationship between domestic space, the experience of nature, and the relational dimension of living, with a particular focus on small- and medium-scale design and the translation of these themes into professional practice.
Since 2025 he has been collaborating with A3+ Architects.
Antonio Tartaglia (Rome, 1976) graduated in Architecture from the University of Naples Federico II in 2003. Between 2004 and 2008, he took his first professional steps in Naples, collaborating with the Tommaso Vecci Architetti studio, participating in national and international design competitions, developing small-scale public commissions, and completing residential projects for private clients. During these years, he also conducted an interview with Rafael Moneo, published in the volume Twenty Questions for Rafael Moneo (Clean Edizioni, Naples). Some of the projects developed during this period were selected for exhibitions dedicated to young Italian architects and published in the related catalogues, including Rizoma 2008. Overground-Underground. Young Italian Architects Biennale (Maschietto Editore). Since 2008, he has lived and worked in Barcelona, where he has furthered his professional career through collaborations with internationally renowned architectural firms and ongoing design research. Between 2008 and 2016, he developed a significant and long-lasting collaboration with Garcés - De Seta - Bonet Arquitectos, participating in numerous competitions and large-scale projects. Among these, the most notable is the Palace of Justice in Strasbourg (France, 2012-2015), for which he oversaw all phases of the design process, from initial conception to final and executive development. From 2016 to 2023, he worked as a freelance architect, collaborating as a consultant and designer with various Catalan firms on residential projects for private clients. Subsequently, between 2023 and 2025, he joined Scruffy Dog Creative Group, an international firm based in Barcelona specializing in the design of experiential, hospitality, and retail spaces.
Since 2026 he has collaborated with A3+ Architects.