Matilde Mellini

Matilde Mellini serves as a Teaching Associate in the Department of Architecture at Cornell University's College of Architecture, Art, and Planning (AAP), based at the Cornell in Rome program. She also teaches architectural design at Iowa State University's Rome Program since 2020, with professional experience spanning architecture, industrial design, and urban planning through collaborations with Claesson Koivisto Rune, GRAU, LABICS, and STARTT.

Education:

• Master's Degree in Architecture, Academy of Architecture of Mendrisio, Switzerland (2017)
• Study Abroad Exchange, TU Delft University of Technology, The Netherlands

Her research integrates architectural design with practical implementation across diverse scales, emphasizing experimental approaches in urban contexts and material innovation. Through award-winning competition projects and professional practice, she explores the intersection of digital technologies and physical space, particularly in cultural infrastructure development for international sites including Saudi Arabia and Italy.

Scientific Awards:

• Honorable mention — Premio Federico Maggia and Fondazione Sella per il progetto "Fuori c'è Vento", Biella, Italia (Oct 2019)
• Honorable mention — MAXXI + DM KM 278 for the project "Terre in Movimento", Ancona, Italia (Oct 2018)
• Second Prize — Ctrl+space, international competition for the project "Spiritosa Invenzione" (May 2016)
• First Prize + Construction - SCC ArchiSTART, international competition for the project "Connection Space", Lecce, Italia (Aug 2015)
• First Prize + Construction - DM-KM278 con MAXXI e MAPPELAB, International competition for the project "Social Network", Senigallia, Italia (Aug 2014)

Mellini actively bridges academia and practice through her role as Project Manager for the Non-Architecture Competitions research platform and her construction supervision work on the Diriyah Art Future project in Riyadh. Her publication "Bestiario" with Radio Architettura demonstrates her commitment to open-source design research methodologies.