Alessandro Columbano

Alessandro Columbano serves as Associate Professor at Birmingham City University, directing the MArch Architecture (RIBA pt.2) and L7 Architect Apprenticeship programs. He co-founded and leads Co\aborative Lab:oratory (Co.LAB), an interdisciplinary design-research initiative integrating teaching with live projects and civic agency through transdisciplinary practices.

He holds architecture and urbanism qualifications from the Manchester School of Architecture, with prior professional experience in residential buildings, heritage restoration in Manchester/London, and evidence-based design at Space Syntax. His artistic practice under 'asviere' encompasses site-specific installations and stage design.

Research centers on architecture's intersection with cinema and material vernacular, examining subversive qualities of physical environments. Through Co.LAB, he expands architectural representation and pedagogy by engaging Birmingham's cultural networks, fostering entrepreneurial citizenship among students via collaborative practice.

As Enterprise Coordinator and STEAMhouse academic lead, he instigated innovation projects including STEAMhouse, Knowledge Quarter, and The Climate Literacy Skills Bootcamp. These initiatives directly inform studio teaching and shape university strategies for knowledge exchange and creative ecosystem development.

He co-founded Co.LAB, which has secured international commissions and design awards for its transdisciplinary urban interventions, operating as a nexus for civic engagement and experimental design research within Birmingham's cultural landscape.