OASI architects
A new simplicity
Varese, IT

OASI architects is an emerging architecture practice founded in 2009 and currently led by Pietro Ferrario, Francesco Enea Castellanza, and Anton Sagal. They are constantly devoted to answering the daily living needs for individuals and communities. From their studio in Varese, Italy, they are constantly bringing in research into every one of their projects.

Going way back

OASI began its story in 1992, when we were 8 and 9 years old and we were kids and good friends. We would spend most of our time playing in Francesco’s rural house so together we started designing and building chicken traps for fun. Sometimes we still remain kids and we are of course very good friends.

Establishing an original perspective

We don’t have any tricks to win a competition. Rather, we have a lot of experience losing competitions but we always learn a lot from a lost competition. We are aware that we are spending time and money but we never give up on expressing our vision and attitude. Our advice is to try and choose your jury if you can. It is important to set up and defend the right point of view about a problem and a context. If you don’t establish your perspective, it is unlikely that you will engage your client. We continuously focus on and change how to look at a particular question before finding solutions.

Managing private and professional lives

Our office is open from Monday to Friday, from 8:00 am to 6:30 pm. The rest is private life. Of course the professional work might enter our private lives. Architecture tends to contaminate your private world and, quite the opposite as well; your private sensitivity is necessary for educating your attitude as an architect.

A unique sensitivity

The space is an old warehouse. It’s not related to the way of working. It is just a space where you can easily find room to work, eat, drink, play ping-pong, have a meeting, make a model, discuss, watch a movie, smoke or take care of plants. OASI is not a firm, rather it is an attitude. Working here, you would perceive these freedoms and OASI’s sensitivity, make it yours and interpret everyone through their talents.

Looking towards a relative simplicity

One of our solid dreams is to find, through reality, our way to create great expectations. We never give up and we keep OASI’s attitude as high as possible through every process. Time, clients and the conditions maintain our level at that height. The approach that we are looking for is what T.S. Eliot describes it as: “There comes a moment when a new simplicity, even a relative crudeness, is the only way out”.

Bringing research into every commission

Recently we presented a self-commissioned project as a topic for an exhibition in Triennale Milano exploring new ways of research in architecture. We think that in every process, even if you have a client, you need to think of it as a self-commissioned project. In this way, we need to constantly think as developers.

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Photography Courtesy of OASI Architects

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