Riccardo Monte, Italy

Riccardo Monte

Riccardo Monte is an architect and maker who loves his work. He studied architecture at the Polytechnic of Milan and at London South Bank University. After working at dRMM architects in London for 6 years, he decided to return to his home, Ornavasso, Piedmont, Italy.

Once returned, he spent 6 months in a cabin in the mountains with no electricity. This experience taught him to appreciate the simple life, which has been a big inspiration for his work. After that, he opened his creative space in Ornavasso, with the vision of creating a multi-disciplinary studiowhere architecture, design and art come together to sh
ape one of a kind projects. Riccardo’s work is simple, honest and authentic.

Riccardo considers furniture-making to be an art form, and he finds inspiration for his unique pieces through the principles of simplicity, longevity, craftsmanship, and beauty. Therefore, he is heavily involved in the making of his designs, using traditional techniques and locally sourced materials that meet his standards of quality. A great example of this is Casetta, a collection of stools and sculptures made of tree trunks. In order to give the pieces longevity and beauty, he uses the ancient technique of charring wood to strengthen it. Casetta remain functional pieces, while also serving as a basis for his conceptual art.