The architect Davide Maria Giachino, head of STUDIO ELEMENT, and engineer Franco Piva, head of Ergodomus, work in low environmental impact architecture and structural wood engineering respectively, exporting their projects to various parts of the world. A recent joint experience at a construction site involving the renovation of structures built with engineered wood led the two professionals to discuss how approaches to design have changed today due to digitalization. The global network that connects the planet allows them to work from a country at the foot of the Alps, where Pergine Valsugana, the headquarters of Ergodomus, is located, and operate around the world, with time zones being the only remaining obstacle. This creates a dichotomy between ultra-specialised micro-studios located in sensitive contexts like Alpine valleys that are locally competitive, engaging with short supply chains in a regional context, and medium to large firms that operate on a global scale. Additionally, new realities emerge from specialised studios aimed at rendering design and construction processes entirely digital and oriented towards off-site, delocalised architecture. However, there are still various obstacles to overcome before this local-to-global approach can be considered mature because, paradoxically, the less technologically advanced approach currently sets the pace, forcing others to slow down and adapt.
