AOUMM is a design firm operating nationally and internationally in architecture and landscape design, developing projects where diverse areas of expertise generate unexpected synergies.
Based in Milan, AOUMM is led by Luca Astorri, Riccardo Balzarotti, Rossella Locatelli, and Matteo Poli.
The office is guided by four partners with diverse and complementary backgrounds, and its work spans architecture, urbanism, interior, exhibition, and landscape design. Each project draws strength from interdisciplinary knowledge, fostering connections that lead to innovative and often unexpected outcomes.
AOUMM’s architecture is never off-the-shelf. Every design emerges from an open, intensive dialogue with clients and from continuous, in-depth research into the cultural, historical, and environmental specificities of the context. This process yields distinctive solutions that address spatial and architectural challenges with sensitivity, while actively promoting culture, identity, and participation.
The office combines creative exploration with solid expertise in budget management, process coordination, and program control. It thrives on a dynamic conversation with the city, clients, consultants, contractors, and end-users. Post-occupancy experience plays a key role from the earliest stages of design, ensuring that every project reflects the diversity, openness, and inventiveness that define AOUMM’s approach.
PARTNERS
Architect trained in Milan and Lisbon, Luca Astorri has extensive hands-on experience with both public and private developments, as well as participatory and cooperation-based projects. Early in his career, he worked at OMA – Office for Metropolitan Architecture, and since 2010, he has collaborated with several NGOs in Africa and South America. At AOUMM, he leads design and strategic initiatives, with a focus on international and community-oriented work. He also co-directs the in loco program for development projects in Africa, in partnership with the non-profit social enterprise RISE International. Luca has taught, lectured, and led design workshops at leading academic institutions across Europe, Asia, and South America.
Riccardo Balzarotti is an architect and partner at AOUMM, where he coordinates design and research activities across a range of scales—from private commissions to complex public strategies. Educated in Milan and Paris, he previously worked with CZA – Cino Zucchi Architetti and Studio Italo Rota. He is currently a research fellow at the Politecnico di Milano, where he also contributes to teaching and curriculum development. Riccardo has lectured at several international institutions and events, and since 2018, has been a regular contributor to YouBuild, writing on architecture and urban transformation.
Rossella Locatelli is an architect whose work spans architecture, interior and exhibition design, and the history of applied arts, with a particular interest in fashion history and design culture. At AOUMM, she leads projects focused on research-based design and curatorial approaches. Her academic activity includes teaching and lecturing at major European design schools. Her writings have been published in architecture and design magazines such as Domus, reflecting her ongoing engagement with the intersections between space, narrative, and visual culture.
Matteo Poli is an architect and strategic planner with international experience across architecture, urbanism, and landscape design. Trained in Milan, Barcelona, and Delft, he worked with West 8 and OMA – Office for Metropolitan Architecture on a range of complex, multidisciplinary projects. As scientific consultant at AOUMM, he oversees research and design strategies, ensuring critical and contextual depth across the office’s work. Since 2005, Matteo has taught Landscape Architecture at the Politecnico di Milano, contributing to academic discourse and professional training. He has also developed a strong editorial voice: a former editor at Domus, he currently writes as a special correspondent for Abitare, covering architecture, cities, and landscape.