STUDIO
Zelo is a creative design studio with a conscious and collaborative approach. Every project is an opportunity to nourish beneficial ways of living and minimize the impact on the environment. It conceives spaces with high sense of craft and accurate details.
We acknowledge that we are facing a climate and ecological crisis and we believe that with awareness and a sense of belonging we can change tendencies. With the awareness we will understand that we don't really need all we think. With the sense of belonging we will keep the connection with the environment.
The studio was founded in 2021 by Giorgia Aurigo after years of living abroad and experiencing the sensation of being “part of, but not completely”. This precious feeling brought her to slowly understand the beauty of simplicity.
DESIGN APPROACH
ZELO — as a concept is distinguished by its values and celebrates a consistent desire to contribute towards more conscious projects. From Italian zelo, Late Latin zēlus, Ancient Greek ζῆλος (zêlos), this name means great energy, passion and enthusiasm in pursuit of a cause or an objective. Zelo is the reflection of Giorgia’s professional design approach and background. It led her to cross-study different subjects, work in different practices and create bespoke, healthy and comfortable spaces while minimizing the impact on the environment.
Some of the following questions help us to understand how to nourish your way of living and minimize the impact on the environment:
What are your habits and way of living? How we can provide flexible spaces to evolve with you over time? How can we maximize natural ventilation to make you breathe properly? How can we increase natural daylight to reduce energy consumption? What type of energy-efficient lighting technology can we suggest? What type of high-performance glazing, insulation and heating technology can we propose to reduce your energy costs, your environmental footprint and improve your comfort? How can we save water through flow restrictors, water-efficient appliances and fixtures? How can we reduce waste and facilitate recycling? What non-toxic materials with low VOC and formaldehyde can we use to improve the air quality? How can we minimize our environmental impact using the most local and green products?
DESIGN PROCESS
DEFINE — The first step is to define your needs and your ambitions. We determine together priorities, deadlines, and meetings to ensure a fluid exchange and a smooth creative process.
DESIGN — We work closely to share ideas and inspirations to find the right approach for the project. We expose our vision through sketches, analysis, moods boards, and schematic proposals.
DEVELOP — We identify together the right design and we further develop it in detail. We accurately finalize all the elements to ensure the best realisation and we select hight quality collaborators.
DELIVER — We finally attentively follow the construction process to make sure that all details are well integrated. We deliver the project and we organize styling, shooting and press release.
GIORGIA
Over the past 10 years she worked as an Architect and Interior Designer in several high profile practices across France, Australia, Chile, and Italy such as Studio KO and Wilmotte & Associés in France, Alejandro Aravena in Chile, and Bates Smart in Australia. Since her master’s degree in architecture, she always searched for opportunities to enrich her knowledge and creativity.
While she was working for Wilmotte & Associés, she was part of the core team that designed the new campus of Sciences Po, an internationally recognized research university in the social sciences in Paris. Other key projects include a green office building in Paris, France, designed with Scape and Baumschlager Eberle Architects, a linear park in Calama, Chile, designed with Elemental, Alejandro Aravena, and an apartment tower in Melbourne, Australia, with Bates Smart and a private villa in Portugal with Studio KO.
Being Italian and having started her studies there allowed her to understand the importance of history as the ground base to develop new ways of expression. The possibility to work in Europe, Australia and South America allowed her to play with different lines, textures, forms, lights and rhythms. Each professional experience generated a balance of competencies between architecture, interior design, landscape and graphics which enabled herself to keep an eclectic approach and a fresh eye on every project.
She speaks Italian, English and French.
EDUCATION
Examination for the title of qualified architect to exercise his profession in his own name | University of Genoa, Faculty of Architecture, Italy.
Master’s Degree in Architecture | University of Genoa, Faculty of Architecture, Italy.
Erasmus student program | National School of Architecture of Paris- Belleville, France.
ADDITIONAL EDUCATION
Environmental and Sustainable Interior Design | Nina Chardin, France
Principles of Horticulture | Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, UK
Creative Lighting Design | RMIT University, Melbourne
Graphic Design & Layout | RMIT University, Melbourne
Web design | CMP, France
Wooden furniture design studio | ENSA Paris-Belleville, France
Bioclimatic architecture | University of Genoa, Italy
Photography | Giuliana Traverso School, Italy
Ashtanga and Sivananda yoga teacher training | France
