Architect Spotlight: Luca Vezzosi

Luca Vezzosi’s interest in meticulous craftsmanship and the handmade dates back to his early education in fine art at L’Istituto Statale D’arte in the Northern Italian region of Liguria. Here, Luca developed a deep appreciation for finer details and hand drawing, a skill set that he has taken with him throughout his career. With over 10 years of experience in design both locally and globally, Luca’s vision is driven by purposeful decision making, where materiality, tactility and complex layering are all deeply considered to ensure permanence and longevity across any landscape.

From his early inspirations to the holistic ethos of Mim Design and the limitless possibilities of the humble brick; Luca touches on the influences that have shaped his remarkable career.   

Can you tell us about yourself and your approach to design? 

Our architecture and interior design teams work hand in hand to provide a holistic response to our clients needs. Our approach is characterised by purposeful decision making and sound intent. Far more than aesthetic, we apply practicality and liveability to diverse and varied typologies. We strive to keep an open dialogue across the team to nourish creativity and keep evolving in our response. Architectural and interior packages are presented together to ensure an integrated response. This approach continues through the development, documentation and delivery of the project.

How has your background in fine-arts informed your current practice?

One of the most important lessons I’ve learned and try to impart to our team, is the ability to think and communicate via a pencil. Whilst computer aided design has come in leaps and bounds in the past 15 to 20 years, the ability to communicate one’s ideas, thoughts and vision via the pencil remains a designer’s most essential skill – not only in day-to-day office life, but in client meetings or on site in discussion with builders and trades.

How would you describe the ethos of Mim Design?

Our integration of architecture and interior design is such that there is no beginning and no end. Driven by this holistic vision, thoughtful spatial planning ensures a seamless flow of spaces, while materials, colours and finishes are applied with nuanced expression to the exterior and interior.

Has COVID-19 impacted the way you work or design?

2020 provided us with an opportunity to stretch ourselves and expand our capability as designers. Collaboration and coming together is such an essential part of our studio so it was essential for us to stay connected. I caught up with my team multiple times as day. We also came together (virtually) every two weeks as a wider group to keep communication lines open across project developments and various announcements. And on a weekly basis we caught up for drinks (virtually) to stay connected. Maintaining the sociable aspect of a studio life has definitely helped us through a quite tumultuous couple of years here in Melbourne.

Where do you take inspiration from?

We like to anchor our designs in a specific response to our client brief, thus projects develop as a response to programming, site and surrounds. Our approach is driven by purposeful decision making designed to ensure permanence and longevity, whilst stimulating the senses and encouraging interaction with the designed spaces. We joke about “interrogating” our clients to understand their needs, and from there we might latch onto a specific word, memory, or thought, and foster a response through design. From the macro scale of the building façade to micro of the joinery detailing, the project specific design philosophy informs our response and it manifests in every aspect of the design.

Mim Design has a very unique approach to brickwork. From a painted brick wall in a living room, to a grey glazed brick wall lining a staircase, to an exposed red brick wall adding colour to a neutral dining room – what impact does brick have on a project?

We love bricks almost as much as we love natural stone, and we look for opportunities to use the material as often as possible. We find the humble brick to be a very versatile material – a material property that can adapt and provide very different responses depending on the project. In a way, it is the material that most closely reflects our company ethos – an ensemble of diverse and varying individual units that come together to impart structure, relevance and permanence through design.

What is a dream project for you?

Throughout my career I have been fortunate to work on some incredible projects, and it’s this experience that I draw from every day. Prior to joining Mim Design I worked alongside John Wardle on a once in a lifetime project, the Phoenix Art Gallery in Sydney. The commission by Judith Neilson allowed us to truly explore the boundary of what was possible with traditionally hand-laid bricks.

In the studio today we have some incredible projects on the horizon, from an expansive private residence on the Mornington Peninsula to several luxury multi- residential projects up and down the east coast of Australia. All of these projects have allowed us to explore uncharted territories and experiment with materials. As a studio we thrive on problem solving as this keeps us creatively inspired and progressive, and at Mim Design there’s never any time to stand still. 

“We find the humble brick to be a very versatile material – a material property that can adapt and provide very different responses depending on the project. In a way, it is the material that most closely reflects our company ethos – an ensemble of diverse and varying individual units that come together to impart structure, relevance and permanence through design.”

“We find the humble brick to be a very versatile material – a material property that can adapt and provide very different responses depending on the project. In a way, it is the material that most closely reflects our company ethos – an ensemble of diverse and varying individual units that come together to impart structure, relevance and permanence through design.”