Over time, has your way of designing changed to suit design evolution? Which of these developments do you consider most significant?

Andrè Straja – I think it is the level of maturity of the actors on the A&D scene that has changed. I am not the same architect I was thirty years ago, and so my works are fashioned by different concepts. However, the basic formula of the values that direct my hand when I draw has not changed. The emphasis has changed, following the temporal fashions of society. When we started our studio twenty-seven years ago, sustainability was not a hot topic in the culture around us. And despite this, we produced a building with a double ventilated facade in the historic center of Milan. Then, it became a central theme, and every architectural object had to take on a sustainable facade. Therefore, if the way of designing has remained the same, today there is a different attention. Even before the advent of LEED and BREEAM certifications, we were sensitive to these issues, but we became more so when everything turned into a trend.

The changes also concern the technical-functional level. The casing and, with it, the internal systems changed because they had to adapt to a new way of imagining the implants. Even in this case we can talk about emphasis, rather than novelty. BIM is a reality that has existed for over thirty years, now becoming topical because it has become mandatory. Today it is used in all architectural studios, producing effects on how we draw and document a project. ESG is a set of criteria for sustainability that has developed in recent years. These new criteria added to what we already had in our DNA, giving it, again, more emphasis.

One of the projects you designed that has received the most awards is Casa di Langa, called "eco-luxury resort". What is the meaning of "eco-luxury"?

Andrè Straja – Within the definition of eco-luxury there is primarily an aspect of service and hospitality. Luxury hotels usually have two employees per guest. Then there is an aesthetic-tactile issue that concerns the quality of the materials, the pleasure of touching the environment in which you are. It is also an acoustic question, of being able to isolate yourself or participate in collective situations when you wish, and not when the hotel decides it for you. It is the pleasure to stay in your room, to find a sense of serenity. It is having a bicycle for a ride in nature and eating good food on your return. Today we architects are increasingly called upon to make changes to the expansion of existing hotels due to new investments related to the well-being and improvement of services. This gives a measure of the direction the hotel industry is taking.

In 2014 Oil Design Lab was founded alongside Gas Studio. How did the idea came about?

Giacomo Sicuro – Oil Design Lab was born from my passion for the product, the material and the graphics. I also have a past as an artist, I love the arts in general and sculpture in particular. Added to this is the effective functionality of integrating graphics and product to the design of environments. As a result, a research group has been set up, which is involved transversally in the projects to make its contribution. Among the functions there is to support in the marketing of the properties that we design ourselves and to work on the retail experience factor. For example, we are currently working on a project with a multi-storey wooden structure. It is a very original structure ­– there are no other examples in Italy ­– which, being made of wood, is devoid of the false ceiling where usually many technical elements such as light or fire detection devices are placed.

It was Oil Design Lab that gave its contribution with a lighting system that responds to the originality of this building. Custom design is just one of the paths taken by Oil Design Lab. In addition, we also follow the creative direction of companies. Working alongside those involved in the architecture of retail spaces and concept, we guide the communication within the shop in terms of materials, colours, scents, images and merchandise, also suggesting a customer journey adhering to the brand. A total research that aims to touch all the areas close to design and its use.

Among the activities carried out within Oil Design Lab is that of restyling. What are the steps to take for an effective restyling of brands and products?

Giacomo Sicuro  –Restyling is a thorny theme, especially when the brand has a history and needs change. It starts from the research on the strengths of the company, its heritage and products. We must dig deep to find suggestions within the past history, and compare it with the current market conditions and social developments. Another important aspect is the analysis of competitors, learning from whom is doing best to draw inspiration. From the synthesis of all this must derive a strategy that embraces the product, the commercial design and the communication.

Technological performance, choice of materials, flexibility of use and value of experience. What is the weight that each of these factors has in the realization of a sustainable project? Are there other elements that can contribute to the sustainability of a project? 

Andrè Straja – There is one key element missing from this list. Sustainability begins with the importance given to it by the client. If the client is not interested in that aspect, it is inevitable that the emphasis of the design will be changed based on this lack of interest. Casa di Langa is a flagrant example. In this case the customer was very clear from the first encounter in underlining how sustainability was central to him, and the natural consequence  is the example of eco-sustainability that Casa di Langa represents. Sustainability is not only a choice of materials or systems, it is also a management approach to the real estate object. Casa di Langa is sustainable because the management of the hotel emphasizes this point by eliminating disposable plastics, limiting the amount of water consumed and inviting guests to use rechargeable bicycles. When designing interiors for large corporations this becomes even more virtuous when there are internal policies related to the well-being of the individual. In this case, the emphasis is on aspects that go beyond functionality ­– such as air quality, acoustic and light comfort ­– to touch the psychophysical health of the guest.

Are there any categories of projects that you have not yet dealt with that you would like to discuss? 

Andrè Straja – Of course, I would start with the idea of designing a skyscraper. So far we have touched the twenty floors, but we would like to reach at least the number of sixty. The museum world also offers many design opportunities that we have not yet discovered. A recent visit to the Olympic stadium in Athens allowed me to observe many architectural elements related to the world of sport, which is another context in which we would like to test ourselves. 

Giacomo Sicuro – In terms of specific elements, I would like to work on parametric facades and visual works, such as installations. These are elements that need a budget and that tend to be cut at the initial phases of the projects, unless there are important economic possibilities or needs.