Università della Svizzera italiana - USI

In order to help current students and recent graduates to find their way in the working world, many of our alumni shared their career story. Here the story of Stefano Belingardi Clusoni, Founder and Architect of BE.ST Belingardi Stefano Architect in Milan. USI Degree: Master in Architecture, 2012.
How did you start your career?
Stefano Belingardi Clusoni was born in Milan in 1987. He graduated from the Academy of Architecture in Mendrisio, Switzerland. He got an award for the Diploma project from the SIA A&C (architecture & culture) Jury.
In 2007 he worked at EMBT Miralles Tagliabue office in Barcelona, Spain and in 2009 at Cino Zucchi Architetti office in Milan, Italy. In 2010 he was selected for an Erasmus program at the Charles Rennie Mackintosh School of Art in Scotland were he got the bachelor. In 2011 he worked for Daniel Libeskind’s studio and in 2012 still for EMBT Miralles Tagliabue: he lived one year in Shanghai, China.
In 2013 with the winning of an international competition he founded his own studio BE.ST Belingardi Stefano Architect that today follows international scale projects in Italy and abroad. In 2020 he was selected within the best architects under 40 in Italy.

Born in 1993 in Tehran (Iran), after living in México, Switzerland and Holland, in 2017 he graduated from the Mendrisio Academy of Architecture. In 2018 he partnered with Ruben Valdez (who graduated from the Academy in 2011) to open their own practice, Yektajo & Valdez. Since then they have worked on various projects, mainly residential and touristic in the Americas and Europe.

After working as an architect in Lisbon for a year, I realized the importance of visualization in effectively communicating design projects. This understanding led me to specialize in creating digital images that capture and convey the unique poetry and character of each building.
In 2017, I founded my studio with the goal of producing high-quality visualizations for competitions and private projects. Together with my team of architects, we create images that express the essence and identity of every project.
During my study program, the aspects that meant the most to me were the emphasis on creative problem-solving and the strong foundation in architectural theory and design. The program encouraged critical thinking and challenged us to explore innovative solutions, which helped me develop a deeper understanding of how to translate concepts into practical designs. Collaboration with peers was also a key positive aspect, as it fostered teamwork and exposed me to different perspectives. The combination of technical skills and creative freedom, blending theory with practice formed my problem-solving abilities, allowing me to address both aesthetic and functional challenges effectively, and provided a well-rounded education that has been extremely precious in my career.

After graduating from the Academy, I started my professional career first in Switzerland, in Mario Botta’s practice, then in the United States, in New York, in the offices of Richard Meier and Anderson Architects. In 2009 I returned to Italy to expand the family business and devote myself in particular to developing an innovative project that uses prefabrication in residential and quality construction. This gave rise to More, of which I am now the creative director. In 2015 the firm received the ADI Index Award for Innovation. In recent years, More has integrated interior architecture into its services, dealing with private residences, hotels, restaurants and public buildings. Year after year I had the opportunity to expand my role in the company, until I was appointed Vice President of Moretti SpA, as well as dealing with the organisation of the work and personnel policies.

During my studies at the Mendrisio Academy and in the early years after my Diploma, I had broadly different work experiences, travelling between Spain, Portugal, Japan and Switzerland. In 2018 I moved to Basel, where today I work as a project architect in the office of Jacques Herzog and Pierre de Meuron. The years spent in the Academy have been crucial in my personal and professional growth. The school’s educational approach, generalist and humanist, made me aware of the responsibilities of our profession and of how important a vision of architecture as a cultural practice can be in contemporary society. During my years of study I had the opportunity to work in Lisbon, first in the office of Gonçalo Byrne then that of João Nunes. The encounter with Portugal gave a very solid basis to my training, approaching the themes of the city, the voids and the landscape that today, after many years, I feel rooted in my design thinking. The encounter with Portuguese architecture and with the great generosity of its professionals was also possible thanks to the internship year that was part of my undergraduate course. With great pleasure that today I realize the importance that this period of compulsory internship had in the training at the Academy. Working for at least a year, while studying, first of all allows a first comparison with the reality of the profession, then helps clarify one’s interests and finally it offers a great opportunity to build relationships in an exciting but also very demanding world.