About me, Paolo Lettieri
I was born in Varese – Italy and I graduated in Architecture from the Politecnico di Milano, under Marco Dezzi Bardeschi, one of the key figures of Italian architectural restoration and theory. Later, I obtained an Executive Diploma in Real Estate from MIP Polimi, gaining a deeper understanding of the financial and managerial aspects of the built environment.
Over more than twenty-five years of practice, I have worked in leading architectural and engineering firms — including Dante O. Benini and Partners — before founding UPA Italia with Aswan Zubaidi, in joint venture with UPA Consultancy (Abu Dhabi). This collaboration opened the path to a series of international commissions in Europe, the Middle East, and Central Asia.
Expanding into Design and Innovation
I later co-founded Brik Bit, a PropTech startup applying blockchain technology to Real Estate and 29 Milano, a design company that develops contemporary furniture certified through unique NFT certification. These ventures reflect my interest in the intersection between architecture, design, and technology, and how innovation can redefine creative practice.
For more than seventeen years within UPA, I have served as principal architect and project manager, leading multidisciplinary teams across Italy, the UAE, Iraq, Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Jordan, Romania and Russia. I have worked on public, educational, healthcare, hospitality, industrial, and residential buildings, always ensuring that design responds to both the cultural and environmental conditions of the place.
My experience combines architectural design with strategic planning, sustainability, and project leadership. This holistic view enables me to deliver buildings that are functional, expressive and sustainable, reflecting the identity of the communities they serve.
Publications, Exhibitions and Recognitions
My work has been awarded international prizes and has been presented at the Time Space Existence 2023 exhibition in Venice by European Cultural Centre. In 2024 my monograph “Paolo Lettieri — Architectures in the Middle East, Europe and Asia” with an introduction by Luigi Prestinenza Puglisi, was published by Altralinea Editions in Florence. It represents a synthesis of years of research and projects developed in diverse contexts.
I have collaborated with various architecture magazines and currently with ReFrame Magazine, writing on topics related to design methodology, contextual architecture and cultural identity in contemporary practice.
Vision and Mission
Today, my mission is to create architecture that bridges disciplines and cultures, buildings that reflect their context while responding to human needs.
In my work, I always strive to combine rigor, adaptability, and meaning, ensuring that each project contributes to the cultural and spatial fabric of the place in which it is realized.
