The Alhadeff Approach

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The international perspective at Studio Alhadeff Architects lends to the distinctive structures produced by the Italian firm. Recently, the Milan-based studio has developed a modern stucco and stone home on the Turkish Mediterranean coast, a 100-year old log cabin outside of Moscow and a series of land-marked buildings in London.

Principal Giancarlo Alhadeff founded the firm in 1991, drawing from his own multi-national background. Alhadeff was born in Egypt and spent a large part of his childhood in Japan. “The element that informed me the most is having lived in Japan for seven years,” he says about his design influence.

With a cosmopolitan pedigree, he has long incorporated sustainable principles into his approach. “In Europe we’ve been doing it far longer. It’s something that we use as a guiding principle.” That process includes working with a structural and mechanical engineer in the early stages of development. For the home he constructed in Turkey, he used local Hatay stone, coated with thermal insulation that aids the cooling process, eliminating the need for air conditioning.

At the root of Alhadeff’s process is a desire to compliment the character of his clients. “Listening to the client’s story is an important element to what I do.” (Studio Alhadeff Architects)