What Onsitestudio does

Onsitestudio is a Milan-headquartered architectural practice founded in 2006 by Angelo Lunati that provides full-service architectural design across residential, commercial, cultural, educational, workplace, and urban masterplanning categories. The studio operates as a stable collective of 15-20 architects with 15+ years of continuous collaboration, delivering for institutional, real estate investor, and corporate clients across Italy, Switzerland, Germany, the Czech Republic, and Belgium. The active project base includes major commissions such as the BEIC European Library (with Baukuh), the Scalo Farini Masterplan (~478,000 sqm), the Olympic Village Milano (with LAN, ~63,000 sqm), and the Pirelli 39 masterplan (with David Chipperfield Architects, ~71,700 sqm).

The practice is built on four stated pillars: a research-grounded design methodology, deep contextual awareness of urban fabric, an explicit commitment to carbon reduction and durable construction, and a collaborative model that engages leading international architects (Caruso St. John, Chipperfield, LAN, Baukuh) on signature projects. Carbon reduction, durability, and economy of means are framed as integral to the design process rather than as add-on sustainability features, with multiple completed projects achieving LEED Gold (Garibaldi Office Complex), DGNB Gold (Sopro Headquarters), BREEAM Very Good (Hotel Le Palace Bruxelles), LEED and WELL (Porta Nuova Office Block), and LEED Silver (Palazzo Besana) certifications. The studio differentiates through leadership talent (Lunati holds a Ph.D. from ETH Zurich and teaches at Politecnico di Milano and Harvard GSD), a body of work documented by elite architectural photographers, and inclusion in the XXI Triennale di Milano.

The business model is professional services: project-based fees negotiated as percentages of construction cost or fixed professional fees, with engagements spanning concept design through construction administration. The go-to-market mix comprises wins in architectural design competitions (BEIC, Scalo Farini, Hotel Palace Ostrava), direct commissions from institutional and corporate clients, and referrals from established real estate sponsors. The customer base spans public bodies (Comune di Milano), real estate SGRs (Coima, Kryalos, Prelios, Colliers, CDP Investimenti SGR, CPI Investimenti SGR), asset managers (Kervis Asset Management, Pandox), corporate end-users (Rolex Italia, Pirelli, Mapei, Generali Italia, Sopro Bauchemie, U.S. Sassuolo Calcio), and one cultural non-profit (OXA). Revenue is not publicly disclosed and there is no institutional investment, private equity, or external ownership — the practice is founder-controlled under a partnership model led by Lunati, Brambati, Miserotti, and Molinari.

Name

Onsitestudio

Legal name

Onsitestudio

Website

https://onsitestudio.it

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Onsitestudio is a Milan-based architectural practice founded in 2006, providing full-service design across residential, commercial, cultural, educational, and urban masterplanning categories to institutional, real estate sponsor, and corporate clients across Italy and Continental Europe.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Architectural Design Services

NAICS

Architectural Services (54131), Architectural Services (541310), Interior Design Services (54141)

akta.pro primary industry

Architectural Design Services (BPAHAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Community Engagement & Participatory Planning (BPAHAKAO)

Keywords

• Architectural design services
• Urban masterplanning
• Building renovation
• Sustainable architecture
• Cultural institution design

Headquarters

HQ city

Milan

HQ country

Italy

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Architectural Design Services: Fees generated from architectural design, masterplanning, refurbishment, and interior design services for institutional, commercial, residential, and cultural clients. Revenue is project-based, typically structured as a percentage of construction cost or fixed professional fees, with engagements spanning concept design through construction administration.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Onsitestudio is a Milan-based architectural practice providing full-service architectural design spanning residential, commercial, cultural, educational, workplace, and urban masterplanning projects. The studio, founded in 2006 and operating as a collective of approximately 20 architects, delivers new construction, adaptive reuse, and urban planning services for institutional, corporate, and private clients across Italy, Switzerland, Germany, Czech Republic, and Belgium. Engagements span from concept design through construction administration, structured as project-based professional fees.

Product overview

Onsitestudio is an architectural practice offering a unified portfolio of design services rather than a modular software product. The studio provides comprehensive architectural services across seven interconnected service categories: Residential Projects, Commercial Buildings, Cultural Institutions, Educational Facilities, Workplace Design, Urban Masterplanning, and Existing Building Renovation. These services are delivered through an integrated collaborative approach, working with specialized consultants across structural engineering, sustainability, acoustics, fire safety, and landscape design. Projects range from small-scale renovations to large urban masterplans, with the studio's expertise spanning new construction, adaptive reuse, and urban planning.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Architectural Design Services Full-service architectural design spanning residential, commercial, cultural, educational, and workplace projects, including new construction, renovation of existing buildings, and urban masterplanning. Delivered for institutional, corporate, and private clients.
• Residential Projects Housing projects including apartment complexes, courtyard buildings, and residential renovations such as Balilla Residential Complex, Alserio Residential Complex, and Olympic Village Milano.
• Commercial Buildings Commercial architecture including office complexes, hotels, and retail spaces such as Garibaldi Office Complex (LEED Gold), Hotel Duca d'Aosta, and Hotel Le Palace Bruxelles (BREEAM Very Good).
• Cultural Institutions Cultural facilities including libraries, museums, exhibition spaces, and cultural centers such as BEIC European Library (with Baukuh), BASE Cultural Centre, and Centro Cultural Cervantes.
• Educational Facilities Schools, training centers, and educational complexes including Cascina Merlata School Complex, Sassuolo Training Centre, Pirelli Learning Centre, and New School Complex in Maloja (with Alder Clavuot Nunzi).
• Workplace Design Corporate office design and headquarters projects for multinational end-users including Rolex Italia Headquarter, Sopro Headquarters (DGNB Gold), Mapei Offices Rome, Pirelli Learning Centre, and Friem Headquarter (Class A CENED).
• Urban Masterplanning Large-scale urban planning projects including Scalo Farini Masterplan (478,000 sqm, with Baukuh and others), Caserma Mameli Masterplan (101,000 sqm), Pirelli 39 Masterplan (71,700 sqm, with David Chipperfield Architects), and Piazza Castello in Milan.
• Existing Building Renovation Refurbishment and adaptive reuse of existing structures including Palazzo Galbani (Generali), Palazzo Besana (LEED Silver), Palazzo Calderoni (Rolex Italia), Hotel Le Palace Bruxelles, and Cavallerizza Reale (Turin).

Quantifiable outcome

• LEED Gold certification achieved for Garibaldi Office Complex (40,000 sqm)
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers22 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• BaukuhcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOnsitestudio works with Baukuh as a key strategic collaborator on major cultural and public projects. Notable joint projects include the BEIC European Library (30,000 sqm, Milan) and the Scalo Farini Masterplan (478,000 sqm, Milan), representing some of the studio's most significant commissions.
• Caruso St. John ArchitectscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOnsitestudio collaborated with Caruso St. John Architects on the Museo Diocesano expansion and restoration project in Milan (4,578 sqm). The partnership combines Onsitestudio's urban design expertise with Caruso St. John's British architectural practice.
• LAN (Paris)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOnsitestudio developed the Olympic Village Milano project in collaboration with LAN Architects from Paris. The project at Scalo di Porta Romana (63,000 sqm) aims to continue the urban form of the district and synthesize qualities of courtyard, slab, and industrial block typologies.
• David Chipperfield ArchitectscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOnsitestudio worked with David Chipperfield Architects on the Pirelli 39 masterplan project in Porta Nuova, Milan (71,700 sqm). This prestigious collaboration addresses Milanese 20th-century architecture and the relationship between restoration and new design.
• Alder Clavuot NunzicoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOnsitestudio collaborated with Alder Clavuot Nunzi on the New School Complex in Maloja, Switzerland (2024). The project is based on principles of proximity and harmonizing with both built environment and dramatic alpine landscape.
• GankocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOnsitestudio collaborated with Ganko on the Symbiosis Office Block project in Milan (25,747 sqm). The project's light-bending design completes the open setting of office buildings transforming Milan's south side industrial area.
• PioveneFabicoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOnsitestudio collaborated with PioveneFabi on Piazza Castello in Milan (Triennale invitation project) and Hotel Le Palace Bruxelles (9,000 sqm, BREEAM Very Good). The partnership focuses on urban space design and heritage hotel refurbishment.
• re:architekticoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOnsitestudio collaborated with re:architekti on the Hotel Palace Ostrava project in Czech Republic (17,758 sqm), which won Third Prize in the competition. The project reinforces spatial and functional relations within the urban block.
• Liverani MolteniminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOnsitestudio worked with Liverani Molteni on the Services Buildings for EXPO Milano project (60,000 sqm), designing new service architectures with a focus on uniformity and modular, dismountable, adaptable units.
• Pasquini Tranfa and Asli CicekcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOnsitestudio collaborated with Pasquini Tranfa and Asli Cicek on the Cantonal Museum of Natural History in Locarno, Switzerland (9,320 sqm). The project envisions the museum as a 'granary building' enveloped by blind facades, blending into the orchard backdrop.
• P·A·N Filippo Cattapan e Davide Macchi architetticoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOnsitestudio collaborated with P·A·N Filippo Cattapan e Davide Macchi architetti on the Centro Cultural Cervantes in Milan (300 sqm), repurposing Baroque spaces under the Sant'Alessandro church for modern cultural use.
• Caruso St. John Architects (Cavallerizza Reale)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOnsitestudio collaborated again with Caruso St. John Architects on the Cavallerizza Reale redevelopment in Turin, working with Fondazione Compagnia di San Paolo to preserve the site's existing character and transform abandoned spaces into vibrant cultural facilities.
• Atelier Kempe ThillminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOnsitestudio collaborated with Atelier Kempe Thill and Christ & Gantenbein on the Scalo Farini Masterplan competition (478,000 sqm), transforming the former Farini railway yard into a new district for approximately 5,000 people.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Snøhetta: Norwegian-international design practice with comparable cultural and public-architecture profile (libraries, museums, civic buildings). Has expanded into adaptive reuse and workplace projects — overlapping with Onsitestudio's offering but at a much larger scale.

Direct peers

• Park Associati: Milano-based design practice of similar size and profile, working on cultural, residential, and office projects across Italy. Competes for the same institutional developer briefs (Coima, Kryalos, etc.) and public commissions.
• LAN Architecture: Paris-based architecture firm of comparable scale with strong urban and cultural project portfolio. Documented direct collaborator with Onsitestudio on the Olympic Village Milano; competes for similar European mixed-use and cultural briefs.
• Caruso St John Architects: London/Zurich-based architecture firm of comparable scale and design reputation. Documented direct collaborator on Museo Diocesano and Cavallerizza Reale in Italy; competes for similar European cultural and residential commissions.
• Stefano Boeri Architetti: Milano-based architecture practice of comparable scale (~50-80 staff) and design-led positioning. Direct Italian competitor for cultural, public, and residential commissions, with similar international reputation and academic ties.
• Cino Zucchi Architetti: Milano-based design studio with very similar scale (~20 staff), typological diversity (housing, public buildings, urban masterplans), and footprint across Milan's regeneration districts including Porta Nuova and Scalo. Closest direct peer.
• Baukuh (architecture collective): Milanese architecture collective of matching scale and ethos. Documented direct collaborator on BEIC and Scalo Farini; competes for the same institutional Italian cultural/public commissions.
• Mario Cucinella Architects (MC A): Bologna/Milan architecture firm with strong sustainability positioning and similar international practice. Direct competitor for LEED/BREEAM-certified institutional and cultural commissions.

Broad incumbents

• Renzo Piano Building Workshop: Italy's flagship globally-renowned architecture firm. Comparable in Italian cultural/public masterplanning (BEIC, Scalo Farini tier commissions) but operates at a much larger scale and broader portfolio, including major museums and civic buildings worldwide.
• David Chipperfield Architects: Global architecture firm with deep Italian practice and a documented direct collaboration with Onsitestudio (Pirelli 39 masterplan). Comparable cultural/public project profile, but at materially larger scale and broader geographic reach.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/_onsitestudio_
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/onsitestudio

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Onsitestudio