statement

Architensions (ATE) is an international architectural design studio and agency of research founded in 2013 and led by Alessandro Orsini and Nick Roseboro. Based in New York City and Rome, the studio investigates architecture, design, and the city with a perspective rooted in site-specificity, exploring ways to connect history, culture, and envisioning new modes of collective living.

Our studio works at the intersection of practice and academia, focusing on architecture at the intersection of the political, social, and environmental networks. Our process is grounded in an open dialogue between clients, consultants, and local communities to promote inclusive design, materials choices, and climate strategies.

We engage in projects and research at multiple scales, working with institutions, municipalities, and private clients through design, exhibitions, curatorial work, and writing. We have completed projects in the US, Italy and United Kingdom and some others are under construction and development in Myanmar and Senegal. Recent projects include a vision plan for San Ferdinando, Calabria, Italy (2022) a holistic strategy to develop its urban fabric while focusing on the promotion of the commons and new publics; a large-scale installation, The Playground, for Coachella Music and Art Festival (2022); and an ongoing housing project in Yangon, Myanmar which proposes an alternative model for collective dwelling.

Our work and research have been published in international magazines such as Domus, Frame, Wallpaper, Architectural Digest, and exhibited at the a83 Gallery (2022), Modest Commons (2023), and Center for Architecture (2022), at The Storefront for Art and Architecture (2017), the Java Project Gallery (2016), the Van Alen Institute (2014). In 2015, Libria published the volume “Forma Urbana,” focusing on studio research through a selection our of projects and writings. The studio was profiled as the Next Progressives in Architect Magazine in September 2020, and in 2021, Cultured Magazine selected Architensions as part of their inaugural young architects list. In 2023 and 2024 Wallpaper Magazine selected Architensions’ principals as part of their 300 and 400 people list of visionaries redefining American creative landscape. Architensions is a recipient of the 25th annual Architectural Record’s Design Vanguard 2024.

people

Alessandro Orsini is a licensed architect in Italy and the United Kingdom and founding principal of Architensions with experience working on a wide range of projects both internationally and in the US. Alongside practice he teaches design studios and professional practice seminars at Columbia University GSAPP and has served as a guest critic in various schools of architecture. Alessandro has contributed to journals including Vesper, Studio Magazine, and Forma Urbana, Architensions’ first book, published by Libria in 2015. Alessandro received a Master of Architecture “summa cum laude,” at Roma Tre University in Rome and was a visiting scholar at Columbia University GSAPP.

Nick Roseboro is a multidisciplinary designer and musician with over 17 years of experience ranging from architectural design and construction, exhibitions, and user experience. Roseboro’s interests include redefining design and research practice through curatorial and cross-disciplinary exploration toward new creative and cultural production at multiple scales. He has recently been researching tensions between labor and leisure through projects, drawings, teaching, and essays.

Along with practice, he is the Endowed Chair in Environmental Architecture and Sustainable Design at Sarah Lawrence College. He has taught at Syracuse University, Università Iuav di Venezia, Barnard College, The New School, and has been a guest critic and lectured at various schools and across the US. Roseboro holds a BFA from The New School and a Master of Science in Critical, Curatorial, and Conceptual Practices from Columbia University GSAPP.

current team members: Alessandro Orsini, Anna Laura Pinto, Nick Roseboro

past team members: Mustafa Bulgar, Joe Danset-Hallam, Jarrod Ray Caranto, Simone Catania, Cliff Chan, Hanjae Cho, Shawn Conte, Ronald Dapsis, Roberto De Luca, Renzo Eseo, Giorgia Gerardi, Rigo Gonzalez, Behruz Hairullaev, Angela Keele, David Lee, Eli Liebenow, Jianwei Li, Nicholas Licausi, Adriane Magadia, Alessandro Mangione, Abirami Nachammai Manivannan, Nicolas Nefiodow, Jonathan Ngo, Richard W. Off, Chang Soon Park, Anna Perelman, Anna Laura Pinto, Manuela Priori, Alsira Raxhimi, Maclane Regan, Gerald Rubia, Francisco Sarmiento, Tani Sevy, Zeinab Shirani, Jihye Son, Evelyn Thomas, Kassandra Ulloa, Jared Vanlandingham, Shuoyang Wang, Stephen Zimmerer

selected publications

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Wallpaper* USA 400: meet the people shaping Creative America in 2024Wallpaper*2024/07/05Design Vanguard 2024: ArchitensionsIan VolnerArchitectural Record2024/06/27Wallpaper* USA 300: A Guide to Creative AmericaWallpaper*2023/07/05One House Per Day documents a year’s worth of architect Andrew Bruno’s daily residential drawingsCharles Weak The Architect's Newspaper2023/06/02Pressing Matters offers possible new coherencies for paper architectureShane Reiner-RothThe Architect's Newspaper2023/05/29A redesigned staircase brings openness and light in London townhouse transformationNana Ama Owusu-AnsahWallpaper* Magazine2023/03/10Architensions on Transgressing SpaceValerio FranzoneKoozarch2023/02/23Parallel Rules showcases work by six architects that expands ideas of what a drawing can beDavis RichardsonThe Architect's Newspaper2022/12/13Towards a New Commons, Away from Silver BulletsGalen PardeeAvery Review 582022 OctoberResidential Addition by Architensions near New YorkJakob SchoofDetail2022/11/08Architensions, USA: Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory 2022Shukri SultanWallpaper* Magazine2022/10/12Brooklyn Residential: Rethinking Home Design in NYC's Most Populous BoroughEric BaldwinArchDaily2022/07/08La casa a volume doppio che sovverte la struttura patriarcale di una tipica ranch houseIsabella PriscoElle Decor Italia2022/07/06
Homo LudensL'Architecture d'Aujourd'hui2022 June-July
Architensions builds pink tile-clad extension on top of old ranch house in the USMyrto Katsikopoulou Designboom2022/06/29This Renovation on Long Island Hacks the Conventions of Single-Family Suburban LivingMandi KeighranDwell2022/06/29Exploring the Weird, Wonderful Skyline of Art at Coachella Sam LubellMetropolis Magazine2022/05/05Ambitious New Exhibit Reimagines the Public RealmPansy SchulmanArchitectural Record2022/04/29Manhattan’s Center for Architecture Imagines the Future of Universal DesignAnthony PalettaMetropolis Magazine2022/04/27Architensions unveils surreal steel-framed playground at CoachellaBen DreithDezeen2022/04/20A Colorful CoachellaJohn HillWorld Architects2022/04/20This Coachella Installation Combats overstimulation in the Festival EnvironmentKayla DowlingFrame2022/04/19Architensions takes to coachella to create a 'playground' installation in the desertKat BarandyDesignboom2022/04/18Coachella 2022: all the art installations from the long-awaited festivalRomina TotaroDomus2022/04/16A revolutionary house in the ordinary suburb of Long IslandAlessandro BenettiDomus 2022/04/14
Revolution in SuburbiaAlessandro BenettiDomus 10672022 April
8 Ways Architectural Windows Are Shaping Residential Design Francesca MercurioArchitizer2022/02/24Alessandro Orsini & Nick RoseboroTonguesVoo Doo2021/09/21A Co-Living Concept for Los AngelesARCHITECT StaffArchitect Magazine2021/07/27Knolls Co- livingARCHITECT StaffArchitect Magazine2021/07/26Architensions prioritizes outdoor space with speculative cooperative fourplex proposal in Los AngelesNathaniel BahadursinghArchinect2021/06/08Designer of the Day: ArchitensionsRyan WaddoupsSurface2021/03/12The Architensions duo finds new ideas in their design differencesElizabeth FazzareCulture Magazine2021/03/09Next Progressives: ArchitensionsARCHITECT StaffArchitect Magazine2020/09/11Natural landscapes for an innovative playground in BrooklynBianca PlecherDomus2020/09/09Architensions reveals an indoor Brooklyn playground for year-round activitiesJonathan HilburgThe Architect’s Newspaper2020/08/26Architensions creates colourful Children's Playspace with plywood climbing frame and tunnelEleanor GibsonDezeen2020/08/24Nature meets nurture at this Brooklyn indoor playgroundPei-Ru KehWallpaper2020/07/29Architensions on Creating Architecture That “Exists Beyond the Logic of Capitalism”Justine Testado & Katherine GuimapangArchinect2020/03/03Oana Stănescu, Kiki Van Eijk, and more will design installations for Coachella 2020Shane Reiner-RothThe Architect’s Newspaper2020/01/24Architensions Selected to Design Installation for Coachella 2020 Aspire Design & Home2020/01/24A Story No Longer Untold: Astra Zarina’s Influence on Modern ArchitectureJulia Gamolina Metropolis Magazine2019/07/26Trends in Design and ArchitectureThe New York TimesThe New York Times2018/03/05Architensions reinterprets the tent typology with a public space activator in new yorkApostolos Costarangos Designboom2017/10/05
Notice Board - Ryde Civic CentreMark Magazine 652017 January
Architensions. Architettura e urbanistica in movimentoValentina SilvestriniArtribune2016/11/07Extension between the Alvar Aalto Museum & the Central Museum of FinlandArqa2016/11/02
Architensions presents rising ryde architecture as a living systemHollie SmithDesignboom2016/08/23
Architensions Shortlisted for Civic Center Design Using Local Vegetation in Sydney, AustraliaSabrina SantosArchDaily2016/08/20
Notice Board - Aarhus School of ArchitectureMark Magazine 622016 July
Architensions Shortlisted for Civic Center Design Using Local Vegetation in Sydney, AustraliaSabrina SantosArchDaily2016/08/20For Alvar Aalto's 118th b-day, a museum extension + a few enduring favoritesJulia IngallsArchinect2016/02/04Architensions designs writing pavilion retreat in brooklyn backyardNick BrinkDeisgnboom2015/12/25Tiny writer's studio by Architensions provides a creative refuge in BrooklynAlan G. BrakeDezeen2015/11/23

selected writing

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exhibitions, lectures, symposia

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Alessandro Orsini and Nick Roseboro give lecture “Architecture as Commoning Practice” at the Università Iuav di VeneziaAlessandro Orsini, Nick RoseboroWave Talks - Università Iuav di Venezia2024/06/27
Rethinking Practice: Climate, Equity, LaborSymposium - Alessandro Orsini, Nick RoseboroColumbia University GSAPP2023/11/10Pressing Matters. Architectural PrintmakingGroup Exhibition - ArchitensionsModest Common Gallery2023/05/05 - 2023/06/062023 Design for Freedom SummitSymposium - Nick RoseboroGrace Farms2023/03/302023 Design Symposium - Material World: Futures of Tactile and Digital ExpressionLecture & Symposium - Alessandro Orsini, Nick RoseboroTulane School of Architecture2023/03/26Talking About Drawing, Part ISymposiuma83 Gallery2022/12/08Architectural Drawing: Parallel RulesGroup Exhibition - Architensionsa83 Gallery2022/11/19 - 2023/01/23Reset Towards a New Commons Group Exhibition - ArchitensionsAIA New York | Center for Architecture2022/04/14 - 2022/09/03Decolonizing Suburbia Symposium - Alessandro Orsini, Nick RoseboroAIA New York | Center for Architecture2022/08/04Architecture & Leisure: The Realm of Freedom at the Intersection of Technological CapitalismLecture - Alessandro Orsini, Nick RoseboroAA Summer School 2022/07/18Rap on Race without Rice: Part IConversation - Alessandro Orsini & Dominique DuroseauArtists Alliance2021 AugustFor a Domesticity of the New CommonsAlessandro OrsiniUniversita' di Camerino Facolta' di Architettura2021/05/19Designing While BlackNick RoseboroBuild Out Alliance, Virtual2021/02/25Future of Design Symposium Alessandro Orsini, Nick RoseboroIABSE Future of Design NYC2020/09/15Working RemotelyGroup Exhibitiona83 Gallery2020 July - NovEducation of the Architect: Pushing the BoundariesAIANY Social Science and Architecture, Diversity and Inclusion, and Emerging New York Architects Committees Center for Architecture2020/01/28Faculty on Housing. Big Ideas Small LotsAlessandro OrsiniColumbia GSAPP2019/10/10
Voids & Shapes of the CityAlessandro OrsiniOrdine degli Architetti di Siena, Santa Maria della Scala Museum Complex2018/08/02
We Like America: New Icon-i-CitiesAlessandro OrsiniStorefront for Art and Architecture, Spacebuster, Central Park East Pinetum2017/10/21New New York IconsAlessandro OrsiniStorefront for Art and Architecture2017/09/16Fifith Dimensional CitiesSolo ExhibitionThe Java Project2016/10/18 - 2016/11/02Escape Routes: New ItinerariesAlessandro OrsiniThe VanAlen Institute2014/12/14