About

Quinzii Terna Architecture is an architecture office based in Milano (Italy), founded in 2012 and led by Chiara Quinzii and Diego Terna, after long collaborations with international practices in Italy (Stefano Boeri and Italo Rota) and in the Netherlands (MVRDV).

It practices architecture, urbanism, landscape design and research in national and international contexts, working in a wide range of projects, supported by publishing, criticism and didactics.

Its activity develops through commissions, competitions, publications and workshops, dealing with projects at different scales, such as urban masterplans and urban visions, architecture, furnitures and temporary exhibitions, also in peculiar historical contexts.

Winner of a research grant from Triennale Milano and Municipality of Milan, QTA has analyzed in depth the Public Spaces of Milan, as part of the 100 Public Spaces for Milan project – published in the book Milan Public Space. An in-progress atlas of everyone’s space, by LetteraVentidue Edizioni in 2021 – and the consequences of the pandemic on the policies and behavior of people in public spaces in Milan, with the research Milan Unlocked. Public Space after Pandemic (that will be published in 2024 for LetteraVentidue Edizioni).
Researches have also been developed internationally through European funds (Creative Industries Fund NL, Dutch Embassy in Rome) and academic collaborations in the Netherlands, China and Honduras for the cities of Rotterdam, Shanghai, Tegucigalpa and San Pedro Sula.

QTA contributed in the improvement of the urban strategies for the Fiume Verde project (The Green River), as part of  Stefano Boeri team, together with ARUP, Mobility In Chain and Studio Laura Gatti, and it developed urban visions and masterplans in different countries, within international competitions, such as in Finland, Bulgaria, Russia, Italy, where their projects have been awarded.

Starting from an in-depth research, published in the book by LetteraVentidue Edizioni Ritorno all’abitare. Una cooperativa in città (Back to Housing. A cooperative in the city), the firm has built an important experience in the cooperative world, developing projects in residential areas.

QTA developed projects dealing with cultural heritage, designing the new Hub Leonardo in the Stelline Palace and Piazza Santa Maria delle Grazie, during the 2015 Milan Expo, and a new professional school in the public farmhouse San Bernardo, in Milan, with Fondazione Società Umanitaria and Comune di Milano.

QTA has exhibited its works in exhibitions and events and its products have been exhibited as part of the Milan Design Week.

The work of the office has also been awarded in several architecture competitions and its researches has been published on books and magazines.

Alongside the work of the office, the two partners have carried out teaching activities at Politecnico di Milano, IUAV – Venezia, Università Statale – Milano, Domus Academy, Indus Valley School of Art and Architecture, UDLA – Quito, ULatina – San Josè, Universidad Interamericana de Panamà, UNITEC – Tegucigalpa and East China Normal University – Shanghai.
They collaborated with NABA within the Certificate Program in Design of Interiors and with Domus Academy in the Double Award with Regent’s University London, within the Master in Interior and Living Design and Urban Vision and Architectural Design.

They collaborate as critics with international magazines (C3 Magazine, Abitare, Compasses, Klat, Arch’it) and curate architectural sections on the web platform Gli Stati Generali.

Among Quinzii Terna Architecture clients there are Fondazione Società Umanitaria, Società Edificatrice Abitazioni Operaie, Bip (Business Integration Partners), Politecnico di Milano, State Street Bank, Fondazione Stelline, Comune di Milano, NABA, Domus Academy, C3 Publishing Co, Gielissen, Fondazione Stelline, Stichting World Expo Milaan 2015, CCL – Consorzio Cooperative Lavoratori, Spazio Aperto Cooperativa Sociale.

Chiara Quinzii (1979) graduated at Milan Polytechnic in 2004 with the thesis project Milan apart. She worked for several international firms, such as Boeri Studio in Milan and MVRDV in Rotterdam.

In 2012 she founded, together with Diego Terna, the Quinzii Terna Architecture practice.

Beside participating to many international competitions and working on projects at urban and architectural scale, she dedicates to teaching collaborating with the Milan Polytechnic as tutor in the architectural and urban design workshop and in the construction workshop, as well as collaborating with Domus Academy -as project leader and lecturer in the Urban vision and architectural design Master- and Indus Valley School of Art and Architecture.

She is a member of the Task Force for road safety and active mobility, direct consultant of the Mayor of Milan on mobility and on the general vision for public space.

She curates the blog DomestiCity.

Diego Terna (1979) graduated in architecture at Milan Polytechnic in 2004 and worked in the offices of Stefano Boeri and Italo Rota.

In 2012 he founded, together with Chiara Quinzii, the Quinzii Terna Architecture practice. He has made critical contributions to various national and international magazines (C3 Magazine, Abitare, Compasses, Klat, Arch’it) and edits several architecture websites (Gli Stati Generali, Linkiesta, PressTletter, The ArchHive). He taught at Milan Polytechnic, in the Architectural Design and Urban-planning workshops, as well as collaborating with IUAV in Venice, University of Milan, Domus Academy, Indus Valley School of Art and Architecture, UDLA in Quito, ULatina in San Josè, Universidad Interamericana de Panamà , UVM in Guadalajara and East China Normal University in Shanghai.
He collaborates with NABA, in Milan, in the Laureate International University Certificate Program in Design and Interiors.
He has been the scientific director of the Master in Design and Innovation by IED Milano and Tongji University Shanghai.
He is Project Mentor in the Double Award Domus Academy-Regent’s University London, within the Master in Interior and Living Design and Urban Vision and Architectural Design.

He is a member of the Board of Directors of the Public Space Biennial.

He has his own personal blog entitled L’architettura immaginata and he’s a contributor in the platform Gli Stati Generali.

QTA collaborators (since 2012)

Sevin Akın
Milica Alempic
Marco Belloni
Daniele Bonetti
Vera Bondarenko
Fabio Casirati
Martina Calegari
Yajun Cao
Tommaso Casotto
Alessandra Colombo
Andrea Consonni
Milica Cudic
Jian Du
Roberta Fiorentino
Peichun Jiang
Damla Kınasakal
Oyuki Manidi
Dragana Mikavica
Linda Mochsen
Francesca Robustelli
Fabio Samele
Giovanni Saputo
Enisa Selmanaj
Cris Skenderi
Eda Irmak Tureyyen
Özlem Yazgan
Tian Xin
Yanling Zheng