Erica Nonis, a graduate from Politecnico di Milano who recently turned 30, has always dreamt of opening her own studio. Following her graduation in Architecture in December 2018, she embarked on collaborations in various studios and within a few years this dream became a reality, with the help of her colleague Edoardo Del Conte (also an Alumnus of our University): “In May 2022 we founded NODE Architetti. From the outset, we wanted to take part in competitions and saw them as an opportunity for growth and discussion on design principles, but also as a way for a small studio like ours to make a name for itself".
The Marzio Cecchi International Competition was named after the renowned architect and was created to showcase the talent of young planners, architects, designers and creatives. Nonis reflects on the competition: “The challenge was to design a capsule collection featuring a sofa or armchair and coffee tables, with a focus on sustainability and reuse. We just couldn’t miss out on this opportunity! I decided to submit the 'Cantiere' collection, drawing inspiration from my daily work. Often when I visit the site for inspections, I notice that there are huge amounts of waste materials. During these visits, I start thinking about how furniture can be designed by reusing these 'scraps' and how they can be repurposed to create a designer product. In fact, the entire collection—comprising a sofa, armchair and low tables—is designed with a very linear aesthetic where the load-bearing components are prominently displayed, and consists of a frame made of reinforcing rods, electrowelded mesh and plaster mesh. The competition therefore provided a platform for me to showcase this concept, bridging my profession as an architect with my passion for interior design".
The award ceremony took place on 1 March at Palazzo Spiga in Florence. Nonis won first prize in the second edition of the Marzio Cecchi Prize, beating 10 other candidates from prestigious universities and design schools. The evening, hosted by fashion designer Cecchi, Marzio's sister, also served as a fundraiser for Fondazione Voa Voa Aps Amici di Sofia, supporting the pilot project for neonatal screening of metachromatic leukodystrophy.
Nonis's victory at the Marzio Cecchi Prize adds to her accolades: “In July 2022, we participated in the major design competition 'Scuola Futura', and our proposal for the new primary school in the municipality of Cinto Caomaggiore won; as of today, we are finalising preparations to start construction and finally see our project take shape". Good job!
