Carmelo Zappulla

An Italian architect and PhD graduate from the Polytechnic University of Catalonia, he is the founder and director of External Reference, an international multidisciplinary studio based in Barcelona. Under his leadership, the studio has gained recognition for its innovative approach to design and its exploration of new forms and construction solutions in the field of digital fabrication, as reflected in the numerous and diverse groundbreaking projects developed over more than 15 years of the firm’s activity.
In the academic sphere, he regularly collaborates with international architecture schools and institutions. He is currently the director of our Official Master’s Degree in Experiential Interior Design and a professor of architectural design at IAAC (Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia). For seven years, he served as director of the Master’s in Interior Architecture at IED.
His work has been exhibited at the Venice Biennale, the MAXXI Museum in Rome, Expo Dubai 2020, Dubai Design Week, Madrid Design Festival, and Milano Design Week, among other venues and events.