Profile

MB-AA Matteo Belfiore Architect and Associates is an international design studio founded in Tokyo, Japan, by the Italian architect and researcher Matteo Belfiore.

Based on a multidisciplinary approach, the practice focus on architecture, interior, and product design. Its innovative approach is characterized by constant research on the concepts of flexibility and cultural sustainability to realize modular and transformable spaces, integrating tradition and innovation.

MB-AA can offer a wide range of services and turnkey solutions for architecture and design. Every project starts from deep research and understanding of the client’s needs, featuring bespoke solutions and cutting-edge innovations. The practice is specialized in creating innovative and biophilic workplaces, designed to promote the wellbeing of the users.

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Team

Matteo Belfiore
PhD/Licensed Architect

MB-AA | Principal

Born in 1979. Matteo Belfiore is an Italian architect and researcher based in Tokyo with more than twenty years of experience. After earning with honors the Master’s Degree in Architecture (2005), he obtained a Ph.D. in Architectural and Urban Design (2010) from the University of Naples “Federico II.” In 2010 he moved to Japan as a researcher (JSPS Postdoctoral Fellow, 2010-2012 / Visiting Researcher, 2013-2017) at the Kengo Kuma Lab of the University of Tokyo. He worked in Tokyo at the international firms Nikken Sekkei (Project Architect, 2013-2014) and Richard Bliah Associates (Director, 2014-2017). In 2017 he founded the international MB-AA studio in Tokyo. He combines his professional practice with an interest in publishing, regularly contributing to books and magazines.
Thanks to his hybrid profile – academia and profession – he has developed an innovative design methodology. His work integrates Western and Eastern culture, tradition, and innovation based on his research interest and a transdisciplinary approach. He can control design at every scale: from product design to interior design, architecture to urban planning. His research focuses mainly on ”cultural sustainability” – a system of values linked to local natural and cultural models – and the reciprocal interactions between design and other disciplines. Over the years, he has specialized in innovative, flexible, and adaptable design while promoting recovery and reuse. The precise nature of his work, combined with constant research on cutting-edge materials and technical solutions, is reflected in his creations.

Valentina Cannava
Licensed Architect

MB-AA | Partner

Born in 1981. Valentina is an Italian licensed architect with fifteen years of professional experience in architecture, interior design, and event design. Since the beginning of her career, she focused mainly on interior design and landscape architecture, collaborating with several firms in Italy and Japan. In 2011 she worked with Kengo Kuma in the “Intermediating Patterns” exhibition at the Italian Institute of Culture Tokyo. After moving to Japan in 2014, she worked at Sou Fujimoto Architects, Riccardo Tossani Architecture, PAE, and Richard Bliah Associates.

From 2017 she decided to challenge herself and started to work as an event designer. Thanks to the architectural skills acquired in her career, she was able to bring a thoughtful and creative approach to this new field. After more than one year spent at the advertising agency SivanS – where she designed several events for Italian brands – in January 2019, she started working for K2 Japon, planning events for luxury brands such as Cartier and Chanel Van Cleef&Arpels, Longines, etc. Since 2021 she joined MB-AA as a Partner, specializing in interior design, graphic design, and event planning. From 2021 she is also an editor for ADF Web Magazine.