DUOPUU

DUOPUU is an architectural practice dedicated to the design of sustainable timber buildings and to providing specialised consultancy for wood-based construction. The practice offers expertise in durability, energy efficiency, renewable materials, optimised construction processes, and the reduction of on-site work.

At the heart of DUOPUU’s approach is a strong commitment to timber as a primary building material—not only for its technical and environmental performance, but also for its renewability and alignment with circular design principles. While the practice works with a range of materials, wood remains central to its philosophy due to its exceptional capacity to reduce environmental impact and promote responsible, future-oriented architecture.
*PUU is the Finnish word of "wood".

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DUOPUU was founded by architects Paolo Simeone and Andrea Briani, who previously worked as researchers at the Cnr-Ivalsa Trees and Timber Institute (now Cnr-IBE) of the Italian National Research Council, under the direction of Professor Ario Ceccotti. Their collaboration took place within the international SOFIE research project, which explored the potential of timber in the development of sustainable, earthquake-resistant architecture.

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Paolo Simeone is also a member of the OpenDot Foundation of Dotdotdot where he contributes to a multidisciplinary team of designers engaged in a wide range of European-funded projects centered on sustainability in both the furniture and construction sectors.
In parallel with his professional practice, Paolo is actively involved in academia. He is currently a lecturer at the Department of Architecture and Design at the Politecnico di Torino, where he teaches the “Technology of Architecture” module within the Atelier Costruzione A design studio and co-teaches the Off-site Architecture Design course. From 2019 to 2025, he also served as a research fellow in the same department, participating in several national and European applied research projects focused on technological innovation for circular and sustainable construction systems. In 2018–2019, he was a lecturer and atelier leader in the first edition of the Second-Level Master’s Program in Timber Building Architecture at the Politecnico di Torino.
/ Follow Paolo Simeone on LinkedIn.

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All photos on the website are works of DUOPUU, unless otherwise stated.