Designing Futures: My Exchange with Architect Sergio Pascolo

Designing Futures: My Exchange with Architect Sergio Pascolo

In the landscape of cultural and entrepreneurial exchanges, some encounters leave a lasting impact not only on the direction of your projects but also on the way you think, observe, and imagine the future. My collaboration with Sergio Pascolo, one of Venice’s most visionary architects and urban planners, was exactly that — an experience that broadened my understanding of space, sustainability, and community-centered design.

Meeting the Mind Behind the Vision

Sergio Pascolo is not just an architect; he’s a thinker, a connector, and a true believer in the transformative power of urban regeneration. From his studio in Venice and beyond, he’s been involved in projects that rethink the way we live and interact with cities — often bridging local heritage with global sustainability challenges.

When we first began our exchange, I was eager to understand how architectural thinking could intersect with cultural entrepreneurship and the goals of GreenerEU. What I found was a natural synergy: our shared belief in the power of design — not only aesthetic design, but social, ecological, and participatory design — to spark change and create new paths.

Learning to Think in Layers

Working alongside Sergio and his team taught me how to observe places not just as backdrops, but as living systems. Every building, public square, workshop, and cultural event carries with it a story, a set of needs, a memory, and a potential.

We discussed urban resilience, the value of public space, and how digital tools can enhance — not replace — human connection. We looked at how architecture can become a form of civic infrastructure, and how urban design can support sustainability goals without losing sight of local identity.

These conversations and collaborative moments were not theoretical. They fed directly into my work at GreenerEU, particularly in shaping the SMAPS project and refining our approach to territorial storytelling and community-led tourism. I learned how to think more critically about scale — not just geographical, but temporal and social — and how good design always starts by listening.

Shared Values, Shared Vision

Our collaboration also highlighted the importance of interdisciplinary thinking. Sergio’s projects often involve artists, sociologists, economists, environmentalists — and this reminded me that no sustainable solution happens in isolation. To create lasting impact, we must build cross-sectoral alliances, and this has remained a key principle in my work.

Together, we explored ways to integrate architecture, cultural heritage, and entrepreneurship into new urban narratives — whether through physical space, storytelling tools, or hybrid educational experiences.

Looking Ahead

What began as a professional exchange evolved into a meaningful relationship of mutual learning and shared ambition. I am deeply thankful to Sergio Pascolo for his generosity, his mentorship, and his commitment to shaping cities that care for people and the planet.

This experience continues to inspire me as I work toward developing sustainable tourism models, creative tools for urban discovery, and stronger bridges between heritage and innovation across Europe.

Venice, once again, showed me how deeply the past and the future can be woven together — when the right people come together with the right questions.

M.A. Isabella Mavellia

Founder & Coordinator, GreenerEU