Meet CarloMaria Ciampoli | Multidisciplinary Design Creative & Studio Director at RIOS

We had the good fortune of connecting with CarloMaria Ciampoli and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi CarloMaria, what habits do you feel play an important role in your life?
FLEXIBILITY has always been at the center of who I am. Having lived and worked on multiple continents, the ability to adapt to new ways of doing things and different perspectives allowed me to better understand and navigate every life or professional situation I encountered with empathy and a deep sense of connection.

I call it the “outsider perspective”, where one looks at any problem with a fresh set of eyes as if it is the first encounter.

I approach every project I work on, whether a building, a public space, a brand, or a business development strategy, with a CREATIVE PROBLEM-SOLVING mindset. Before solving the business or design problem, I reframe the problem itself to see if there are different ways in which it can be seen.
My process is highly divergent, and solutions come into focus via an iterative approach that is a mix of art and science, instinct, and data.

The extreme complexity of the projects in which I’m involved, requires a calm and steady presence, often during periods of chaos.
My ability to MANAGE COMPLEXITY derives from years of cultivating the martial arts practice, Muay Thai, and decades of balance training on skateboards, snowboards, and surfboards.

CURIOSITY has been a practice that I cultivate daily. I’m a student of people and culture and I am fascinated by the life journeys of those I work with, train with, or simply share a ride.

My LOVE FOR PEOPLE is one of the foundations of my being, results in productive and fascinating collaborations, and ultimately fuels my desire to bring joy and wonder to the people my projects serve every day.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I’m originally from Pescara, Italy a beautiful city on the Adriatic Sea.

I studied engineering and architecture in Rome where I fell in love with the essence of context and the idea that designs are fully realized when deeply harmonized with the environment they inhabit.

After a 6 months internship in a magical place, located in the middle of the Arizona desert, called Arcosanti, and a two-year-long distant relationship with a woman who later became my wife, we moved to New York City to fulfill my dream of designing skyscrapers.

Living, working, and starting a family in NYC gave me the confidence that my skills, experience, and hard work would propel me toward any new adventure: and so after several years in the Big Apple, we chose to explore Hong Kong.

I had always wanted to explore Asia. Two years in Hong Kong was enough to satiate that curiosity before relocating to Boulder, CO to raise our son in the shadow of the Rocky Mountain Foothills.

Along this worldwide journey, I’ve been designing anything from products and furniture to buildings and public spaces; from brands and immersive environments to strategies and business plans.

If you ask me who I am, I’d say I’m a global citizen / multidisciplinary creative with a design passport and an entrepreneurial heart.

The most important lesson I learned along the way is that people love to hear stories, to feel they are part of one, and to have a voice to write the next chapter together.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Breakfast at Lucille’s in Boulder and then a quick stroll on the Pearl Street Mall to witness the beauty of a community coming together, and then a hike to Artist Point to contemplate the infinite marvel of nature and the Continental Divide.

I’ll then go to Meow Wolf Convergence Station in Denver to become immersed in a world of wonder and I’ll go to have drinks at Death and Co. and relax for a few minutes before dinner.

I’ll end my evening with an amazing omakase at Sushi Den!

The next day I’ll drive to Steamboat Springs and ski the famous champagne-powdered slopes to end in one of my favorite spots in Colorado, Strawberry Springs, which is an unforgettable Hot Springs experience immersed in natural beauty.

What else? Get in touch and I’ll share more tips!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My family certainly takes the first spot: my wife, son, parents, and sister have always been there for me, during the inevitable ebbs and flows of a life and career that developed on multiple continents over several decades.

Another one is my grandfather Carlo.

I have very faint memories of him. He died when I was very young, but one of his projects – a bridge that spans over the Pescara River and connects the two halves of my hometown – had a profound impact on my destiny.

That bridge represented for me the power that a designer has to leave a physical trace of his existence, an artifact that outlives its creator.

The bridge itself, as a form, has always been for me a symbol of connection, physical and spiritual between two sides.

Ultimately, what I care about the most is to connect people, to create environments that can foster community with a sense of belonging, and inspire us all to be the best version of ourselves.

Website: https://www.rios.com/people/carlomaria-ciampoli/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thecarlomaria

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thecarlomaria/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCue5ehNdhAAS191sK82g77Q

Image Credits
RIOS CookFox Stantec Madison House Presents Pescara