Manlio Michieletto has been an Associate Professor in the Department of Architecture at the University of Bologna since 1 October 2026. His teaching, research and professional practice focus on architectural and urban design, with particular attention to the relationships among settlement forms, climate, heritage and local cultures. He has over fifteen years’ experience in Africa, working in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda and Egypt.
Education
He holds a degree in Architecture and a PhD in Architectural Composition from Università IUAV di Venezia.
Academic Career
From 2011 to 2016, he was Associate Professor at the Institut Supérieur d’Architecture et d’Urbanisme (ISAU) in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo.
From 2016 to 2022, he held an academic position at the School of Architecture and Built Environment (SABE), University of Rwanda, in Kigali, where he also served as Dean.
From September 2022 to August 2026, he was an Associate Professor in the Architecture and Urban Design programme at the German University in Cairo, Egypt.
Since 1 October 2026, he has been an Associate Professor in the Department of Architecture at the University of Bologna.
Institutional Roles and Academic Responsibilities
During his time at the University of Rwanda (2016–2022), he served as Dean of the School of Architecture and Built Environment, responsible for academic leadership and coordinating teaching and research.
Teaching
He has taught architectural and urban design, integrated design and architectural theory through studios and courses exploring the relationships between buildings, urban fabric and environmental context.
His teaching integrates morphological and typological analysis, the study of architectural precedents and design experimentation, approaching design as a means of understanding and transforming places.
Research
His research interests include urban morphology, housing typology, tropical architecture, African modernism, and colonial and postcolonial architectural heritage.
Particular attention is devoted to courtyard housing, collective housing forms and strategies for the adaptive reuse of heritage. His research in Kinshasa, Kigali and Cairo investigates the relationships between spatial configurations, historical transformations, climatic conditions and social practices.
His research includes studies of modern architectural heritage in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, urban transformations in Kigali, and the residential and monumental fabric of historic Cairo. These themes support comparisons between African and Mediterranean contexts, connecting research and design.
Institutional Roles and Academic Responsibilities
He served as Dean of the School of Architecture and Built Environment at the University of Rwanda, combining teaching and research with academic coordination responsibilities.
Professional Practice
Since 2011, he has maintained his own architectural practice, undertaking projects in Italy, Burkina Faso, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Rwanda. His practice complements his research and teaching, exploring the relationships between construction, environmental conditions, and the specific characteristics of each context.
