Michael Contento

With over 15 years of experience, Michael Contento brings a diverse portfolio of award-winning project experience to his role as Principal. Leader of Design and Delivery within the firm, Michael acts as a key liaison between clients, consultants, and municipal agencies, leveling a critical eye for design quality in all project stages. Working closely with project teams to explore and develop innovative design concepts, Michael manages the internal design process from concept through construction documentation. Integral to the studio’s design culture, he advances the firm’s unique design ethos through office-wide initiatives and inspired design leadership.

Michael holds a Master of Architecture from Columbia University, a Bachelor of Science Architecture from Penn State University; and was the winner of the 2012 Venice Biennale Golden Lion. Prior to joining OU, he was a Senior Designer and Project Architect with Urban-Think Tank, and lead researcher and design studio instructor at the Chair of Architecture and Urban Design in the ETH Zürich Department of Architecture, where he coordinated and ran design studios that addressed the physical, social, and ecological challenges facing contemporary cities.

“I started my career working and teaching abroad, researching and designing for marginalized communities across South America, Asia, Europe, and Africa that lack strong physical, social, and economic infrastructure. Working outside the framework of conventional design practice in areas that operate outside typical urban structures allowed for greater design experimentation and unconventional thinking that inform my work today.”