Presented as part of the Open Studios at the American Academy in Rome, the open studio offers a glimpse into the working process of David Costanza, architect, educator, and principal of David Costanza Studio (DCS). Through a selection of constructed artifacts, printed drawings, and photographs, the display reveals an ongoing exploration of how architecture is made—both as a conceptual practice and a hands-on process.

Costanza’s work resists the traditional linear progression from idea to built form. Instead, it embraces iteration, experimentation, and direct engagement with materials and tools. Rooted in his roles as director of the Building Construction Lab at Cornell University and as a practicing architect, his approach integrates computational design, digital fabrication, building science, and craft. The result is a body of work that spans scales and mediums while remaining grounded in the physical realities of construction and labor.

In Costanza’s studio, the public is invited to consider architecture not only as a finished product but also as a dynamic, evolving process. By sharing fragments, studies, and documentation, Costanza reveals the often-invisible aspects of design, offering insight into a practice that is as much about questioning as it is about making.