A studio built on responsibility, not scale.
Bureau69 is the independent architecture practice of Max Strano, working across Sicily and beyond.
architecture studio in catania
THE STUDIO
Welcome to bureau69 architects, the independent architecture studio of Max Strano Architect, based in Catania, Sicily. Registered in Italy (Ordine degli Architetti di Catania) and Chartered Architect in the United Kingdom (Royal Institute British Architects). After building his career across Italy, Spain, Brazil and the UK, Max returned to Catania in 2022 to put that experience directly at the service of clients building, renovating or investing in Sicily.
why bureau69?
The Name
Bureau69 takes its name from two ideas set at the studio’s founding in Catania. “Bureau” reflects the intention to work for an international market from the outset, while remaining based locally. “69” comes from 1969, the year of Catania’s general urban plan, still in force today, and the framework within which the studio’s local projects are built.
From its early years, bureau69 has been a place of convergence: professionals from different backgrounds and disciplines meeting on shared projects, competitions and research. Max maintains bureau69 as a trading name for exactly this reason , a non-physical place where projects and ideas that go beyond ordinary professional practice can take shape. Day to day, Max operates in a way that is close to freelance, direct and personally responsible for each client relationship; bureau69 is the name he draws on when a project grows larger or more complex than that.
how we work
Practice
The practice maintains a small size, focusing on architecture, crafted interiors, and project management, for clients who are building, renovating or investing thoughtfully in Sicily. We also have the expertise to support and develop your Passivhaus project in Sicily.
PUBLICATIONS | EXHIBITIONS | PRESS
20 studi a Catania da conoscere, 2026 – read
Building a better future, 2024 – read
ArchMarathon Miami, USA, 2020 – read
Carrara Dawntawn, Italy, 2019 – read
Best Bespoke Workplace, UK, 2019
Platform 2018, Best Italian Interior Design Project – video
Sunday times, UK 2018, British Home Awards – read
Triennale Milan, 2018 – video
Novara, Italy, Castello Sforzesco, 2018
Founder director | architect
max strano
The architect’s job is to give a client not what he wants but what he never dreamed that he wanted
Max Strano graduated in Architecture and Planning (MArch) in Italy with a top grade. Since 2000, he has been a licensed architect in Catania (OAPPCCT), and since 2017 has been a Chartered RIBA Architect in the United Kingdom. He is also a Passivhaus designer.
Max has built his career based on the fundamental principle that architects must possess wide-ranging skills (Vitruvium). He believes that cultural mixture brings diverse perspectives, which certainly leads to more resolved projects. Therefore, over the years, he created relationships and work opportunities with other professionals from other cultures and backgrounds. As well as he has played different roles in the construction industry: architect, interior designer, site architect, project and construction manager, and business developer.
After graduation in 1999, he moved to Barcelona (Spain) and worked at Alfredo Arribas Arquitectos Asociados. In 2003, he started his architecture studio in Catania, working mainly on historical building renovations, and small architectural projects. In 2006 he began a cultural exchange and collaboration with Jacob Goldemberg in Rio de Janeiro. During his stay in Catania, he participated in international design competitions involving other professionals and fueling precociously the idea of an international network. In 2016 he obtained assignments for some projects in Brazil and subsequently moved to England. In London, he worked as a freelance both as an architect and as a project manager for local construction companies. In 2021 he was invited to work as a Project Architect with leadership at the studio Konigsberger Vannucchi Arquitetura in Sao Paolo, Brazil. In 2022, Max returned to Catania, bringing that international experience directly back into bureau69’s work in Sicily.
The diverse roles played throughout his career gave him a comprehensive knowledge of various architectural and construction systems. Max is committed to high results and he is constantly updating in architecture and other areas of interest. He is interested in a fully sustainable approach to design, which he calls “responsible architecture”, and he supports the Passivhaus standards.
As the founder of a independent architecture studio in Catania, he brings a personalized approach to each project, blending international experience with local insights.
Max speaks Italian, English, Spanish and Portuguese.
INTERNATIONAL PROJECTS
NETWORK
Over the years, bureau69 has held international design competitions, collaborations with studios in Spain, Brazil and the UK, and multi-professional projects that called for more than one perspective. These remain part of what bureau69 can draw on, brought in when a project’s scale or complexity genuinely calls for it, not as a default.
PROJECTS IN SICILY
LOCAL TEAM
For the day-to-day work of building, renovating or assessing a property in Sicily, Max Strano works directly with a small, local team that handles the technical, legal and financial sides a foreign client typically needs. Alongside architectural work, every project can draw on a small circle of local specialists Max coordinates directly: a structural engineer, a financial and tax advisor, and independent legal counsel : each brought in exactly when needed, each responsible for their own regulated role.
Supporting international clients
BRIEF
US
PLANNING A PROJECT IN SICILY?
A Catania-based architecture studio with international experience: we speak several languages, and focus on supporting international clients who invest in Sicily. If you have a project in mind, we’re ready to support you with responsibility, competence, and a Mediterranean soul.