XXIX Compasso d'Oro: Honorable Mention to Giorgio Caporaso for Sustainable Design

Menzione d'Onore Compasso Oro29th ADI Compasso d'Oro Award
Award Ceremony
May 22, 2026 | 6:00 PM
ADI Design Museum | Milan
Piazza Compasso d'Oro 1, Milan

Giorgio Caporaso received an Honorable Mention at the 29th Compasso d'Oro for his “IncasTree project. Design for wood: from schools to companies”, a project that focuses on sustainable design, circular economy, the valorization of PEFC-certified wood, and education.

 

This result recognizes a design vision capable of combining environmental sustainability, design innovation, education, and the promotion of certified forestry supply chains, transforming an environmental crisis into a concrete opportunity for cultural and regional development.

IncasTree: Sustainable Design and PEFC-Traced Wood
Conceived, designed, and directed by Giorgio Caporaso, IncasTree was founded in 2024 in Trentino as part of the international Forests Are Home campaign promoted by PEFC Italy, of which Caporaso is art director.
The project recovers and enhances wood from forests affected by Storm Vaia and subsequently damaged by the bark beetle, the beetle that is compromising vast areas of Alpine spruce. This environmental crisis thus becomes the basis for a new design approach, based on wood traceability, sustainable forest management, and environmental responsibility.

Circular Economy and the Caporaso Manifesto
Under the direction of Giorgio Caporaso, the students at the ENAIP Professional Training Center in Tesero designed furniture according to the principles of Circular Design.
Modularity, durability, repairability, disassembly, and recyclability are some of the criteria underlying the project and an integral part of the Caporaso Manifesto for Circular Design, which is structured into 15 principles for designing more durable, transformable, and responsible products.
IncasTree thus becomes a concrete example of design for the circular economy, capable of connecting materials, territory, education, craftsmanship, and business.

Dal territorio al XXIX Compasso d’Oro
Il progetto ha coinvolto PEFC Italia, il Centro di Formazione Professionale ENAIP di Tesero – prima scuola al mondo certificata PEFC –, Associazione Artigiani Confartigianato Trentino e cinque aziende del settore legno-arredo, creando una rete tra scuola, imprese e territorio.
Dopo la selezione nell’ADI Design Index 2025, nella categoria Design per il Sociale, la Menzione d’Onore al XXIX Compasso d’Oro conferma il valore di un progetto nel quale il design diventa strumento di innovazione responsabile e di valorizzazione delle competenze locali.

From the Local Area to the XXIX Compasso d'Oro
The project involved PEFC Italia, the ENAIP Professional Training Center in Tesero—the first PEFC-certified school in the world—, the Confartigianato Trentino Association, and five companies in the wood and furniture sector, creating a network between the school, businesses, and the local area.
After being selected for the ADI Design Index 2025 in the Design for Social Impact category, the Honorable Mention at the XXIX Compasso d'Oro confirms the value of a project in which design becomes a tool for responsible innovation and the valorization of local skills.

Giorgio Caporaso: una visione circolare del design
Con il XXIX Compasso d’Oro, IncasTree rappresenta una nuova tappa nella ricerca di Giorgio Caporaso sul design sostenibile e l’economia circolare.
Un progetto che parte dal legno tracciato PEFC e dal valore del territorio per trasformare una risorsa segnata da una criticità ambientale in un’opportunità di innovazione, formazione e cultura del progetto.
Oltre alla dimensione ambientale e progettuale, il progetto si è distinto anche per il suo forte valore sociale e formativo, rafforzando il dialogo tra scuola e impresa e creando nuove opportunità professionali per i giovani.

Giorgio Caporaso: a Circular Vision of Design
With an honorable mention at the 29th Compasso d'Oro Award, IncasTree represents a new milestone in Giorgio Caporaso's research on sustainable design and the circular economy.

Beyond its environmental and design dimensions, the project also stands out for its strong social and educational value, strengthening the dialogue between schools and businesses and creating new professional opportunities for young people.

Comunicato Stampa

Compasso d’Oro: Menzione d’Onore ADI per il progetto IncasTree ideato dall’architetto Giorgio Caporaso e promosso da PEFC ITALIA

La Menzione d’Onore al XXIX Compasso d’Oro rappresenta un importante riconoscimento per la ricerca di Giorgio Caporaso che si conferma un punto di riferimento nel panorama del design sostenibile contemporaneo, capace di interpretare il progetto come strumento di innovazione responsabile, cultura materiale e impatto positivo sulle comunità.

Giorgio Caporaso riceve la Menzione d’Onore al XXIX Compasso d’Oro per il progetto IncasTree. Il design per il legno: dalla scuola alle aziende, un progetto che mette al centro design sostenibile, economia circolare, valorizzazione del legno tracciato PEFC e formazionea
The project “IncasTree. Design for wood: from schools to companies”, conceived, designed and directed by architect and designer Giorgio Caporaso, received the ADI Honorable Mention at the XXIX Compasso d’Oro.
The project “IncasTree. Design for wood: from schools to companies”, conceived, designed and directed by architect and designer Giorgio Caporaso, received the ADI Honorable Mention at the XXIX Compasso d’Oro.
The project “IncasTree. Design for wood: from schools to companies”, conceived, designed and directed by architect and designer Giorgio Caporaso, received the ADI Honorable Mention at the XXIX Compasso d’Oro
The Bosco armchair, part of the IncasTree project, at the Italian Design Exhibition towards the Compasso d'Oro. ADI Design Museum
The Bosco armchair, part of the IncasTree project, at the Italian Design Exhibition towards the Compasso d'Oro. ADI Design Museum
The IncasTree project involved PEFC Italia, the ENAIP Professional Training Centre in Tesero – the first PEFC-certified school in the world –, the Confartigianato Trentino Artisans' Association and five companies in the wood-furniture sector, creating a network between schools, businesses and the local area.
The IncasTree project involved PEFC Italia, the ENAIP Professional Training Centre in Tesero – the first PEFC-certified school in the world –, the Confartigianato Trentino Artisans' Association and five companies in the wood-furniture sector, creating a network between schools, businesses and the local area.
The IncasTree project involved PEFC Italia, the ENAIP Professional Training Centre in Tesero – the first PEFC-certified school in the world –, the Confartigianato Trentino Artisans' Association and five companies in the wood-furniture sector, creating a network between schools, businesses and the local area
The IncasTree project involved PEFC Italia, the ENAIP Professional Training Centre in Tesero – the first PEFC-certified school in the world –, the Confartigianato Trentino Artisans' Association and five companies in the wood-furniture sector, creating a network between schools, businesses and the local area

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