Professor of architecture and urban studies with an international academic and professional background spanning Europe and Japan. Her research has provided valuable insights into  new urban landscapes oriented toward promoting social values, health and the notion of public space. At UdeM, Professor Covatta focuses on interdisciplinary research and teching around three axes: (1) the integration of health in the architectural project, (2) the exploration of new urbanities in the context of globalization, and (3) the temporal urbanism of the city.

Alice graduated with honors from the IUAV University of Venice and a doctorate in architecture with the highest distinction from the University of Udine. In 2016, she obtained the Japan Foundation Fellowship postdoctoral fellowship. She subsequently worked as a researcher at Keio University in Tokyo until 2019. In this hyperdense city, her postdoctoral work focused on the habitability of its architecture and public spaces.

Since 2009, she has acquired professional experience in architecture and urban design (among others with Andrea Caputo, Kengo Kuma and Associates, Albert Abut Architecture),  earning several awards and distinctions. In 2018, she co-founded her own agency CoPE, which has been successful in various architectural competitions, including being awarded 1st prize for Europan14 “Productive Cities” 2019, focusing on the urban development of the city of New-Ulm, and the Europan16 “Living Cities” 2021, for a new residential sector in Wernigerode; both projects are underway.

Alice Covatta is currently a visiting professor at the co+lab: Urban Architecture Research & Design Laboratory, Keio University, a member of the Center for Urban Design and Mental Health and the JSAC Japan Studies Association of Canada, and director of MedialabAU. In Japan she was a contributor to  Domus magazine and a consultant for Warehouse TERRADA in Tokyo. Her works have been exhibited at the Venice Biennale and the MAXXI Museum in Rome, among other places.

Post-Doctorate 
2017, Architecture and Urban Studies, Keio University, Department of Systems Design Engineering (Japon) 

PhD Architecture and Urban Studies,
2015, University of Udine (Italy) 

Visiting researcher PhD 
2014, Architecture, Keio University (Japan) 

Master in Architecture Landscape
2010, IUAV, Venice (Italy) 

Programme Erasmus 
2007, Architecture, ENSA Paris-Belleville (France) 

Bachelor of Architecture
2007, IUAV, Venice (Italy)

Co-founder du bureau d'architecture Collective of Projects in Equipoise 

Responsable de la Charrette interuniversitaire La ville de 25h du CCA.

Comité EDI (Équité, diversité et inclusion).

Comité consultatif sur les bibliothèques.

Responsable Maîtrise en Design urbain 

Disponible pour la supervison de projet de doctorat. Contactez-moi directement par courriel pour toute question sur la supervision de votre projet.

Advisor City Space Architecture 

SCIENTIFIC PUBLICATIONS (SÉLECTION) 

Sintusingha, S., & Covatta, A. (2026). Night‐Time Urbanism and Sustainable Regeneration: Play, Public Space, and Revitalisation in Tokyo and Melbourne. Urban Planning, 11, Article 10980. https://doi.org/10.17645/up.10980 

Covatta, A., & Bernard, A. (2024, avril). Repenser la solitude en aménagement : le rôle des espaces publics dans l’inclusion des personnes seules. Paysages et Enjeux Sociaux, (19), 1–4. 

Covatta, A. (2024, février). Design strategies from industrial regeneration towards community health: Learning from the Montreal ephemeral ecosystem. Sens Public, (SP1639). http://sens-public.org/articles/1655/ 

Ikalović, V., & Covatta, A. (2023). Tokyo liminal spaces as a dispersed constellation of spatial identities. SAJ: Serbian Architectural Journal, 14(2), 111–134. https://doi.org/10.5937/saj2202111I 

Covatta, A., & Ikalović, V. (2022). Urban resilience: A study of leftover spaces and play in dense city fabric. Sustainability, 14(20), Article 13514. https://doi.org/10.3390/su142013514 

Ikalović, V., & Covatta, A. (2022). Tokyo liminal spaces as a dispersed constellation of spatial identities. SAJ: Serbian Architectural Journal, 14(1), 111–134. https://doi.org/10.5937/saj2202111I 

Covatta, A. (2021). The Urbanism of Play: the mutation of what is a necessity into a public amenity», In The right of the city, a+u Architecture and Urbanism.

LIVRES, CHAPITRES DE LIVRES ET ARTICLES DE JOURNAUX (SÉLECTION) 

Zuccaro Marchi, L., & Covatta, A. (2025, juillet). A Metabolist utopia in the crisis of a flooded society. Dans R. Pernice & T. Yaguchi (dir.), Waterfront regeneration in a time of climate change: Recent Japanese and international experiences. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003597209 

Covatta, A. (2025, août). Designing nomadic architecture and public space through the life of an artist-run center in Montreal. Dans L. Bravo (dir.), Past present and future of public space. City Space Architecture Press.

Covatta, A. (2025, août). Développer une pédagogie architecturale par la représentation cartographique et l’exploration phénoménologique. Dans I. Latek & C. Simond (dir.), Ville refuge : Les espaces, les sujets et les vécus de la ville refuge. Presses de l’Université de Montréal.

Duguay-Lefebvre, Fannie, Simond, Clotilde, Latek, Irena, Covatta, Alice, and Carle, Alain. 2022. Ville Refuge : Les Espaces, Les Sujets Et Les Vécus De La Ville Refuge. Faculté de l'aménagement, Université de Montréal.

Covatta, Alice. La persistance de l’éphémère, Le Devoir (interview par Stéphane Baillargeon) 

Covatta, Alice. Engrais urbain : agencer l’espace quotidien dans la nouvelle urbanité. École d'architecture, Faculté de l'aménagement, Université de Montréal, 2022.

Covatta Alice, Tokyo from 1964 to 2021: the “postponed” Olympic City, Domus Web, May 26, 2020 

Covatta Alice, Better urban design could improve mental health: experts, Sydney News, November 7, 2019

Covatta Alice, Female Topography, Search of Urban Quality: 100 Maps of Kuhonbutsukawa Street, Jiyugaoka, Mn’M edition Tokyo: Flick Studio and IKI, pp.51-68-69-72, 2014

CONFERENCE (SÉLECTION) 

Covatta, A. (2025, 18 mars). L’isolement dans les villes hyperdenses : État d’une recherche sur le cas de Tokyo [Conférence invitée]. Université de l’Ontario français, en ligne.

Covatta, A. (2025, 20 février). Isolated in the City: How architecture mitigates urban loneliness [Conférence invitée]. Japan Foundation, Toronto, ON, Canada.

Covatta, A., & Ouellet, L. (2024, 24–27 octobre). Tokyo architectures – beyond isolation [Communication orale]. Colloque « Concevoir le Japon futur » de l'Association canadienne des études japonaises (ACÉJ/JSAC), Université du Québec à Montréal, QC, Canada.

Covatta, A. (2024, 25–27 avril). Mapping the territories of migrations: A case study of Saint-Michel, Parc Extension and Côte-des-Neiges neighborhoods in Montreal [Communication orale]. Colloque « Public Space Challenges » de City Space Architecture et Pratt Institute, New York, NY, États-Unis.

Covatta, A. (2022, 10–11 octobre). A neighbourhood in a building: Japanese perspectives to reduce social isolation in high density [Communication orale]. Healthy City Design International Congress, Royal College of Physicians, Londres, Angleterre.

Covatta, A. (2022, 15 juin). Artifice and uncertainty of Parc-Extension, exploring new strategies of equality in our increasingly unequal societies [Communication orale]. RAIC-CCUSA Academic Summit on Architecture, en ligne.

Covatta, A. (2022, 11 mars). Tokyo from 1964 to 2021: The “postponed” Olympic City [Conférence invitée]. Japan Foundation, Rome, Italie.

Covatta, A. (2022, 23 février). Stratégie d'aménagement temporaire et transitoire de l'espace public [Conférence invitée]. Bureau du Design, Ville de Montréal, en ligne.

Covatta, A. (2021, 21–22 juin). Tokyo love affair: The interplay between the infrastructure and the common space. Visual Methods Conference: Visualising the City, Singapour.

Covatta, A. (2021, 23 juin). Learning from Montreal ephemeral ecosystem [Communication orale]. Congrès « From Urban Voids to Generative Commons », Université de Turin, Turin, Italie.

Covatta, A. (2019). Placemaking for meaningful social connection in rapidly urbanising environment [Conférence d’ouverture]. University of New South Wales (UNSW), Sydney, Australie.

Covatta, A. (2019). Integrating health into urban planning towards Sustainable Development Goals in developing countries [Conférence d’ouverture]. Center for Southeast Asian Studies (CSEAS), Kyoto University, Kuala Lumpur, Malaisie.

Covatta, A. (2017). Tokyo playground: The atlas of emotional infrastructure [Communication orale]. UIA 2017 Seoul World Architects Congress, Séoul, Corée du Sud.

EXHIBITIONS (SÉLECTION) 

Zuccaro Marchi, L., & Covatta, A. (2024, 23 janvier–6 février). Europan 17 rising youth at urban scales [Exposition]. Politecnico di Milano, Italie.

Covatta, A., & DARE-DARE. (2023, 6–9 octobre). DARE-DARE en chantier [Exposition en plein air]. Parc Sainte-Cunégonde, Montréal, QC, Canada.

Solo exhibition Yamanote-sen at Centro Culturale Candiani, Venice, 2016

Tsukiji strip: Tokyo’s Pantry at "FOOD dal cucchiaio del mondo", MAXXI Museum, Rome, 2015

The film entitled The Journey has been selected and screened for Cinecity Project 2015 in Melbourne, Australia, 2015

Master degree thesis Microclimi and Macrostrutture has been displayed to Biennale de Paisatge Barcelona, 2010

Studio project Archipelago has been shown at the Venice Biennale of Architecture [awarded by IUAV Venice], 2009

Documentary Palast der Republik of Berlin was displayed during the Venice Biennale of Architecture 2009

ŒUVRE D’ARCHITECTURE

Zuccaro Marchi, L., Covatta, A., Adelfar, A., Bégin-Houde, L., Majumder, S., Nazari, A., Gratton, V., & Hachem, C. (2024, 15 janvier). The porous eco spine [Œuvre d’architecture]. Mention d’honneur, Concours Terraviva « Lignano Pinewood ».

Zuccaro Marchi, L., & Covatta, A. (2021). Living the new ecological porous Garden City of Wernigerode [Œuvre d’architecture]. Lauréat, Concours Europan 16 « Living Cities ».

OTHER ACTIVITIES

Correspondent in Japan for the Italian architectural magazine Domus

Referee for the scientific magazine Agribusiness Landscape and Environment (AP&A)