Carlo Alborno was born in Bordighera in 1943, the son of Agostino, a Ligurian, and Maria, a Piedmontese native of Asti, owners of the family flower growing business founded by his grandfather Carlo, nicknamed "Charles."
Popular tradition holds that he was the illegitimate son of the famous architect Charles Garnier, who had a home and studio in Bordighera. At just 14 years old, Carlo was noticed by his cousin Mario Battista Alborno, an architect, during a visit to relatives.
Impressed by a drawing of a house he had drawn himself, he decided to take him into his studio. Carlo thus definitively abandoned the flower growing business for which he was destined, beginning a direct "on-the-job" apprenticeship.
He remained in his cousin's studio for ten years, gaining valuable hands-on experience.
In the following years, thanks also to the encouragement of local entrepreneurs, he made the difficult decision to open his own studio.
Meanwhile, with great determination, he earned his surveyor's diploma through cumulative exams.
In 1967, he began his freelance career, focusing primarily on residential construction and designing condominiums, villas, and housing complexes. He was frequently controversial with some fellow engineers and architects, who accused him of lacking full authority to sign projects with certain volumes.
He later enrolled in the Faculty of Architecture at the Polytechnic University of Turin, but was forced to abandon his studies due to the ever-increasing workload.
At the same time, he continued his work as a designer, striving to maintain the high quality of his work during a period of rapid construction expansion.
In 1997, his son Fabrizio graduated in Architecture from the Polytechnic University of Milan and, in 2000, joined the firm founded by his father, focusing on new construction, renovations, and architectural redevelopment.
Today, the firm collaborates with a consolidated network of professionals in the fields of architecture, urban planning, and civil engineering, offering a comprehensive design and construction management service for public and private clients.
In 2014, the Provincial College of Surveyors of Imperia awarded Carlo Alborno the gold medal for 50 years of diploma and uninterrupted activity. Currently, at the age of 83, he is retired: he continues to frequent his office, read the newspaper, and dedicate himself to his grandchildren, leaving the management of the construction "problems" to his son Fabrizio.