Iolanda studied architecture at Universitá degli Studi di Roma La Sapienza, graduating in 2002,

 

In 2004 she founded the first Masters of Science in Lighting Design in Italy. After her graduation she spent 2 years in Rome, collaborating with some of the most important lighting design studios, like Annunziata & Terzi and Fabertechnica.

 

In 2004 Iolanda moved to London and took up a position with a prestigious architectural firm specialised in luxury residential design and worked on the design of two superluxury private residential estates in Russia and in the Caribbean.
 

In 2005 she joined Greig and Stephenson studio, where she worked with major developers such as ING, as well as with institutional property funds and private clients. Projects included retail and mixed use developments, high end residential, like the 8 luxury penthouses  in London Bridge.
 

In 2008 Iolanda joined Foster + Partners, and she was promoted Associate in 2012. She was responsible for the architectural design coordination of Masdar Institute residential buildings, which is the first part of the wider Masdar City Masterplan, the first zero waste and zero carbon city in the world to be realised.

 

Iolanda next worked on the Maljevik Bay Resort in Montenegro and was responsible for the design of 25 two-storey villas. She also coordinated a large masterplan in Australia, the Perth Racecourse Development, a massive mixed-use development, and was responsible for the detail design of the Hongqiao Vantone SunnyWorld Centre in Shanghai, that includes offices, exhibition space and commercial.

 

From 2011 to 2013 she worked on the prestigious Sheikh Zayed National Museum in Abu Dhabi and she was responsible for the design coordination of all the interiors.

​

In 2014 Iolanda founded her own practice Iolanda Fortunato Design Studio. 

​

She  collaborated with the prestigious luxury residential interior design firm, Kelly Hoppen Interiors, and she is a columnist for Luce&Design, a renowned magazine, specialized in lighting design.