Elena Marco

Professor Elena Marco is a globally recognized academic and leader in architecture and sustainability at the University of the West of England (UWE), serving as Pro Vice-Chancellor & Head of College of Arts, Technology and Environment. She champions equity, particularly for underrepresented groups in STEM, and leads UWE’s sustainability agenda as chair of the Sustainability Executive Committee.

• PhD holder from University Politécnica de Cataluña
• National Teaching Fellow (2021)
• RIBA President's Research Awards Highly Commended

Research Focus: Sustainable and healthy architecture, climate change adaptation in housing, behavioral science in design, and energy-efficient practices. Her work explores how material possessions impact domestic space and well-being, advocating for flexible housing solutions. She has led interdisciplinary projects integrating public health into architectural education.

Academic Trends: Recent publications emphasize regenerative architectural pedagogies, storage optimization in housing, and energy modeling. Her work bridges practice, pedagogy, and policy to address global challenges like climate change.

Scientific Awards:

• National Teaching Fellowship (2021)
• Highly Commended in RIBA President's Research Awards (2021)

Leadership & Teaching: With over two decades in higher education, she has transformed architectural curricula, secured improved National Student Survey scores, and pioneered initiatives like the Public Health Practitioner-in-Residence to foster healthier communities. Her keynote lectures span continents, influencing global architectural discourse.

Labs & Teams: She leads the Sustainability Executive Committee and has headed UWE’s Architecture and the Built Environment department (2014–2022), driving research and practice collaborations.