Elizabeth Donovan

Elizabeth Donovan serves as an Associate Professor at Aarhus School of Architecture, Denmark, leading research in sustainable architecture and climate change mitigation through Research Laboratory 1: Transformation. Her work bridges academic theory and practical application, focusing on regenerative construction, carbon-neutral design, and educational transformation to address the climate emergency. Current projects include the Regenerative Construction initiative (2025-2026) and Climate Drawing, Drawing Climate (2023-2025), with extensive Nordic and European collaborations.

Donovan's research centers on operationalizing planetary boundaries in architectural practice, developing absolute sustainability frameworks, and transforming architectural education. She investigates regenerative construction processes, material circulation systems, and holistic urban integration, emphasizing actionable pathways from policy goals to built outcomes. Her work prioritizes student-centered pedagogy and real-world implementation, documented through built examples and cross-institutional curriculum development.

Analysis of her 2022-2024 publications reveals a concentrated shift toward implementable educational frameworks: planetary boundaries as non-negotiable design constraints, digital tools for climate curriculum development, and documented built examples demonstrating carbon neutrality. These works consistently connect theoretical sustainability principles with professional workflows, targeting both academic instruction and industry practice through accessible guides and case studies.

Scientific recognition includes:

• AMPS Critical Future Research award (2019)

Donovan secures substantial research funding through projects like ARCH4CHANGE (2020-2023) and Nordic Sustainable Architecture (2020), mentoring students in sustainable design research while developing internationally adopted educational resources. Her grant portfolio emphasizes collaborative knowledge exchange across institutional boundaries.

As a core member of Research Laboratory 1: Transformation, she co-leads the Nordic Sustainable Architecture network and participates in the Wise Network, driving interdisciplinary teams focused on climate-responsive design methodologies and material innovation through initiatives like the ARCH4FUTURE built examples collection.