Michael Salka

Michael Salka is a PhD candidate in Architecture at the University of Cambridge, affiliated with the Behaviour and Building Performance research group. As a Gates Scholar, his work bridges academic research with practical applications in sustainable design.

His research explores social-ecological networks and circular bioeconomy systems for the built environment, focusing on material systems that address climate change while promoting local ecosystems and communities. He combines ethnographic methods with network analyses to study bio-based value chains in diverse contexts like the American Southwest, Norway, and Indonesia.

Michael serves as Director of Valldaura Labs at the Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia (IAAC) and holds a Master in Advanced Ecological Buildings & BioCities (MAEBB) from IAAC and a BEnvD from the University of Colorado at Boulder. His professional experience includes net-zero architecture in the USA and infrastructural development with Engineers Without Borders in Rwanda.

• Supervisor: Prof. Koen Steemers
• Postal Address: Department of Architecture, 1-5 Scroope Terrace, Cambridge, CB2 1PX