Brent Sturlaugson

Brent Sturlaugson is a registered architect and Assistant Professor in the School of Architecture and Planning at Morgan State University, where he serves as Director of the Built Environment Applied Research (BEAR) Lab. His work critically examines sustainability in architecture through the lens of material supply chains, environmental justice, and political ecology.

His educational background includes:

• M.E.D. from Yale University
• B.Arch. from University of Oregon

Sturlaugson's research challenges conventional sustainability metrics by revealing the hidden political, economic, and ecological dimensions of architectural production. He advocates for a more critical understanding of sustainability that considers both tangible material effects and intangible political-economic forces, with particular focus on climate change, environmental justice, political ecology, material lifecycles, circular design, and embodied carbon. His approach moves beyond technical fixes to engage with the complex web of relationships that constitute architectural practice.

His publications reveal consistent engagement with supply chain materialism, critical spatial practice, and the political ecology of design. Sturlaugson frequently examines how everyday building materials connect to larger systems of extraction, labor, and environmental impact, using visual representation and critical theory to expand architecture's political engagement and demonstrate architecture's role as a lens for understanding broader systems of production.

His notable awards and grants include:

• Creative Capital Shortlist (2022)
• National Endowment for the Arts grant ($125,000, 2022)
• Kentucky Agricultural Development Fund grant ($250,000, 2021)
• Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library Research Fellowship ($13,650, 2014)

As an educator, Sturlaugson teaches architecture design studios (ARCH 530 and ARCH 540) and directs the BEAR Lab, which focuses on applied research at the intersection of architecture, sustainability, and social justice. His work bridges academic research with practical applications through projects like the Blend House prototype, which demonstrates how accessory dwelling units can promote housing diversity while incorporating sustainable design principles and universal accessibility features.

The BEAR Lab serves as a hub for collaborative research on sustainable building practices, material innovation, and equitable design solutions. Under Sturlaugson's direction, the lab engages with community partners to develop design strategies that address pressing environmental and social challenges in the built environment, with particular emphasis on creating housing solutions that are environmentally responsible, socially just, and economically viable.