Sille Pihlak

Dr. Sille Pihlak is the Dean of the Faculty of Architecture at the Estonian Academy of Arts, holding dual roles as a practicing architect and academic. She leads the Architecture and Urban Planning department, focusing on sustainable design alternatives for climate and societal challenges. Her professional background includes international studies (Southern California Institute of Architecture, University of Applied Arts Vienna) and work at renowned firms like Morphosis Architects (Los Angeles) and CoopHimmelb(l)au (Vienna).

Education highlights include a bachelor's in interior architecture and ongoing PhD research at the Estonian Academy of Arts. She co-founded architectural practice PART with Siim Tuksam (2015) and pioneered Estonia's timber architecture urbanization initiatives. Key roles include editor of architecture magazine Müürileht, co-curator of Open Lecture Series, and participation in government expert groups.

Research interests emphasize

• CLT (cross-laminated timber) innovation
• Algorithmic design for bespoke structures
• Sustainable urban development

Recent work addresses material efficiency (CLT offcuts) and community energy consumption patterns (2022 study). Awards include the 2017 Young Architect Award.

Academic contributions include establishing an environmental architecture studio (2016) and supervising multiple architecture competitions and critical essays on urban sustainability. She advocates for 'inevitable sustainability' as a core architectural principle.