Paul Michael Pelken
Visiting Professor of Advanced Building Systems
School of the Environment
About
P. Michael Pelken is a Royal Academy of Engineering Visiting Professor funded by the Royal Academy of Engineering and the UK Department of Science, Innovation and Technology.
As the Coventry University Visiting Professor of Advanced Building Systems, he fosters students’ career development, lectures, and participates in studio reviews. He supports interdisciplinary curriculum developments with a view towards Net-Zero and helps to create an innovative new degree offering in “Prototyping Architectural Systems”.
He brings input to fostering the innovation culture of the school with emphasis on interdisciplinary working methodologies, industrial collaborations, knowledge and technology transfer and performance-based design, process optimisation, and decarbonisation; international networking and collaboration opportunities with leading built environment entities; consultancy-based and industry expertise in support of teaching and curriculum development, real-world impact, as well as student career mentoring.
He is also an Honorary Professor of University College London at The Bartlett – Faculty of the Built Environment, and a Senior Associate at the University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership.
Career overview
Paul Michael Pelken is a registered architect, technologist, academic, and innovator with over 20 years of experience, consistently producing award-winning and patented developments in design, architecture, and engineering.
As the founding partner of London-based P+ Studio and Consulting, he has extensive experience working on projects ranging from industrial design to large-scale architectural structures, with practice in Germany, Italy, the UK, the USA, and China.
His work has been widely published and exhibited. He combines industry innovation leadership roles with performance-based design practice and academic appointments - to collaborate, co-create and enhance productivity and profitability on our collective journey towards Net-Zero.
Research
Prof. Pelken has a track record of obtaining and managing significant grants in both academic and industry settings. He has managed R&D Portfolios for some of the UK’s leading built environment entities.
He is internationally active in research, teaching and funded cross-sector collaborations between leading academic and industry settings. He has held university appointments internationally for over 17 years, including a tenured Research Professor post at the Syracuse University – School of Architecture (SU), New York, USA, and was entrusted to lead international growth as the Director of SU’s London Architecture Program, where student and faculty numbers doubled under his leadership. During his tenure at SU, he was also awarded a Visiting Professor post at the Nanjing University – School of Architecture and Urban Planning in China, where he co-directed the establishment of the SU-Nanjing – International Centre for Sustainability.
As a Research Fellow at the New York State - Center of Excellence for Energy and Environmental Systems he led US Department of Energy (DoE) and US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) funded interdisciplinary research and development projects for patented renewable energy systems in product and building applications, and novel digital, performed-based design optimisation tools (Virtual Design Studio). VDS developments continue in an interdisciplinary collaboration at the University of Cambridge by merging VDS principles with Aerospace Value Assessment Methods.
His academic research into renewable energy systems was patented and awarded commercialisation grants by New York State Industrial Development Agencies. In the UK, he led EPSRC funded work into new systems and tools at UCL and at the University of Cambridge, and initiated Innovate UK funded work at City, University of London in a consortium of leading industry partners.
In his industry leadership roles, he secured significant Knowledge Transfer Network – Knowledge Transfer Partnership and Innovate UK – Transforming Construction Challenge grant funding, and is co-inventor of 4 granted and further 3 pending industry patents. He led the development of novel structural systems and whole-life cycle solutions with integrated thermal renewable energy systems that were recognised on the highest level, including awards like the British Construction Industry Award in the Productivity Improvement category, the Construction News Specialist – Net Zero Trailblazer of the Year Award, the Construction News – Innovation of the Year Award, the GE – Award for Equipment Innovation, amongst others.
Innovation workstreams are clearly articulated for the areas of Project Delivery, Product Development and Process Optimisation with a focus on sustainability and productivity improvements.
External activities
Prof. Pelken drives climate-positive change across sectors through academic and industry-led research and development, facilitated through the combination of industry leadership roles, his own independent consultancy, and high-level academic appointments internationally.
He is a recognised expert in the built environment and construction innovation domain, where he frequently addresses mixed audiences of the architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) community. Recent expert contributions include roles as an invited presenter at the Conference on Vision 2050 by the BRE / UK Research and Innovation; The Institution of Structural Engineers Conference - Designing for the Future, now; invited panelist at the CN Techfest Conference on Technology and Innovation; and the United Nations Climate Change Conference on an expert panel on ‘The new workforce of tomorrow’, amongst many others.
Publications and press
Prof. Pelken has published over 30 papers, has lectured at leading institutions and contributed to over 50 conferences internationally, including several invited keynotes in the UK, USA, Germany, Finland and Colombia.
Beyond significant developments as an industry leader, his independent research and development activities in his performance-based-design practice P+ Studio have received grant funding support from the Royal Academy of Engineering – Frontiers of Development Programme and have received awards internationally by the Leeds Sustainability Institute, the Hemer Landscaping Expo, 3M International, the Buckminster Fuller Institute New York, the AIA - Boston Society of Architects, and the National American Society of Professional Engineers, amongst numerous others. His work has been widely published and exhibited in internationally renowned venues including MIT Wolk Gallery, London Design Festival, Zuiderkerk Amsterdam - Exhibition Hall for Architecture, Wujin Green Building Expo, 3M Innovation Center Europe, Museum Insel Hombroich, Pinakothek der Moderne – Munich Architecture Museum, the UN Climate Change Conference COP26 in collaboration with the UK Active Building Centre, amongst many others.
