Michael Eliason, RA. Director

Michael is a researcher, writer, urbanist, and architect based in Seattle. He holds a B.Arch from Virginia Tech. He gained professional experience with Pfeifer.Roser.Kuhn and Architekturbüro Leinhäupl + Neuber in Germany; along with Patano Studio Architecture, Mahlum, and Bjarko/Serra in Seattle. Michael was co-founder of Brute Force Collaborative, has dedicated his career to advancing innovation and broadening the discourse on passivhaus, community-oriented housing, ecodistricts, prefabrication, circularity, and mass timber. His experiences in Europe and the Pacific Northwest have significantly shaped his viewpoints on housing.

His writings and past collaborations have been featured in Treehugger, Archinect, Publicola, the Urbanist, Sightline Institute, the Seattle Times, Crosscut, and City Observatory. He has been a guest critic and lecturer at several institutions, including the University of Washington, and Cornish College of the Arts. Michael has also presented internationally and been featured on podcasts, covering topics such as baugruppen (urban cohousing), passivhaus, ecodistricts, and mass timber. Michael is an activist for dense, livable, affordable, and sustainable cities.