Laura Briggs is a partner with BriggsKnowles Studio, a research-based design practice in Providence, RI. Their work on super-efficient housing, adaptable PV, and concentrating solar technology has received support through multiple sponsors, including a fellowship from the MacDowell Colony, grants from the US Department of Energy, DC Department of the Environment, Arnold W. Brunner Foundation, Saint Gobain, Michael Kalil Fellowship for Smart Design, and Deborah J. Norden Fund. She is a trained solar installer and a certified Passive House Designer. Laura is a contributor to the Green Studio Handbook, which is now in its third edition and The Greenest Home: Superinsulated and Passive House Design. The work of BriggsKnowles Studio has been featured in several venues including The New York Times, The Washington Post, Dwell, Domus, Metropolis Magazine, and Fine Living HGTV.

Laura Briggs has taught architectural and ecological design at the Rhode Island School of Design where she was the Head of the Department of Architecture and Associate Professor of Architecture from 2012-1017. Prior to joining RISD, Laura was the Chair of Sustainable Architecture at Parsons New School for Design in New York City. She was the faculty lead for the school’s 2011 entry into the U.S. Solar Decathlon, which has now become a home for two families in Washington, DC. In addition, Laura has taught at Columbia University, Cornell University, and at the University of Michigan as the Mushenheim Fellow.