Laura Briggs, MA, is a Senior Critic at the Rhode Island School of Design and the co-founder of BriggsKnowles A+D, a Providence-based architectural and design practice recognized for its use of light, color and the integration of energy efficient and renewable energy technology. Laura’s approach to architecture combines a scientific method with design practice. Her work on super efficient buildings, adaptable photovoltaic systems and concentrating solar has been supported by the US Department of Energy, Arnold W. Brunner Foundation, Deborah J. Norden Fund and through a fellowship from the MacDowell Colony.
Laura is an active contributor to the Green Studio Handbook. BriggsKnowles A+D work has been published in several venues including AD, Dwell, Domus, the Home Living Channel, the New York Times and Metropolis Magazine.
As a professor, Laura has led community based projects with her students that impact both Rhode Island and global communities. Of note, she worked on the Bami Farms Greenhouses for the African Alliance of Rhode Island, Southlight Performance Space and garden for the Southside Cultural Center, the Southside Community Land Trust (SCLT) bioswale and planters, and a net-zero design for the new Tomaquag Museum campus.