Ryan Salvas, MS

Biography

Ryan Salvas is an Assistant Professor at Northeastern University’s School of Architecture. He is currently the coordinator of the fourth year undergraduate comprehensive studio curriculum, as well as working to develop new class offerings in building technologies. Ryan’s research area focuses on façade technology development, specifically in the area of curtain walls, design software development, technology integration, and new data visualization. He also splits his time as a technology consultant, and is currently the chief design lead for the organic transparent photovoltaics company Ubiquitous Energy, headquartered in Cambridge, MA. Ryan is an owner/partner in the design firm of Salvas Emig Architects, where the partners have turned their love of food and food culture into a unique understanding of how restaurants, bars and coffee shops should be designed to capitalize on the experience of eating out, through materials, service, and spectacle.

Before coming to Northeastern University, Ryan taught at Auburn University’s School of Architecture where he was a Visiting Assistant Professor. While there he redeveloped the school’s outdated Materials and Method curriculum, where, under his guidance, it was recognized as the third most highly regarded Materials and Methods curriculum in architectural education (per Design Intelligence). Prior to teaching Ryan worked at SHoP Architects in New York City, where he was a leading designer on many of SHoP’s most critical projects, including the Barclays Arena in Brooklyn and the Fashion Institute of Technology’s C2 addition. Ryan was also previously a founding member of HeliOptix, a collaborative company composed of academics, inventors, designers, and builders whose collective ideals, team dynamic and field expertise are leading to innovations in building integrated sustainable products. The first of these products was the Integrated Concentrated Solar Facade System (ICSF System), which recently saw its first successful installation at the new Center of Excellence building in Syracuse, New York. He has also worked as a facade consultant for Front Inc., a New York based façade engineering and architecture firm, where he completed projects with Atelier Jean Nouvel, OMA, REX, Renzo Piano, and Neil Denari.