P+ is a London-based multidisciplinary design studio co-founded by Paul Michael Pelken and Vasilena Vassilev.

Our practice focuses on the performance of design, taking into consideration the environmental as well as experiential qualities of a given project. We operate between the conceptual and pragmatic, promoting our multidisciplinary methodology through a wide array of projects that lie at the intersection of research, design, and architecture.

 Over the years, we have collaborated with designers, engineers, and academics on designs ranging from speculative technologies, to products, furniture, architecture and urban developments.

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS

Registered Architect, AKNW (Germany) and ARB (UK)

Visiting Professor of University College London, The Bartlett - Faculty of the Built Environment, UK

Honorary Visiting Professor, City, University of London, UK

Senior Associate, University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership, UK

EDUCATION

M. Arch.  (UCL), Architectural Design, The Bartlett School of Architecture, University College London, UK

Dipl-Ing. (FH) / Graduate Engineer, Interior Architecture, Peter Behrens School of Architecture, University of Applied Sciences Düsseldorf, Germany

Dipl.-Ing. (FH) / Graduate Engineer, Architecture, Peter Behrens School of Architecture, University of Applied Sciences Düsseldorf, Germany

Carpenter Professional ‘Gesellenbrief’ / Degree, Technical College Tecklenburger Land (Northrhine-Westfalia), Germany

Affiliate student in Industrial Design, Politecnico Di Milano (Technical University Milan), Italy

Affiliate student in Art History, Academy of Fine Arts Düsseldorf, Germany

BIO

Paul Michael Pelken is an experienced registered architect, academic, and innovator with a consistent 20-year track record of award-winning and patented developments in design, architecture, and engineering.

He has extensive experience working on projects ranging from industrial design to large-scale architectural structures, including over six years of working with Foster + Partners. He has practiced in Germany, Italy, the UK, USA, and China, and his work has been widely published and exhibited. He has a track record of driving climate-positive change at the interfaces of academic and industry-led developments, including. EPSRC-funded work at UCL, research supervision at the University of Cambridge, and Visiting Professorships at Nanjing University and Southeast University.

Most recently he secured significant Innovate UK "KTN-KTP" and "Transforming Construction Challenge" grant funding in his industry role, and is co-inventor of 3 granted and further 3 pending industry patents. Prior to assuming leadership roles to manage Research & Development portfolios in the building industry, he was a tenured Research Professor at Syracuse University, Research Fellow at the New York State - Center of Excellence for Energy and Environmental Systems, and Director of SU's London Architecture Program. He has published over 30 papers and has lectured and contributed to over 40 conferences internationally including several invited keynotes in the UK, USA, Germany, Finland and Colombia.

In 2017 he joined the faculty at the University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership and was made Senior Associate in 2018. In 2019 he was appointed as Honorary Visiting Professor at City, University of London, followed by an appointment as a Visiting Professor of University College London at The Bartlett School of Architecture - Faculty of the Built Environment, in 2021.

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS

Registered, Chamber of Architects in Bulgaria

Assistant Professor in Architecture, Head of Design and Communication Studies, Northeastern University, London, UK

Fellow (FHEA), AdvanceHE, UK Professional Standards Framework for teaching and learning support in higher education

EDUCATION

M. Arch.  Architecture, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA

B.A. Architecture and Urbanism, Minor in Archaeology, Smith College, Northampton, MA

BIO

Vasilena Vassilev is a designer and educator, having taught design studios at several high-profile universities in the US and UK. Her research focuses on urban resilience and climate-responsive strategies, aiming to shape sustainable urban environments. She is passionate about mentoring aspiring designers and advocating for interdisciplinary collaboration as a catalyst of positive change in the built environment. Her involvement with MIT’s Media Lab in strategic design and urban systems research has heavily influenced her interests and design directions.

She is currently the Head of Discipline in Design and Communication Studies at Northeastern University where she also leads foundation design studios. Amongst other institutions, she has been a visiting design critic at the University of Cambridge, Technical University Munich, The Bartlett, The AA, Northeastern University, Cardiff University, University of Sheffield, Coventry University, De Montfort University, University of Reading, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

She has lectured internationally and participated in conferences focusing on innovation and sustainability issues in the built environment.

Being interested in the diversity of design at various scales, she has professional experience in both planning and architectural practices in the US and Germany, and through P+ regularly collaborates on design projects ranging from large-scale urban plans to architecture and installations. Her work has been exhibited and presented internationally. Ms. Vassilev is also a recipient of international awards and fellowships.