Michael H. Ramage is Professor of Architecture and Engineering at the University of Cambridge, founding Director of the Centre for Natural Material Innovation, co-founder and CEO of Cambridge Transformation Labs, and a partner at Light Earth Designs. A licensed structural engineer trained at MIT and formed in practice at Conzett Bronzini Gartmann in Switzerland, his research spans bio-based and low-carbon construction — engineered bamboo, timber and masonry — from affordable housing to large urban structures. His Super Tall Timber research established a rigorous technical basis for tall timber buildings; his built work, including the Mapungubwe Interpretive Centre in South Africa, demonstrates what structural ambition and natural materials can achieve together.
Through Cambridge Transformation Labs, he works with governments, development banks and industry partners to translate research into scalable housing and infrastructure, particularly in climate-vulnerable regions. His central argument is consistent: bio-based construction is not a niche or a compromise — it is one of the most credible paths to a low-carbon, resilient and socially grounded built environment.