Rosa Urbano is completing her PhD dissertation on Daylight and Architectural Design through the Evolution of the Contemporary Glass Façade at Escuela Técnica Superior de Arquitectura de la Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (ETSAM-UPM). She is currently an Affiliate Researcher at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Daylighting Laboratory (Dept. of Architecture). Her work at the MIT is focused on D-LITE (Database of Light-Interacting Technologies for Architectural Envelopes) and the design and development of Outside In/Inside Out, an Exhibition of these technologies, in collaboration with the MIT Museum (expected inauguration Spring of 2010). Both initiatives are jointly funded by the MIT Energy Initiative and Fundacion Caja Madrid (USA 2008-09). At the present time she is also writing up the research project After Le Mur Neutralisant, a study on the role of Le Corbusier’s environmental control proposals in the evolution of the glass façade, with the support of Fondation Le Corbusier (France, 2007-09).

She received her professional degree in Architecture from ETSAM-UPM (2003), and a Master in Design Studies Degree-Advanced Studies Program, in the area of Design and Technology, from the Harvard Graduate School of Design (2008). During 2005-06 she was a Visiting Researcher at the School of Architecture of the University of Plymouth (UK), within the framework of the European Doctorate, developing the project Glass + Light: towards a Photoconductive Envelope. She is a registered architect and has practiced in Spain, United Kingdom and Portugal. Her Degree Project, Road & Cinema, received the 2003 Guardian Glass Award and the 2004 ASCER International Award. Her research trajectory has also been supported by Fulbright (USA, 2006-09); Harvard University (USA, 2006-08); and Fundacion Rafael Escola (Spain-UK, 2003-06).

Rosa has been a Teaching Fellow of Architectural Design Studio at ETSAM (2003-2006); invited Lecturer at the Master of Interior Architecture (ETSAM 2004-05) and the Master of Building Technology (COAM-Professional College of Architects of Madrid, 2005); and Teaching and Research Assistant at the Harvard GSD, with Prof. Kenneth Kao in the courses Green R+D: Case Studies in Sustainability (Spring 2007) and Energy, Building and Technology (Fall of 2007), and with Prof. Rafael Moneo in the course On Contemporary Architecture (Spring 2008). She has been and invited critic at the Harvard GSD, and the University of Virginia School of Architecture (US 2008-09).