Soala Ajienka

Soala Lolia Ajienka is a dual degree Master of Architecture and Master of Science in Real Estate Development candidate at the Massachusetts Institute of technology (MIT). 

Her work focuses on decarbonizing the building industry, particularly through materials innovation and energy consumption strategies, integrating machine learning to predict building performance. As part of the 2023 DesignX cohort, she developed Capture, a platform that addresses energy inequality in off-grid, under-grid, and disaster-prone areas through renewable energy solutions.

Soala's broader interests span materials and construction, policy and law, labor and heritage and housing access. She completed her Bachelor of Arts in Architecture at the University of Cambridge in England where she wrote 'Where Fires never go out', an experimental research text on the implications of the Global Crude Oil Industry on communities of extraction. Her architectural practice has taken her from Lagos to London, Boston and most recently New York, as part of Fairstead's Development Team leading the NYCHA PACT project, a 1,696 unit, tenant-in-place affordable housing portfolio. 

Soala's approach to the built environment is multidisciplinary, blending cultural and environmental resonance to create resilient, contextually grounded spaces that foster community and longevity.