Purpose
Solen Works was founded to meet a pivotal challenge of our time: transforming the built environment to align with climate goals while delivering lasting economic value and job creation. We are neither a traditional sustainability consultancy nor a climatetech company—Solen Works is the nexus where architecture, engineering, construction and manufacturing meet innovation, decarbonization, and scalable climate solutions.
Our Approach
Our name reflects our philosophy: "Solen" means "the sun" in Scandinavia. The sun drives Earth's energy systems, but rising atmospheric carbon is fundamentally altering how that energy moves through our climate. We help the industry harness clean energy, embrace circularity, and create climate positive buildings and communities that work with natural systems rather than against them.
Who We Partner With
While federal climate policy remains uncertain, the private sector, institutional clients, and local + state sectors are still prioritizing climate-responsive design to meet institutional carbon goals and demonstrate measurable impact. Solen Works helps clients navigate this evolving landscape with confidence, honesty, and clarity—delivering climate-positive solutions that perform.
Co-Founders
Gunnar Hubbard, FAIA, LEED Fellow
Gunnar is an architect, entrepreneur, and sustainability leader with over 30 years of global experience who founded Fore Solutions—a pioneering green building consultancy acquired by Thornton Tomasetti, where he led their global sustainability practice for 22 years. As both a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects and LEED Fellow, he has shaped sustainability strategies across continents on projects ranging from Brooklyn's 69-story Alloy Development to 158 LEED for Existing Buildings in Sweden for Vasakronan to Shanghai's five-million-square-foot International Financial Center. His unique combination of technical expertise, entrepreneurial insight, and educational leadership—including teaching at Cornell University, Executive Director of the Yestermorrow Design/Build School, and serving on the national AIA Committee on the Environment—positions him as a recognized expert in scaling sustainable solutions from vision to measurable impact. Since the fall of 2024, he has been a mentor-in-residence for the Roux Institute’s ClimateTech Incubator, and now is an entrepreneur-in-residence.
Michael is a trusted sustainability advisor with over two decades of experience leading innovative performance strategies for top academic institutions including Harvard, Princeton, and Northeastern's Roux Institute. With a PhD in Architectural Engineering from Penn State, he bridges cutting-edge research with practical implementation, serving as a Passive House pioneer who has guided numerous projects to Phius+ certification and achieved remarkable results like Cornell's Upson Hall renovation with 50% energy reduction. Currently serving as the Governors Energy Office representative on Maine's Technical Codes and Standards Board and chair of the Energy Technical Advisory Group, Michael combines deep academic credentials, systems integration expertise, and regional leadership experience from his decade leading Thornton Tomasetti's Portland office to deliver grounded, rigorous, and results-driven sustainability solutions.
Michael Pulaski, PhD