NAF/ NAAR Symposium

The symposium is a joint venture between The Nordic Association of Architectural Research and the PhD School at the Royal Danish Academy in Copenhagen.

The focus is on PhD research in architecture in Denmark, Norway, Finland, and Sweden. The overall objective is to contribute to understanding the complex nature of architecture as an expanding field for research, as a subject for education in academia, and as a discipline for professionals. 

The symposium aims to address how the PhD programmes for architectural research in the Nordic countries embrace the notion of transdisciplinarity, and how it shapes the production and outcome of PhD research in these countries. 

The intention of the symposium is to identify, investigate, and discuss changes in PhD education and to reflect on contemporary trends in PhD research at the schools of architecture in Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden. For this reason, the symposium calls on PhD students to engage in critical reflection based on their PhD projects and research experience, and to discuss the discursive focus of their PhD school.

Key note speakers

• Albena Yaneva, Professor of Architectural Theory and director of the Manchester Architecture Research Group (MARG) at the Manchester Urban Institute
• Stig L. Andersson, Danish landscape architect, founder and Creative Director of Copenhagen-based SLA and professor of aesthetic design, Copenhagen University
• Saija Hollmén, Professor of Practice in Humanitarian Architecture and head of the Aalto WiTLAB at Aalto University School of Arts, Design and Architecture.
• Tim Anstey, Professor of architectural history at the Oslo School of Architecture and Design and the director of AHO’s PhD Programme.