Nordisk forening for Arkitekturforskning

The Nordic Association of Architectural Research

Open hearing:

"The Production of Knowledge in Architecture by Research in the Nordic Countries" at the La Bienalle di Venezia, Nordic Pavilion, 4 November, 13.00–17.00 p.m.

The Nordic Association of Architectural Research, NAAR, is an independent association of architectural researchers from universities and schools of architecture in the Nordic countries. It has two main objectives; production of a journal with high scientific standards and the organization of an annual symposium on research issues of importance for the research community in the Nordic countries. The Nordic Journal of Architectural Research, NJAR, represents a pluralist approach to research and publishes original academic contributions in the area of architecture, urban planning and landscape architecture.

An important part of the NAAR Board’s work is to keep informed about the latest research, nationally as well as internationally. We do so by organizing and participating in research conferences and by visiting different research environments.

The open hearing at the Nordic Pavilion

The open hearing is organised by NAAR in cooperation with ArkDes and will take the form of a seminar with panel discussions and speeches at the Nordic Pavilion, 13.00–17.00 p.m. The hearing relates to the NAAR's 2016 annual symposium on the production of knowledge in architecture by PhD research, which has recently been held at the KTH/A, Stockholm, in Sweden. Dr. Anne Elisabeth Toft and Dr. Magnus Rönn will moderate the discussions at the hearing.

Henrik Reeh, Associate Professor, PhD, Department of Arts and Cultural Studies, Copenhagen University, will open the seminar by giving an overview of research in architecture based on his experiences of PhD-education. He will reflect on issues such as: What does a PhD in architecture lead to? What does performing research in architecture mean?  What is the relevance and value of research in architecture for the architectural education, the profession and society? What is the significance of research settings in the Nordic countries for the emergence of (a) research practices, (b) formats, (c) methods and discourses that determine the way we understand architecture as a field of research?

Participating board members

The following members of the NAAR Board will participate in the open hearing and contribute to the discussions: Anne Elisabeth Toft (President of NAAR), Associate Professor, PhD, Aarhus School of Architecture; Magnus Rönn (Vice-President of NAAR), Associate Professor, PhD, KTH, Stockholm; Henrik Reeh, Associate Professor, PhD, Department of Arts and Cultural Studies, Copenhagen University; Claus Bech-Danielsen, Professor, PhD, Danish Building Research Institute, SBI, Aalborg University; Lisbet Harboe, Assistant Professor, PhD, Institute of Form, Theory and History/AHO; Ari Hynynen, Professor, PhD, School of Architecture, Tampere University of Technology; Inger Lise Syversen, Associate Professor, PhD, Chalmers-Architecture, Karin Grundström, Senior Lecturer, PhD Malmö University; Jesper Magnusson, Lecturer, PhD, Malmö University; Emma Nilsson, Associate Senior Lecturer, PhD, Architecture and the built environment, LTH; Rolf Johansson, Professor, PhD, Division of Landscape Architecture, SLU, Uppsala; and Anders Larsson, Associate Senior Lecturer, PhD, Division of Landscape Architecture, SLU, Alnarp.

Venue: La Biennale di Venezia, Giardini, The Nordic Pavilion, Giardini di Castello, I-30100 Venezia