The Oslo School of Architecture and Design (AHO) is a specialized university and a leading international architecture and design school that provides education within architecture, landscape architecture, urbanism and design. AHOs fields of knowledge focus on design in all scales, objects, buildings, urban areas and landscaping. AHO is organized into four institutes, and has approx. 700 students and 135 employees.
The Institute of Urbanism and Landscape is dedicated to research and teaching in the fields of landscape and urbanism. Particular attention is paid to the challenges posed by the design of the urban environment. The Institute emphasizes a broad multi-disciplinary approach to these challenges. The institute has a strong international profile, with a well-established network of partner institutions within practice, teaching and research. The Institute teaches in AHOs master program in architecture and offers a master in landscape architecture and a master of urbanism as well as a PhD.
PhD position – Transforming Peri-Urban Space
The Institute of Urbanism and Landscape
The Oslo School of Architecture and Design calls for applications to the full-time position as Ph.D. research fellow for a three-year period.
The research fellow will be part of a research environment at the institute of Urbanism and Landscape focused on studying and understanding spatial challenges and conditions for urbanization processes, with a particular attention to the peri-urban areas of the Oslo region (see The Oslo Region Project onwww.oculs.no). The peri-urban landscape is not only located at the perimeter of urban growth, but may also be found in between urban nodes and infrastructural corridors within the region.
The growing Oslo Region with its administrative divisions and varying degrees of urbanization is the focus of the project. The region is characterized by the co-existence of urban and rural land-uses, creating conflicts between stakeholders and a variety of private and public interests.
We seek candidates eager to explore methods and develop strategies towards regional as well as local urban development. A key issue is to understand the role and relevance of spatial approaches relating to challenges of growth, climate change, and infrastructural and programmatic development in the region.
Applicants are encouraged to develop research perspectives that explore the impact of current changes and spatial forces at play as well as future challenges. One of two research areas is to be developed:
1) Reading peri-urban space: This includes discussing and developing spatial analytical tools (potentially GIS) relating to planning practices.
2) Transforming peri-urban space: This includes the study and development of conceptual and spatial approaches to larger territorial challenges as well as local design strategies.
Requirements:
Applicants must hold a Master’s Degree in Architecture, Landscape Architecture or equivalent.
The application should include:
- A letter of application describing why the applicant is qualified for this position (two A4 pages maximum).
- A written project proposal (up to five pages) detailing the theme, types of problem and the research method(s) you propose to use in your project.
- CV (contact details, summary of education, positions and academic work, academic publications, design work, competencies in software etc.) especially highlighting the experiences relevant to this task.
- Certified copies of educational certificates, transcript of records, diplomas and letters of recommendation.
- List of publications and academic work that the applicant wishes to be considered by the evaluation committee, if not included in the CV.
- Examples of work written (preferably published) by the applicant. Three works maximum.
- 3 references (name, relation to candidate, e-mail address and telephone number)
Foreign applicants must attach an explanation of their university’s grading system. Please remember that all documents should be in English or a Scandinavian language
Evaluation criteria
The material for the PhD application will be assessed according to the following criteria:
- The quality of the project description (outline)
- The applicant’s suitability for the research tasks
- The academic competence of the applicant
Position & Salary
The length of the fellowship will be three years fulltime. The position requires full time residency for the full 3 year period. Research stay at a relevant international academic institution is a possibility.
The PhD fellowships will start in September 2015. The PhD candidate is required to attend the AHO Research School in his or her first year. This is a mandatory introduction programme for all PhD candidates admitted to the PhD programme at AHO. The Research School runs for two semesters and has a total scope of 45 ECTS. Research School attendance is compulsory.
PhD Research Fellow (SKO 1017), pay grade: 50 (NOK 429.700,-). From the salary there will be a mandatory deduction of the 2% as contribution to the State Pension Fund. Normal employment conditions for state employees apply for the position. AHO has its own company health service.
More information about PhD fellowships at AHO can be found at www.aho.no/en/RD/The-PhD-program/