Örjan Wikforss appointed acting rector of Umeå School of Architecture
NEWS
Örjan Wikforss, architect and professor, will become acting rector of the Umeå School of Architecture. He has been a member of the school's board since January 2010 and is therefore familiar with its work.
“It feels good to have Örjan Wikforss step in as acting rector. He has extensive experience of working in management positions, both practical and academic. I have great confidence in his thorough background and knowledge in the field of architecture. His experience at the School of Architecture here in Umeå is, of course, invaluable as well,” says Lena Gustafsson, Vice-Chancellor at Umeå University.
Umeå University has started the recruitment process for a new rector for the School of Architecture. Örjan Wikforss will take up his position as acting rector today and continue until a new rector is in place. “The Umeå School of Architecture has a unique profile. It has all the potential to become an internationally top-ranked school. I'm glad if I can contribute to this,” he says.
Örjan Wikforss is currently working as an architect and researcher at Arkitekturanalys sthlm AB. As practitioner he has been head of Wikforss Architects Office in Uppsala. He has been working at White Architects and FFNS Architects, an architect’s office with 300 employees where he was managing director. He has also been head of IT and R&D at Sweco AB.
Örjan Wikforss was appointed professor in Project Communication at Royal Institute of Technology, KTH in Stockholm 2007. Since 2012 he is professor emeritus at the Department of Real Estate and Construction Management. He reached his PhD in architecture 1977 and was appointed associate professor 1980. Örjan Wikforss has been adjunct professor both at the School of Architecture, Chalmers University of Technology in Gothenburg (1986-96) and at the Department of Landscape Planning, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences in Uppsala (1994-00). He has been visiting professor at the Department of Industrial Economics and Organization at KTH (2000-2006). His main interest and clear thread is different forms of communication in architecture, planning and construction.
Örjan Wikforss is vice president at the Swedish Association of Architects. He is also a member of the steering committee of ResArc: Swedish Research School in Architecture, a member of the Royal Academy of Engineering Sciences, IVA, as well as board member of the Swedish Industrial Design Foundation, SVID.
For more information, please contact:
Lena Gustafsson, Vice-Chancellor at Umeå University Phone: +46 73-079 42 91 E-mail: lena.gustafsson@adm.umu.se
