TEACHING POSITIONS AT BERGEN SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE

Bergen School of Architecture is happy to announce several six-year fixed-term teaching positions within Architecture, Landscape architecture, Architectural theory & writing, and Visual art.

We are looking for active practitioners with an explorative approach who are experienced and dedicated teachers. The positions require competence equal to professor or associate professor.

Starting in fall semester 2025/spring semester 2026.

BERGEN SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE (BAS) BAS
is a private University College offering an accredited five-year master’s degree in architecture. It was founded in 1986 as a pedagogic alternative to architectural education at the time, but its formation began already in 1968 as a nomadic teaching model providing informal seminars, lectures, outdoor workshops and studio courses.

The school’s curriculum is grounded in Oskar and Zofia Hansen’s engagement with ideas of Open Form and the methods developed at Warsaw Academy of Fine Arts from the 1950s to 1980s.

Open Form recognises the process of spatial production as both individual acts and collective work. It is an approach to architecture that regards users as individuals and the physical context for architecture as ever-changing. The architect therefore needs to both understand the existing context and through form strive to invite those who come after to keep on adding. This mode of engagement with built form, landscape and society, yields versatile spatial structures that can host a variety of temporal situations. The developing legacy of BAS is rooted in its commitment to train critical/reflective practitioners who engage with and respond to current social and environmental challenges in a professional and responsible manner.

Learning at BAS is an experiential and transformative process based on hands-on experimentation. The former grain silo that has housed the school since 1996 is a testament to the school’s bold explorative approach. Alongside hosting faculty and students, the silo also serves as a cultural arena for larger audiences, public events and exhibitions.

FRAMING OF POSITIONS
BAS is a small school where each teacher becomes an influential part of the college informing the continuous development of the curriculum and its modes of teaching. As a teacher at BAS, you are part of an international pool of architects, artists, engineers, and researchers from social and natural sciences teaching specific projects or appointed for various fixed term positions. All teaching positions at BAS are limited to a maximum of 50% engagement to allow for practice to inform teaching and keep teaching relevant to the profession. The attitudes and approaches of each practice therefore represent an important asset, both in the studio and for the school as a whole.

Though there is no funding allocated to research at BAS, the school encourages explorative teaching with a research focus as a way to critically engage in society and the various roles architects can hold. Through various collaborations BAS is also able to apply for funding to finance research-oriented projects, exhibitions and publications that explore topics dealt with in the courses.

The school has approximately 160 students, admits 30 new students for 1st year and about 20 or more for Erasmus exchange and others to start in the 4th year of the master program. The three first years are mainly taught in Norwegian, while the two last years are entirely taught in English. Both English and Scandinavian are working languages. While the two last years of the study are taught in English, we also depend on having some teachers with a local anchoring and a robustness related to Norwegian language and familiarity with the local building conditions amongst our teaching staff.

The vacancies are for 30% or 50% positions, and fixed for 6 years. The scope will depend on the overall competence and teaching capacity of the appointed applicants and will be decided on in dialogue with them. New teachers can expect to work with students on all levels, including diploma, and should be prepared to coordinate, plan and teach self-formulated courses as well as working in teams with other teachers in various other courses.

BAS encourages diversity and strive to nurture an inclusive working environment with equal opportunities regardless of gender identity, disability, race, ethnicity, religion or belief, sexual orientation or age. We believe that diversity in our staff contributes to the quality of teaching and encourage people from diverse backgrounds and with diverse characteristics to apply.

Since the positions announced constitute a significant part of our teaching staff the selection of applicants will not only consider the qualifications of each applicant but also the overall composition of competences within the new group of teachers. In this we will also account for the representation of Scandinavian languages and place of residence.

2-4 positions in Architecture (APP)
BAS aspires to challenge and to expand the professional role of the architect. Our study programme provides students with a set of competences and methods for responding to complex spatial situations with articulate architectural visions. Teaching is practice-oriented, and students learn to act in real-life situations by engaging with social, cultural and naturegiven conditions through spatial interventions and architectural form.

We are looking for applicants with a solid and extensive experience in architectural design with an updated understanding of architectural practice and matters of concern. applicants should demonstrate architectural skills in the realisation of building projects. Experience of an architectural practice that addresses various scales and programs is preferable. We are specifically looking for applicants with an expertise in working with existing buildings and a solid understanding of structural principles, applicants with an expertise in the field of alternative building materials, and applicants with an experience in urbanism and urban practice.

Applicants should demonstrate teaching skills and how their architectural practice has informed previous teaching and/or present ideas on how it could be developed in future teaching.

One of the positions will be directed towards the 3rd year both in terms of teaching and overall planning and responsibility for the composition of courses in the whole year. Urbanism and complex building are important focus areas within the teaching of this year.

Formal requirements:

• Master’s degree in Architecture.
• Competence equal to professor or associate professor in Architecture. BAS will conduct an assessment based on architectural practice, academic and artistic production for relevant applicants who have not already been awarded their competence.
• Teaching experience relevant to the position.
• Competence in educational theory and teaching practice relevant to the position. Alternatively, necessary pedagogic training must be conducted alongside the preliminary teaching during the two first years at BAS.

1 position in Landscape architecture (LAPP)
The school’s teaching is rooted in a West Nordic settling and building tradition tied to the conditions given by the region’s climate and particular landscape. Throughout the study students gain experience of, and actively relate to the spatiality of landscape and patterns in rural and coastal settlements, both analytically and through situated engagements. BAS has also built up a body of knowledge of the sea as a spatial realm providing students with a critical understanding of the exploitation of the Ocean and the consequences for ecosystems, people and indigenous cultures. Several of our diploma projects deal with landscape both in terms of a specific geographical place as well as a symbolic or existential category to explore human and more-than-human relations.

With this position BAS would like to further strengthen landscape architecture as an articulated discipline within the curriculum. We are looking for applicants with a solid and extensive experience in landscape architecture and landscape urbanism through a designoriented practice grounded in knowledge of ecological systems and biodiversity.

Applicants should demonstrate teaching skills and how their practice has informed previous teaching and/or present ideas on how it could be developed in future teaching.

Formal requirements:

• Master’s degree in Landscape architecture.
• Competence equal to professor or associate professor in Landscape architecture. BAS will conduct an assessment based on architectural practice, academic and artistic production for relevant applicants who have not already been awarded their competence. • Teaching experience relevant to the position.
• Competence in educational theory and teaching practice relevant to the position. Alternatively, necessary pedagogic training must be conducted alongside the preliminary teaching during the two first years at BAS.

1-3 positions in Visual art (DAV)
Artistic explorations have always been a significant part of teaching at BAS. Framed as Den andre verda (DAV) or The Other World, the naming refers to its intentionally ambiguous character. DAV establishes at least two distinct ways that shape reflection and support alternative perspectives within architectural education. Artistic practice opens up a space for students to experiment, explore alternative expressions, to develop parallel perspectives, and creatively reflect outside of architecture. At the same time it provides students with modes of engagement that can be implemented into design processes thereby broadening the ways architects analyse built culture and critically imagine architecture that is not yet.

We are looking for applicants that are experienced artists with an interest to engage in approaches, materialities, situations and politics related to architectural practice and education. We have no specific artistic background in mind but appreciate applicants exploring performance as a methodological approach or working with film, photographic mediums or other technologies as part of their artistic approach.

Applicants should demonstrate teaching skills and how their artistic practice has informed previous teaching and/or present ideas on how it could be developed in future teaching.

Formal requirements:

• Master’s degree in Visual arts.
• Competence equal to professor or associate professor in Visual arts. BAS will conduct an assessment based on artistic production for relevant applicants who have not already been awarded their competence.
• Teaching experience relevant to the position.
• Competence in educational theory and teaching practice relevant to the position. Alternatively, necessary pedagogic training must be conducted alongside the preliminary teaching during the two first years at BAS.

1 position in Architectural theory & writing (KTF)
At BAS theory and writing is important in framing and forming a critical and analytic voice. It is also an integrated part of the creative work in the studio. Parallel to the architectural explorations students engage in written investigations to help articulate the scope, intentions and relevance of projects, as well as to situate their work in relation to other meaningful textual, architectural, and artistic references. In terms of disciplinary approach, theory is practised from the realm of architecture, but supported by knowledges and methodologies belonging to other academic disciplines. They help give perspectives on and tools to deal with architecture in a wider humanistic context.

With this position BAS would like to strengthen theory and writing by installing a position responsible for coordinating and developing theory and writing as part of the teaching and in establishing a seminar culture within the teaching staff. It would be an advantage if the applicant could become responsible for ExPhil at BAS. We are looking for applicants that have a solid and extensive experience of working discursively and creatively with theory in relation to architectural and artistic practice. We appreciate applicants with experience of funding applications and publications.

Applicants should demonstrate teaching skills and how their own research and writing has informed previous teaching and/or present ideas on how it could be developed in future teaching.

Formal requirements:

• PhD degree in Architecture, Visual arts, or other relevant scholarly competence equal to professor or associate professor. BAS will conduct an assessment for applicants based on theoretical and scholarly production for relevant applicants who have not already been awarded their competence.
• Teaching experience relevant to the position.
• Competence in educational theory and teaching practice relevant to the position. Alternatively, necessary pedagogic training must be conducted alongside the preliminary teaching during the two first years at BAS. APPLICATION PROCESS & SUBMISSIONS Requested documents
• Letter of intent describing how you would translate what we look for in relation to your experience and field of interest. We would also like to know how you like to work and what other engagements or collaborations you find relevant to this application. Maximum one A4 page.
• CV including documentation of architectural/ artistic/ scientific / educational works including selective listing of teaching experience: courses, workshops and responsibilities. The list must state the applicant’s role in respective works and projects. Maximum five A4 pages.
• Relevant certificates and diplomas. Documents issued in Scandinavian languages are accepted but if written in any other language they must be translated to English. • Reference letters and contact information for minimum two persons from former engagements that the recruitment committee can contact.
• A thorough representation of 10 selected architectural/artistic/scientific/educational works. This may be sent by regular mail if the remaining application is submitted digitally.

Applications should be in English and submitted as a single document.

Application deadline
30 September 2024

Application address
Digitally: adm@bas.org. Mail title: Vacancies BAS + name of applicant. Large attachments should be sent via digital services for file transfers.

Regular mail: Bergen School of Architecture, PO Box 39, 5841 Bergen, Norway. Please submit 5 copies of your application with attachments.

Assessment process
Applications will be evaluated in three steps by two committees; one internal group with teacher-, student- and management representatives that will look at all applications for a first selection. Then a selection of applicants will go through to a second evaluation by the external qualification committee that will assess them for professor or associate professor competence. After that, relevant applicants will be invited for an interview, lecture and/or workshop at the school.

The appointments will be formally decided on by the board based on recommendations by the evaluation committees.

Commencement date is to be agreed upon between the school and the appointed applicants. We expect the internal process to be finalised before summer 2025 and positions to start in fall semester 2025 or spring 2026.

For more information/further inquiries please contact: Ingunn Tepstad, head of office: ingunn@bas.org Emma Nilsson, rector: emma.nilsson@bas.org