Latest From the blog

OPEN BUILDING TEXTS 1/3 GREETINGS FOR 2022! I am always asked for Open Building texts that I have written. I should note here that I view the world through an Open Building lens. I have written much over the years about this and perhaps that is a reason for a longer...

9th September 2021 Research Journey, Lessons Learned and Survival Tips Resilience, healing and growth in a university environment: Do I always get it right? No I don’t! Amira Osman, Professor of Architecture and SARChI Research Chair in Spatial Transformation, Tshwane...

The work of the relatively new NRF SARChI Chair in Spatial Transformation (Positive change in the Built Environment) has seen some progress during 2021 and has been developed and promoted through a new entity called: PLATFORM 100 established in partnership with...

DOWNLOAD BOOK HERE: Making Dough During Lockdown During these times of turmoil in South Africa, it may seem strange to be posting about bread baking. Yet, this is what my friend Yusuf Patel decided to do... and this is what I have decided to do. My Durban friends are...

SAIA TRANSFORMATION WEBINARS 2021 - SOME REFLECTIONS Authors Amira Osman and Tariq Toffa Calling for “many voices”, the South African Institute of Architects has issued an invitation for architects to engage in a SAIA transformation webinar series, 2021. The...

(IMAGE: OPEN BUILDING AND APPROPRIATE TECHNOLOGY WORKSHOP AT THE 9TH ICAT NOVEMBER 202O) The start of 2020 was also the start of my appointment as SARChI Chair in Spatial Transformation hosted at the Tshwane University of Technology in Pretoria, South Africa. It then...

TUT ARCHITECTURE DOCTORAL AND POST-DOCTORAL OPPORTUNITIES CALL FEBRUARY 2021 Applicants are invited to join the SARChI: DST/NRF/SACN Research Chair in Spatial Transformation (Positive Change in the Built Environment) at the Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) in...

Open-Building-Workshop-Flyer_compressed For those unfamiliar with Open Building, please visit this link which will give you a background to the concept: http://uj-unit2.co.za/open-building-versus-architecture-or-open-building-as-architecture/ Open Building and...

What does transformation look like? By Amira Osman Professor, Architecture and Industrial Design, Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) SARChI: DST/NRF/SACN Research Chair in Spatial Transformation (Positive Change in the Built Environment) For the Southern Africa...

The Future of African Cities in Practice: New Cities / New Practices? Gary White and Amira Osman in Conversation with Geci Karuri-Sebina "In March 2019, SA Node’s Dr Geci Karuri-Sebina got to host an exciting conversation with two eminent architects and intellectuals....

Africa Middle East Centre (AMEC) Sheraton Hotel, Pretoria South Africa 17th July 2019 THE DECEMBER 2018 REVOLUTION AND SUDANESE PROFESSIONALS IN THE DIASPORA: REFLECTIONS FROM A RELUCTANT ACTIVIST WE LEFT SUDAN In droves In the late 80’s and 90’s Indeed, my generation...

Resilient communities and citizen-led solutions 25th - 26th February 2019, V&A Waterfront, Cape Town   #cocreate DESIGN FESTIVAL 2019     Resilience thinking for the next generation of designers Amira Osman, Tshwane University of Technology, Pretoria Download text PDF...

(The image is a view of Kigali city centre in the background and Kigali's most popular public transport system in the foregound). The design of the future African city, Africa Innovation Summit, Kigali 2018 The Africa Innovation Summit was hosted at the Kigali...

Reflections on the newly launched Women in Architecture awards AMIRA OSMAN PRINCIPAL RESEARCHER, CENTRE FOR APPLIED RESEARCH AND INNOVATION IN THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT (CARINBE), UNIVERSITY OF JOHANNESBURG Published in SA Architecture Journal which can be found at this...

DII – 2017; International Conference on Infrastructure Development and Investment Strategies for Africa; 30 August - 1 September 2017, Livingstone, Zambia; Infrastructure and Sustainable Development - Impact of Regulatory and Institutional Framework Facilitating...

In this DSD Session, approaches to teaching alternative practices in architectural education were presented by:  Dr Alona Martinez Perez (De Montfort University Leicester School of Architecture, UK), Prof Amira Osman (UJ, Department of Architecture) Jhono Bennet (UJ,...

Talk on [Two Suns] SHAMSAAN presented at a workshop on International Palestinian Solidarity, hosted by the Palestinian Solidarity Campaign (PSC) and A Global Jewish Network for Justice (SEDQ), 20th December 2016, Stay City, Berea, Johannesburg [Two Suns] SHAMSAAN: the...

COMPETING FOR SPACE, POWER AND AUTHORITY IN THE CITY AND ON CAMPUS by Amira Osman Presented at the STAND, FADA, UJ seminar titled Decolonising architectural education and spatial justice On 9th September 2016 The talk started by a critique of the current condition of...

"The reflective “professor of protest”: architecture, space and the built environment" is a rather long read on my reflections on 2016 and some thinking about 2017 in terms of my teaching in housing and urban policy. For a short version, please download the...

The full presentation I gave at the BCO Convention, hosted by the National Regulator for Compulsory Specifications (NRCS), the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and the City of Ekurhuleni and Emperor's Palace, Johannesburg on the 24th November 2016, is available...

This talk was presented to DSD DESIS LAB (http://www.designsocietydevelopment.org) on the 19th of August 2016. PARTS 1: dsd-desis-lab-pp-082016-1 PART 2: dsd-desis-lab-pp-082016-2_2 PART 3: dsd-desis-lab-pp-082016-3 The talk was comprised of THREE parts, presenting...

http://sotlforsocialjustice.blogspot.co.za/2016/11/the-role-of-socially-engaged-academic.html "Amira who is originally from Sudan started by reading from the introduction of Amin Maalouf ‘s book “Disordered World: A vison for the post 9/11 world”. She quoted a poet...

NEW BOOK ANNOUNCEMENT 2016 It has taken a full year of reflection and now the launch of the book is near. UJ_UNIT2 2015: ARCHITECTURE AND AGENCY; DESIGN | MAKE | TRANSFORM; Editor: Amira Osman; ISBN 978-0-620-73562-9; Publisher: Department of Architecture, Faculty of...

OMER SIDDIG ARCHITECTURAL CONSULTANT - OSAC My father's practice, OSAC, in Khartoum is where I worked over university holidays and after my graduation in 1988 and were I picked up my experience on design, construction and architecture in general. My father has kindly...

The efforts being made around portraying Women in Architecture by our various institutes is indeed commendable. It is great that the issues being faced by women, in their various professional roles, are being highlighted. It is also interesting to note that...

The CAFH yearly document on affordable housing finance in Africa was missing THE SUDAN and we have been able to participate in this project to include it. The research was carried out by myself with invaluable support from Malaz Seif Islam who assisted in gathering...

Radio interview can be found here: https://iono.fm/e/287151 Please download the PDF document here: khartoum_sudan_protest-and-the-kpp5_stage-2-dissemination_arabic-version

An appeal for support for the students and residents of Khartoum and the Sudan Mariam Mohd. AbdAllah and Amira Osman 28.04.2016 MARIAM MOHD. ABDALLAH is a Doctoral Candidate at Boku University, Vienna and Planner at the Ministry of Planning & Urban Development, Sudan,...

“Trust me, I know” – personal reflections on being a women in architecture Prof. Amira Osman, Associate Professor, Architecture, FADA, UJ, Johannesburg, amirao@uj.ac.za Pretoria Institute of Architecture (PIA), Women in Architecture (WiA) event, 4th August 2016,...

“Trust me… I know…” Personal reflections on the decolonisation debate Prof. Amira Osman, Associate Professor, Architecture, FADA, UJ, Johannesburg, amirao@uj.ac.za FADA Decolonisation Conversation, 9th June 2016, UJ Arts Centre Theatre; Panel 1: What does...