Amira Osman is a Sudanese/South African architect, researcher, academic, activist, public speaker, and author. She is a Professor of Architecture at the Tshwane University of Technology. She holds the position of SARChI: DST/NRF/SACN Research Chair in Spatial Transformation (Positive Change in the Built Environment).
Amira obtained a Ph.D. in Architecture from the University of Pretoria in 2004. She was a convener for the World Congress on Housing (2005) and the Sustainable Human(e) Settlements: the urban challenge (2012); she served the International Union of Architects (UIA) and the South African Institute of Architects (SAIA) as UIA 2014 Durban General Reporter and Head of the Scientific Committee for the event tilted ARCHITECTURE OTHERWHERE.
More recently, she was Chair of the Local Organising Committee for the 9th International Conference on Appropriate Technology (9th ICAT 2020). Amira is currently a joint coordinator for the international CIB W104 Open Building Implementation network and the Vice-President of the South African Institute of Architects (SAIA) and will be hosting the conference: A City is [Not] a Tree: The Urban Ecologies of Divided Cities in 2022.
She is the director of the organization PLATFORM100 , a think tank and collaborative vehicle for promoting change in conversations and practice around architecture, space, and cities.
Amira is a registered Professional Architect (SACAP 7267) and the editor of The Built Environment in Emerging Economies (BEinEE) Book Series. Amira has extensive experience curating international events, coordinating complex programs and exhibitions in design, conceptualizing content, and managing diverse teams.