Mia Åkerfelt

I am specialized in the history of architecture within the field of art history. My recent research projects have focused on a historiographic understanding of the relation between architecture and ideologies. Main theoretical frameworks included in my research have been connected to historiography, nationalism, identities, gender, post-colonial studies, female pioneers in architecture, minority studies, social history, cultural heritage, design history and fashion history.

Some of my upcoming articles discuss themes as cultural heritage and the export of Finnish prefabricated wooden houses during the post-war years, the historiography of the concept of architecture in Finland as well as on how the myth of the little red cottage as something genuinely Scandinavian was created. Another upcoming project is a popular book on the architectural history of the summer cottage architecture in the Vaasa archipelago as well as a monography on the project “to construct Fenno-Swedishness: the housing association for the Swedish speaking parts of Finland and their drawings for ideal homes 1938-1969”.  

I have a fixed position as university teacher at Åbo Akademi University with responsibility for all teaching on bachelor level. I teach courses on general western and Finnish art history, courses in art historical methodology, bachelor seminars as well as supervising all bachelor theses. I am also supervisor for all students on master and doctoral level who research architectural topics.  In 2020, I have had the main responsibility for renewing the content in all courses on bachelor level toward a greater focus on theoretical and historiographical perspectives on the art historical education.

After finishing my PhD För fremlingarnes trefnad – Byggmästaren Hilda Hongell och iscensättningen av badorten Mariehamn på 1890-talet on the first female master-builder Hilda Hongell in 2011, I had a temporary position as university teacher at Åbo Akademi University until 2013, after which I became post-doc researcher. My projects started with Mass-produced individualism. Ideology and practice in the Finnish prefabricated detached house between 1960 and 2010 in 2014-2015. The next project was Att bygga finlandssvenskhet. Bostadsföreningen för det svenska Finlands idealhemsritningar 1938–1969 between 2016 and 2018. A briefer project on The boundaries of “good architecture”. The definition of architecture in the discussion on the prefabricated detached house in Finland in the 20^th century was conducted in 2018. The last project was En röd liten stuga – myten om allmogearkitekturen och dess betydelse i den finlandssvenska arkitekturdiskussionen under 1900-talet in 2019-2020.

I enjoy engaging in the academic society, both in my own university and internationally. I have been a long-time secretary in the FUURT-researchers union local branch at Åbo Akademi, engaging in policy questions on management and employment both within the university and on a national level. I am currently the secretary of NORDIK – The Nordic Association for Art Historians, participating in arranging the next NORDIK conference in Oslo 2022. I am also a member of the advisory board of Bebyggelsehistorisk tidskrift, the main Scandinavian scientific journal on architectural history. I have also been engaged in editing special issues of the Finnish TAHITI- taidehistoria tieteenä – scientific journal. Post-Covid I hope to be able to continue giving public lectures on topics related to my research and teaching.