Alex Seo

Dr. Alex Seo is a Lecturer in Architectural History and Theory at the Melbourne School of Design, University of Melbourne, and an Affiliated Researcher at the Centre for Urban Conflicts Research (University of Cambridge). He specializes in the architecture of the Asia-Pacific region, particularly the two Koreas, focusing on how human environments are shaped by hostile conflicts. His research explores 'militarized modernity' and the interplay between built environments and everyday life.

He holds a BAS and MArch (Honours) from the University of Auckland and a PhD from the University of Cambridge. Previously, he lectured at the University of Technology Sydney and the National University of Singapore, and served as a Postdoctoral Fellow and Visiting Researcher at institutions like Harvard GSD and Seoul National University.

His research includes book projects on inter-Korean border villages and warfare embedded in architecture, alongside editorial roles for The Palgrave Encyclopedia of Cultural Heritage and Conflict. He teaches architectural history and design across undergraduate and postgraduate programs. Awards include the RIBA President’s Research Award for his PhD dissertation.

Key affiliations include the Global Korea Research Hub, Australian Centre for Architectural History, Urban and Cultural Heritage (ACAHUCH), and the Informal Urbanism Research Hub (InFur-).