Kim Förster

Dr Kim Förster is Senior Lecturer in Architectural Studies at the University of Manchester and a member of the Manchester Architecture Research Group (MARG). He holds a German Staatsexamen (equivalent to a Master's degree) in English and American Studies, Geography, and Pedagogy from Humboldt University Berlin, and a Dr. sc. in Architecture from ETH Zurich. His research focuses on knowledge production, environmental and institutional history, and material flows in architectural contexts.

• Joined University of Manchester in 2019
• Former Associate Director of Research at Canadian Centre for Architecture
• Leading a research project on the global history of cement as a modern building material

Publications include Building Institution (2024), Undiciplined Knowing (2023), and editor of the Environmental Histories of Architecture series (2022). His work engages interdisciplinary critiques involving cultural studies and environmental humanities.

Research interests emphasize building transitions, social metabolism, and policies related to energy/material flows. Active in open-access publishing and international academic networks.