The Manchester School of Architecture (MSA) has announced the appointment of five new visiting professors. The new appointees, each a distinguished figure in the fields of architecture, design, and sustainability, will bring a wealth of expertise and industry insight to the School.
Their contributions will further strengthen MSA’s position as one of the world’s top architecture schools, ranked 5th globally and 2nd in the UK in the 2024 QS World University Rankings. Consistently ranked among the top 11 since 2016, MSA is now ahead of institutions like Harvard University and the University of Cambridge, offering a dynamic learning environment that bridges academic study with professional practice while inspiring the next generation of architects.
Our new Visiting Professors are:
• Robert Hopkins, Director at AHR in Manchester and a former Visiting Professor at Cardiff Metropolitan University, leads the practice’s sustainability initiatives, driving its commitment to achieve carbon neutrality by 2030. He exemplifies a visionary approach to sustainable architecture as exemplified by The Spine, a groundbreaking WELL Platinum-certified project, and overseeing the largest Passivhaus education building in the UK. Robert is internationally recognised for his expertise in sustainability and biophilic design, and his contributions continue to shape innovative and sustainable practices within the built environment.
• Perry Kulper is a Professor and Architect at the University of Michigan’s Taubman College. He has 17 years of teaching experience at SCI-Arc plus visiting roles at the University of Pennsylvania and Arizona State University. A Columbia University and Cal Poly graduate, he has worked at firms like Eisenman/Robertson and Venturi, Rauch, and Scott Brown. His work focuses on architectural drawing, spatial design, and expanding architecture’s conceptual boundaries.
• José Miguel Lameiras is a Landscape Architect and Assistant Professor at the University of Porto’s Faculty of Sciences, with expertise in integrating teaching, research, and design to enhance urban resilience and sustainability. His work includes climate-resilient parks in Porto, biodiversity projects and urban regeneration initiatives including Alameda de Cartes Park. A proponent of digital tools such as AI and VR in landscape architecture, he leads EU-funded projects including URBiNAT and GreenInCities, promoting nature-based solutions and highway reconversion.
• Hazel Rounding is Managing Director at Liverpool, Manchester and London based shedkm. A dedicated architect, she has almost three decades of experience leading large-scale projects, including, more recently, the Mayfield regeneration in Manchester and Stockport 8, one of the UK’s largest town centre regeneration schemes. A co-founder of Placemaking Collective UK and former chair of NLA’s Public Realm panel, Hazel has been recognized in the Top 100 Property People by Place North West and has served on the Liverpool City Region Built Environment panel and at Liverpool University.
• Mike Tonkin is co-founder of acclaimed practice Tonkin Liu. Mike is celebrated for nature-inspired designs that merge technical innovation with craft, including Tonkin Liu’s patented 2021 trachea stent. Since 2002, the practice has won 23 RIBA awards and international accolades. An experienced educator, he has taught at leading institutions and explored storytelling in design through works like The Evolution of Shell Lace Structure (2014) and an upcoming book with RIBA in 2025.
These strategic appointments are an exciting development for MSA as Professor Kevin Singh, Head of School, explains: “We are delighted to have appointed this latest round of Visiting Professors at the Manchester School of Architecture who bring an exciting array of skills to complement our existing team of Visiting Professors.
“Some of these appointments replace our inaugural round of Visiting Professors who have successfully completed their 3 year terms, whilst others will help us enhance key priorities in the School such as sustainability, tectonics, and inscriptive practices. Each of the appointees were nominated by members of staff who are experts in the field themselves and will work with them to enhance the curriculum offer to our students and bring world class expertise to a world class School of Architecture.”
All of our new Visiting Professors begin their role immediately, with one further appointment to be announced soon. You can read more about their expertise on their staff profiles in due course.