AHO WORKS STUDIES 2012-2013
The Oslo School of Architecture and Design
AHO is located in the centre of Oslo in a revitalised indus-
trial area near the Aker River, in an innovative, creative and
cultural part of the city. The school lies adjacent to the Oslo
National Academy of the Arts and the recently opened Food
Hall at Vulkan, the creative city development project area.
HISTORY
The School was established in 1945 initially as a “crisis course”
for architects who had seen their education interrupted by
World War II. Prior to this, most Norwegian architects were
educated at the Norwegian Institute of Technology (NTH) in
Trondheim, which was a polytechnic school. Throughout the
interwar period, many architects had called for a more artis-
tically oriented architectural education, and for an institution
based in Oslo, where the most qualified teaching personnel
were located. The architecture programme was initially run as
part of The Norwegian Arts and Crafts School (SHKS), but in
1961 AHO was established as an independent institution. From
1968 AHO was located at St. Olavsgate. 4. The school moved to
current campus by the Aker River in 2001.
Originally established at SHKS in 1983, the Institute of Indus-
trial Design was the first to offer a study programme in industri-
al design. In 1996, the Institute merged with The Oslo School of
Architecture. In 2005, The Oslo School of Architecture changed
its name to The Oslo School of Architecture and Design. In
2009, the Institute of Industrial Design changed its name to the
Institute of Design.
