Qualifications
René Sørensen Overby is a project developer at the Bevica Foundation's Universal Design Hub.
He graduated as an architect from the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, School of Architecture in 2002. After graduation, he worked for more than 10 years in urban development, housing and cultural and educational buildingsat architectural offices in Copenhagen and London.
In 2014, he became a research assistant at BUILD at Aalborg University, where he worked in the research group for universal design and accessibility, and later as a PhD fellow. In his PhD research, and since then at the Bevica Foundation's Universal Design Hub, he has specialised in universal design with a particular focus on collaboration in architectural processes and user understanding.
Contact René about
- The concept of universal design and its historical development
- Disability and user understanding in architectural contexts
- Inclusion and universal design in urban development and architecture
- User-Involving Processes and Collaborations in Construction Projects
- Interdisciplinary collaborations on socially sustainable construction
Role in Bevica Foundation's Universal Design Hub
René brings both his architectural practice experience and his research background into play in the hub. In partnership projects—such as with the City of Copenhagen and the Landsbyggefonden—he applies his architectural knowledge of universal design to bridge practice, research, and strategy. His research experience enables him to facilitate collaboration between academia and practice and strengthen understanding of the research world’s logic in concrete development projects.
He also gives presentations and facilitates workshops aimed at professionals in the field of architecture and planning.
Responsibilities in the Bevica Foundation's Universal Design Hub
René has overall responsibility for developing and coordinating networks in the Bevica Foundation's Universal Design Hub, including the interdisciplinary research network, the Bevica Scholarship alumni network as well as the Scholarship ambassador network.
His work includes planning and facilitating networking activities, such as networking meetings, VIP presentations, events and collaborative projects. He coordinates bookings, communication and knowledge sharing, and also contributes editorial work—for example, to the publication of anthologies and articles, as well as the development of background notes and methodological tools.
Read more from René
Sørensen Overby R, Søbjerg Falster E. (2024) The Human Body in Architectural Theory and Practice. Stud Health Technol Inform. 2024 Nov 29;319:90-102. doi: 10.3233/SHTI240935. PMID: 39618354.
Overby Sørensen, R. (2022) UD knowledge creation. ARCH22 ‘Enabling health, care and well-being through design research’ 5th Architecture Research Care and Health Conference, Delft / Rotterdam, August 2022.
Sørensen, R., & Ryhl, C. (2018). Responding to Diversity Including Disability. In C. Storni, K. Leahy, M. McMahon, P. Lloyd, & E. Bohemia (Eds.), Design Research Society 2018, Design as a catalyst for change: Proceedings of DRS 2018 International Conference: Catalyst (Vol. 5, pp. 1894-1908). [524] Loughborough University, London: Design Research Society. Proceedings of DRS https://doi.org/10.21606/drs.2018.524
Sørensen, R. (2018). Spatial (E)quality from a User Perspective. In G. Craddock, C. Doran, L. McNutt, & D. Rice (Eds.), Transforming our World Through Design, Diversity and Education: Proceedings of Universal Design and Higher Education in Transformation Congress 2018 (pp. 743-749). [115] Amsterdam: IOS Press. Studies in Health Technology and Informatics, Vol.. 256 https://doi.org/10.3233/978-1-61499-923-2-743
Sørensen, R., & Ryhl, C. (2017). Useror expert? In N. Mathiasen, & A. K. Frandsen (Eds.), ARCH17 Conferenceproceedings: 3rd international conference on architecture, research, care andhealth. (pp. 302-315). København: Polyteknisk Boghandel og Forlag.