Philip Tidwell working on a construction project

Research Bio

Philip Tidwell is a registered architect in Finland and director of Peripheral Projects. His teaching and research examine the relationships between architectural forms, constructive technique, and the agencies of matter. For more than a decade, he served as studio coordinator for the Wood Program at Aalto University in Helsinki. From 2021 to 2023 he was an assistant professor of architecture at McGill University and he has served as a visiting professor at the Universities of Florida, Massachusetts, and Arkansas.

Together with Kristo Vesikansa and Laura Berger, Philip was co-curator of the Pavilion of Finland for the 2021 Venice Biennale of Architecture. The exhibition and book, New Standards, examines the industrialization of the wood industry in Finland during and after the Second World War. Philip’s research has been supported by grants and fellowships from numerous organizations including the Finnish Cultural Foundation, the U.S. Fulbright program, and the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation. His work and teaching have been recognized by The Architectural Review and the Espoo Museum of Modern Art, among others.

Research Expertise and Interest

architectural form, constructive technique, agency of matter, architecture, timber supply

Teaching

Courses taught during the three most recent terms
2026 Spring 2025 Spring
  • Special Topics in Construction Materials  [ARCH 169]  

  • Studio One, Spring  [ARCH 205B]  

  • Special Topics in Construction and Materials  [ARCH 269]