Kirsten Birk Hansen (DK) graduated from the Royal Danish Academy’s School of Architecture in 1970. Between 1967 and 1973, she worked at several architectural practices, including those of Karen and Ebbe Clemmensen and Henning Larsen. In 1973, she joined Aarhus School of Architecture, where she taught Building Art and Architecture as Associate Professor until 2005, continuing as an External Lecturer until 2008. From 1976 to 1979, she held a postgraduate research scholarship.
Throughout her career, Hansen has combined architectural practice, teaching, writing, and cultural leadership.

She was co-editor of Blød By and Skala and has published numerous articles and reviews on architecture. She has served on the Danish Arts Foundation and the Board of Charlottenborg, acted as co-director of Aarhus Festival, and worked as an external examiner at Aarhus and Aalborg Universities. She also co-organised the exhibition and catalogue På Vej, focusing on women in architecture, planning, and art, presented in Aarhus and Copenhagen in connection with the UN Mid-Decade Conference for Women in 1980. From 2021 to 2025, she was part of the Danish Association of Architects’ planning group for the international competition Fingerplanen 2.0.