Doctoral position in Architecture
École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne, EPFL
Kontakt aufnehmen
Wichtige Links
Zur Stelle >
Zur Firma >
EPFL, the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne, is one of the most dynamic university campuses in Europe
and ranks among the top 20 universities worldwide. The EPFL employs more than 6,500 people supporting the three main
missions of the institutions: education, research and innovation. The EPFL campus offers an exceptional working
environment at the heart of a community of more than 18,500 people, including over 14,000 students and 4,000
researchers from more than 120 different countries.
Doctoral position in Architecture
Mission
The Laboratory for the Theory of Environment and Materials in Architecture (THEMA) at the École Polytechnique Fédérale
de Lausanne (EPFL) is pleased to invite applicants for a doctoral position to conduct architectural research on
building materials. We seek applicants that will explore the reflexive relationships between building materials and the
production of architecture and the city.
The laboratory THEMA (Theory of Environment and Materials in Architecture) is led by Prof. Sarah Nichols. The lab uses
the tools of architectural research to critically investigate broader building cultures, including infrastructure and
urbanization at large, and architecture’s place within and beside them. Broadly characterized, the lab’s interests
encompass the materialization of buildings and infrastructures, from site processes to building materials to project
coordination—and the values and concepts that shape these practices.
Position overview
Within the framework of THEMA’s research interests, the doctoral candidate will investigate building materials to
understand some of the local and global implications of their production and use in shaping building cultures.
Candidates may propose the study of a particular building material, place, and time period and invite projects that
explore local specificities in the production, use, and governance of building materials or related investigation.
Investigating building materials allows understanding their production and use as a path to link impacts that occur in
different places and by different means: production, construction, and consequences as well as the discursive field
that shapes their use.
Drawing on methods and tools such archival research, critical mapping, architectural drawings, literature surveys, and
ethnographic fieldwork, candidates may critically examine the relationships between building materials, their local and
global implications, and the ways they shape and are shaped by architectural discourse, territorial transformations,
construction practices, and environmental consequences. By linking the disparate sites where materials are produced and
used, one can better understand how building cultures around materials shape the production of the built environment.
In doing so, the project will help countering dominant narratives of material universality by unraveling the locally
specific practices around building materials.
Investigating building cultures is a useful way of situating architecture within larger socio-economic and ecological
contexts to understand the production of built environments in different sites and in relation to one another.
Contributing to emerging conversations at the intersection of architectural theory, environmental humanities,
production studies, and related fields and disciplines, we seek applications that aspire to shift the discourse on
sustainability of building cultures by demonstrating that impacts must be understood not only through metrics but also
within specific social and ecological contexts to foster effective paths toward more equitable and sustainable material
futures.
Position details
The PhD position is full-time (100%) with an expected duration of four years. The position is within the laboratory
THEMA, affiliated with the Section and Institute of Architecture, part of the School of Architecture, Civil, and
Environmental Engineering ENAC.
The candidate will enroll in the doctoral program EDAR (Architecture and Sciences of the City). Enrollment will allow
the candidate to join courses within EPFL and at any other university in Switzerland with the agreement of the
supervisor. The required coursework can typically be completed within the first three semesters of study. All PhD
candidates at EPFL are expected to contribute 20% of their time to assisting teaching. The PhD candidate will be
expected to be present at EPFL for most of their studies to complete coursework and contribute to the academic life of
the school.
- Conduct literature surveys, produce critical mapping, analyze architectural drawings, and conduct ethnographic
fieldwork, where applicable
- Collaborate within THEMA’s methodological framework, which will draw from the team’s prior research on materials and
the broader approaches of production studies and ethnography
- Contribute academic publications and presentations related to the laboratory’s focus
- Participate in the development of outreach activities, where applicable
- Assist with undergraduate teaching
Profile
- Master’s degree (or equivalent) in architecture, architectural history, or a related field
- Strong research and analytical skills; experience with research preferred
- Excellent written and verbal English; fluency in other languages is an asset
- A strong interest in the intersection of architecture and the environment
Application information
EPFL is one of two Federal Institutes of Technology in Switzerland and the sister school of ETH Zurich; both schools
are part of the ETH domain. It is an English- and French-language polytechnic whose main campus is in Lausanne. EPFL is
a growing and well-funded institution fostering excellence and intellectual diversity within a fertile environment for
scholarship and collaboration. EPFL’s multilingual, international environment offers excellent resources, salaries, and
benefits.
Applicants should submit the following documents :
- Cover letter (1-2 pages) explaining your background and motivation to conduct a PhD as part of the project
- Curriculum Vitae
- Research project proposal (3-5 pages) with the default expectation that a particular building material, place, and
time period are specified, though we welcome relevant proposals that suggest other forms of inquiry
- Contact information for two references, at least one should be academic
Application deadline: June 3rd, 2025
For any question, please email thema@epfl.ch
Informations
Contract Start Date : October 1st, 2025
Activity Rate : 100%
Contract Type: PhD Student
Duration: 1 year, renewable
Reference: 1528
and ranks among the top 20 universities worldwide. The EPFL employs more than 6,500 people supporting the three main
missions of the institutions: education, research and innovation. The EPFL campus offers an exceptional working
environment at the heart of a community of more than 18,500 people, including over 14,000 students and 4,000
researchers from more than 120 different countries.
Doctoral position in Architecture
Mission
The Laboratory for the Theory of Environment and Materials in Architecture (THEMA) at the École Polytechnique Fédérale
de Lausanne (EPFL) is pleased to invite applicants for a doctoral position to conduct architectural research on
building materials. We seek applicants that will explore the reflexive relationships between building materials and the
production of architecture and the city.
The laboratory THEMA (Theory of Environment and Materials in Architecture) is led by Prof. Sarah Nichols. The lab uses
the tools of architectural research to critically investigate broader building cultures, including infrastructure and
urbanization at large, and architecture’s place within and beside them. Broadly characterized, the lab’s interests
encompass the materialization of buildings and infrastructures, from site processes to building materials to project
coordination—and the values and concepts that shape these practices.
Position overview
Within the framework of THEMA’s research interests, the doctoral candidate will investigate building materials to
understand some of the local and global implications of their production and use in shaping building cultures.
Candidates may propose the study of a particular building material, place, and time period and invite projects that
explore local specificities in the production, use, and governance of building materials or related investigation.
Investigating building materials allows understanding their production and use as a path to link impacts that occur in
different places and by different means: production, construction, and consequences as well as the discursive field
that shapes their use.
Drawing on methods and tools such archival research, critical mapping, architectural drawings, literature surveys, and
ethnographic fieldwork, candidates may critically examine the relationships between building materials, their local and
global implications, and the ways they shape and are shaped by architectural discourse, territorial transformations,
construction practices, and environmental consequences. By linking the disparate sites where materials are produced and
used, one can better understand how building cultures around materials shape the production of the built environment.
In doing so, the project will help countering dominant narratives of material universality by unraveling the locally
specific practices around building materials.
Investigating building cultures is a useful way of situating architecture within larger socio-economic and ecological
contexts to understand the production of built environments in different sites and in relation to one another.
Contributing to emerging conversations at the intersection of architectural theory, environmental humanities,
production studies, and related fields and disciplines, we seek applications that aspire to shift the discourse on
sustainability of building cultures by demonstrating that impacts must be understood not only through metrics but also
within specific social and ecological contexts to foster effective paths toward more equitable and sustainable material
futures.
Position details
The PhD position is full-time (100%) with an expected duration of four years. The position is within the laboratory
THEMA, affiliated with the Section and Institute of Architecture, part of the School of Architecture, Civil, and
Environmental Engineering ENAC.
The candidate will enroll in the doctoral program EDAR (Architecture and Sciences of the City). Enrollment will allow
the candidate to join courses within EPFL and at any other university in Switzerland with the agreement of the
supervisor. The required coursework can typically be completed within the first three semesters of study. All PhD
candidates at EPFL are expected to contribute 20% of their time to assisting teaching. The PhD candidate will be
expected to be present at EPFL for most of their studies to complete coursework and contribute to the academic life of
the school.
- Conduct literature surveys, produce critical mapping, analyze architectural drawings, and conduct ethnographic
fieldwork, where applicable
- Collaborate within THEMA’s methodological framework, which will draw from the team’s prior research on materials and
the broader approaches of production studies and ethnography
- Contribute academic publications and presentations related to the laboratory’s focus
- Participate in the development of outreach activities, where applicable
- Assist with undergraduate teaching
Profile
- Master’s degree (or equivalent) in architecture, architectural history, or a related field
- Strong research and analytical skills; experience with research preferred
- Excellent written and verbal English; fluency in other languages is an asset
- A strong interest in the intersection of architecture and the environment
Application information
EPFL is one of two Federal Institutes of Technology in Switzerland and the sister school of ETH Zurich; both schools
are part of the ETH domain. It is an English- and French-language polytechnic whose main campus is in Lausanne. EPFL is
a growing and well-funded institution fostering excellence and intellectual diversity within a fertile environment for
scholarship and collaboration. EPFL’s multilingual, international environment offers excellent resources, salaries, and
benefits.
Applicants should submit the following documents :
- Cover letter (1-2 pages) explaining your background and motivation to conduct a PhD as part of the project
- Curriculum Vitae
- Research project proposal (3-5 pages) with the default expectation that a particular building material, place, and
time period are specified, though we welcome relevant proposals that suggest other forms of inquiry
- Contact information for two references, at least one should be academic
Application deadline: June 3rd, 2025
For any question, please email thema@epfl.ch
Informations
Contract Start Date : October 1st, 2025
Activity Rate : 100%
Contract Type: PhD Student
Duration: 1 year, renewable
Reference: 1528