Concepts for safe and sustainable deconstruction within a 9R framework for regenerative building

Applicants are invited for a PhD fellowship/scholarship at Graduate School of Technical Sciences, Aarhus University, Denmark, within the Civil and Architectural Engineering programme. The position is available from 1 November 2024 or later. You can submit your application via the link under 'how to apply'.

Title:
Concepts for safe and sustainable deconstruction within a 9R framework for regenerative building

Research area and project description:
We seek a passionate and dedicated PhD candidate in Construction Management to join our research group in Construction Management and Engineering. The PhD candidate will also be part of the Aarhus Center for Regenerative Building and conduct research related to the ASCEND project mentioned below.

Your research will focus on sustainable and subtle deconstruction to enhance the reuse of construction materials and structural components. A key part of the research is further development and cooperation with the industry in applying the 9R concept for a circular economy.

The ASCEND project (Advancing Sustainable Circularity for Eco-friendly Net-zero Developments), funded by EU Interreg ÖKS, aims to revolutionize sustainable development. Our research framework centers on the 9R concept for circular economy: Refuse, Rethink, Reduce, Reuse, Repair, Refurbish, Remanufacture, Repurpose, and Recycle. Key topics include digitalization and automation in construction, hierarchical approaches in analysis, design, documentation, and construction, and design for disassembly and adaptation. We focus on new buildings as well as renovating, transforming, and retrofitting existing ones. By integrating these strategies, we aim to achieve eco-friendly, net-zero developments that minimize waste and maximize resource efficiency. As a PhD candidate, you will be associated with Aarhus University and collaborate with experts from Lund University. The ASCEND project also involves numerous industrial participants from across Scandinavia, providing a rich collaborative environment and practical application opportunities for your research.

Your research will take outset in mapping existing processes of deconstruction of buildings. Your work will involve research-based development of new flows and processes of how a building can be deconstructed and the materials recycled, quality assured, sorted, and stored, to enable more stakeholders to find opportunities for reusing building materials. The research will also involve practical experimentation and feedback from the building industry. The results of your work will be shared through publications and conference presentations, contributing to the advancement of building science and regenerative practices.

Project description
For technical reasons, you must upload a project description. Please simply copy the project description above and upload it as a PDF in the application.

Qualifications and specific competences:
Applicants must have a relevant Master’s degree (120 ECTS) or at least one year of a Master’s degree related to Structural, Civil or Architectural Engineering, specializing in construction management and engineering. Good communication skills are essential. Proficiency with Danish or another Scandinavian language is preferred.

Place of employment and place of work:
The place of employment is Aarhus University, and the place of work is Navitas, Inge Lehmanns Gade 10, 8000 Aarhus C

Contacts:
Applicants seeking further information are invited to contact:

• Søren Wandahl, [email protected] (main supervisor)
• Cristina Toca Perez, [email protected] (co-supervisor)

How to apply:
Please follow this link to submit your application.
Application deadline is 15 September 2024 at 23:59 CEST.
Preferred starting date is 1 November 2024.

For information about application requirements and mandatory attachments, please see our application guide.

Please note:

• Only documents received prior to the application deadline will be evaluated. Thus, documents sent after deadline will not be taken into account.
• The programme committee may request further information or invite the applicant to attend an interview.
• Shortlisting will be used, which means that the evaluation committee only will evaluate the most relevant applications.
  

Aarhus University’s ambition is to be an attractive and inspiring workplace for all and to foster a culture in which each individual has opportunities to thrive, achieve and develop. We view equality and diversity as assets, and we welcome all applicants. All interested candidates are encouraged to apply, regardless of their personal background. Salary and terms of employment are in accordance with applicable collective agreement.