Digital concepts for building enclosures within a 9R framework for regenerative modular 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
Digital concepts for building enclosures within a 9R framework for regenerative modular building

Research area and project description
We are looking for an excellent PhD candidate in Building Science to join our innovative research team in regenerative construction. Your focus will be on the hygrothermal performance of building enclosure concepts, integrating HVAC systems, and achieving minimal life-cycle environmental impact. Your research will contribute significantly to realize sustainable construction practices.

You will be associated with 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 part of your work, you will collaborate with experts from Aarhus University as well as Lund University, and you will be associated with Aarhus Center for Regenerative Building. 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 focus on methods for ensuring safe hygrothermal performance, integration of HVAC, and minimization of the life-cycle environmental impact when developing new modular building enclosure concepts. Your work will involve research-based development of new digital tools and techniques in collaboration with experts in other building-related fields. 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 building design or building science. 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:

• Steffen Petersen, [email protected] (main supervisor)
• Lars Vabbersgaard Andersen, [email protected] (co-supervisor)

How to apply
Please follow this link to submit your application.

Application deadline is 22 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.