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: May 20, 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