Publicerad: 2025-04-16
PhD student in digital design and fabrication for architectural reuse
We offer a PhD position within digital architectural design and robotic fabrication, with a strong circular design agenda focusing on digital support of architectural reuse involving uniquely shaped building elements. This PhD project provides an opportunity to creatively bridge architectural design, digital technologies and sustainability science, contributing to global research for a resource-efficient built environment. You will be supported by leading researchers at the Department of Architecture and Civil Engineering and partners from the Digital Twin City Centre, funded by Sweden's Innovation Agency Vinnova.
PhD project summary
As a PhD student, you will work on the research project "Reclaimed, Redesigned, Retwinned: Digital Twins in Architectural Reuse" at DTCC. This project aligns with circularity and decarbonization agendas in architecture, focusing on digitally aided design with reclaimed materials. Your tasks will include developing custom digital workflows and tools to:
• Utilize available data on existing material stocks in the city for architectural design and reuse.
• Complete missing data using digitization protocols like 3D scanning for digital inventorying, inspection, and element detection.
• Manage data with custom-developed filtering techniques.
• Use the data in architectural design processes involving reuse to create design options for reused component distribution using machine learning, generative AI, and multi-objective optimization.
• Evaluate and select design options based on user-defined parameters such as environmental impact, aesthetic value, and cost.
Additionally, you will develop robotic fabrication workflows for 3D printing to fit uniquely shaped components waste-free and with high design quality.
About the research environment
The PhD student will join the research area Architecture, Media, and Material Practice, part of the division of Architectural Theory and Methods at the Department of Architecture and Civil Engineering (ACE). Our work explores how emerging digital media can enhance resource-efficient architectural design. We specialize in digital architectural design, robotic fabrication, and have strong ties to architectural practice. Our diverse team includes researchers, teachers with architectural backgrounds, PhD students, and early-career academics. Our main research facility is the Robotic Fabrication Lab, where we conduct projects on resource-efficient digital repair of reclaimed building components and robotic 3D printing with upcycled, reused, and biobased materials. The PhD project is part of the Digital Twin Cities Centre, supported by a network of academic, industrial, and public sector partners.
The PhD student's main supervisor will be Malgorzata Zboinska, Associate Professor in Architectural Design, Digital Technology and New Media Art, head of the research area Architecture, Media, and Material Practice, and Development Leader for the Robotic Fabrication Lab at Chalmers ACE. For aspects within sustainability science relating to environmental assessment tools and urban mining developments, you will be supported by co-supervisor Alexander Hollberg, Associate Professor in Computational Sustainable Design, and leader of the research area Sustainable Built Environments at Chalmers ACE.
The successful candidate will be admitted to the Graduate School in Architecture and earn a doctoral degree in architecture.
Main responsibilities
As part of your research project, you will:
• Conduct literature studies and interviews with relevant actors.
• Source and digitize buildings and salvaged components for experimental design trials.
• Perform systematic architectural prototyping experiments and robotic fabrication.
• Develop digital workflows and custom Grasshopper scripts/plugins for digital twinning of architectural components and scan data management.
• Apply ML/AI for generative design.
• Create custom tools for reused element matching and distribution.
• Develop tools for environmental and architectural quality assessment.
• Design robotic sequences for zero-waste 3D printing and other reuse-related fabrication routines.
• Develop custom hardware, such as robot end-effectors for 3D scanning, element inspection, and architectural prototyping.
• Produce and assemble full-scale architectural demonstrators featuring reused materials, to be exhibited at public events and design venues.
Besides research, you will:
• Complete your PhD education by completing courses at an advanced level to meet the ECTS credit requirements for a doctoral degree at the Graduate School in Architecture.
• Prepare material for and participate in project meetings, research environment meetings, stakeholder workshops, international conferences, exhibitions, and other relevant events.
• Take and share responsibility for research tools, equipment and lab procedures with other group members.
• Take and share responsibility for the organization of events related to the project topic and larger agendas relating to our research environment.
• Communicate research results internally and externally, with academia, industry, and the public.
• If applicable, teach and supervise master-level students, and carry out other department work in a scope that does not exceed 20 % of a full-time position.
The anticipated start for the position is in September 2025.
Read more about doctoral studies at Chalmers here.
Contract terms
Full-time temporary employment. The position is limited to a maximum of five years.
Application procedure
For more information and to apply, please go to: https://www.chalmers.se/en/about-chalmers/work-with-us/vacancies/?rmpage=job&rmjob=13884
Application deadline: 19 May, 2025
PhD project summary
As a PhD student, you will work on the research project "Reclaimed, Redesigned, Retwinned: Digital Twins in Architectural Reuse" at DTCC. This project aligns with circularity and decarbonization agendas in architecture, focusing on digitally aided design with reclaimed materials. Your tasks will include developing custom digital workflows and tools to:
• Utilize available data on existing material stocks in the city for architectural design and reuse.
• Complete missing data using digitization protocols like 3D scanning for digital inventorying, inspection, and element detection.
• Manage data with custom-developed filtering techniques.
• Use the data in architectural design processes involving reuse to create design options for reused component distribution using machine learning, generative AI, and multi-objective optimization.
• Evaluate and select design options based on user-defined parameters such as environmental impact, aesthetic value, and cost.
Additionally, you will develop robotic fabrication workflows for 3D printing to fit uniquely shaped components waste-free and with high design quality.
About the research environment
The PhD student will join the research area Architecture, Media, and Material Practice, part of the division of Architectural Theory and Methods at the Department of Architecture and Civil Engineering (ACE). Our work explores how emerging digital media can enhance resource-efficient architectural design. We specialize in digital architectural design, robotic fabrication, and have strong ties to architectural practice. Our diverse team includes researchers, teachers with architectural backgrounds, PhD students, and early-career academics. Our main research facility is the Robotic Fabrication Lab, where we conduct projects on resource-efficient digital repair of reclaimed building components and robotic 3D printing with upcycled, reused, and biobased materials. The PhD project is part of the Digital Twin Cities Centre, supported by a network of academic, industrial, and public sector partners.
The PhD student's main supervisor will be Malgorzata Zboinska, Associate Professor in Architectural Design, Digital Technology and New Media Art, head of the research area Architecture, Media, and Material Practice, and Development Leader for the Robotic Fabrication Lab at Chalmers ACE. For aspects within sustainability science relating to environmental assessment tools and urban mining developments, you will be supported by co-supervisor Alexander Hollberg, Associate Professor in Computational Sustainable Design, and leader of the research area Sustainable Built Environments at Chalmers ACE.
The successful candidate will be admitted to the Graduate School in Architecture and earn a doctoral degree in architecture.
Main responsibilities
As part of your research project, you will:
• Conduct literature studies and interviews with relevant actors.
• Source and digitize buildings and salvaged components for experimental design trials.
• Perform systematic architectural prototyping experiments and robotic fabrication.
• Develop digital workflows and custom Grasshopper scripts/plugins for digital twinning of architectural components and scan data management.
• Apply ML/AI for generative design.
• Create custom tools for reused element matching and distribution.
• Develop tools for environmental and architectural quality assessment.
• Design robotic sequences for zero-waste 3D printing and other reuse-related fabrication routines.
• Develop custom hardware, such as robot end-effectors for 3D scanning, element inspection, and architectural prototyping.
• Produce and assemble full-scale architectural demonstrators featuring reused materials, to be exhibited at public events and design venues.
Besides research, you will:
• Complete your PhD education by completing courses at an advanced level to meet the ECTS credit requirements for a doctoral degree at the Graduate School in Architecture.
• Prepare material for and participate in project meetings, research environment meetings, stakeholder workshops, international conferences, exhibitions, and other relevant events.
• Take and share responsibility for research tools, equipment and lab procedures with other group members.
• Take and share responsibility for the organization of events related to the project topic and larger agendas relating to our research environment.
• Communicate research results internally and externally, with academia, industry, and the public.
• If applicable, teach and supervise master-level students, and carry out other department work in a scope that does not exceed 20 % of a full-time position.
The anticipated start for the position is in September 2025.
Read more about doctoral studies at Chalmers here.
Contract terms
Full-time temporary employment. The position is limited to a maximum of five years.
Application procedure
For more information and to apply, please go to: https://www.chalmers.se/en/about-chalmers/work-with-us/vacancies/?rmpage=job&rmjob=13884
Application deadline: 19 May, 2025