Deadline: As Soon As Possible
The Chair of Sustainable Construction at ETH Zurich is seeking a Post-Doctoral candidate to work on “using bio-based material for climate-neutral buildings”. The chair intends to ground sustainability in the disciplines of the built environment. They want to foster collaboration among the different stakeholders involved in architecture, engineering and construction and promote appropriate application of sustainable materials during the entire life cycle of buildings and infrastructure. More specifically, their research involves interdisciplinary works and draws on Life Cycle Assessment, urban metabolism and material science.
About the Position
As the climate crisis is urging us to act fast, buildings are a key leverage point to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but the embodied emissions related to their construction often remain the hidden challenge of any ambitious policy. The use of biobased material allows to temporary store carbon in the buildings and to regulate indoor thermal and hygrometry values. Despite their numerous advantages, their use in current construction is still limited. They seek to strengthen their team in this field to widen the implementation of such materials in construction.
The chair of Sustainable Construction has developed an expertise in clay based materials with the use of rheology, chemistry and mineralogy methods. The aim is to extend the palette of materials and include biobased materials. Research projects are related with material development for insulation, water transfer and pollutant absorption. Expected work can involve experiments and numerical modelling.
Duties and Responsibilities
- The successful candidate will be involved with the current project in the team working on the development of hemp-based products using geopolymers and mycelium binders, and calculating LCA of climate neutral constructive elements.
- It is expected that the candidate quickly applies for research funding through the Swiss National Science Foundation, industry partnership, or EU project The candidate will also take part in teaching with a master course on Materials and Construction dealing with the implementation of bio-based insulation materials.
- The offered position is a one-year contract that can be renewed every year for up to 6 years if successful future projects are acquired and with the common agreement between the head of the group and the candidate.
- They are offering to work on an exciting project carried out in an interdisciplinary environment with civil engineers, material and environmental scientists and architects. The Chair of Sustainable Construction is an interdisciplinary group of 15 people that welcomes home office on regular basis.
Eligibility
- They welcome highly motivated applicants with PhD in civil or environmental engineering, material science, architecture or similar disciplines.
- The ideal candidate would have an expertise in material optimization for thermal and hygrometric transfer with bio-based materials associated with a good understanding of Life Cycle Assessment and carbon accounting.
Application
To apply for this position, they look forward to receiving your online application with the following documents:
- A cover letter that describes the candidate’s motivation and research experience
- A full CV
- A list of completed projects or scientific papers
- Names and addresses / contact details of two referees
Please note that they exclusively accept applications submitted through their online application portal link below. Applications via email or postal services will not be considered. They seek to start on February 1, 2021 or by agreement.
If you have any further queries regarding the position or the application process, please contact: Prof. Dr. Guillaume Habert at habertg@ethz.ch (do not send applications!)
For more information: Visit the institution website
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