empa - Dübendorf, Switzerland

without deadline

Tasks: Research

Topics: Circularity, Digitalization, Urban Transformation

Type: Full-time

Experience required: Entry-level

Language: English is sufficient

Materials science and technology are our passion. With our cutting-edge research, Empa’s around 1,100 employees make essential contributions to the well-being of society for a future worth living. Empa is a research institution of the ETH Domain.

The Urban Energy Systems Laboratory at Empa develops models and concepts for innovative building and decentralized energy system technologies based on renewable energy, including prototypes and demonstration plants.

The Chair of Circular Engineering for Architecture (CEA) at ETH Zurich develops research on matching supply and demand of reused materials in the built environment through digitalization for circularity.

You will analyse the availability and potential of reusable components and underperforming urban spaces.This PhD position offers an exciting opportunity to contribute to the advancement of regenerative urban development by rethinking City Digital Twins, promoting circular construction practices, and maximizing the potential of underperforming spaces. You will be estimating the stock of reusable building components within buildings and identifying underutilized urban roofs and spaces that can be repurposed. Leveraging community-driven information can possibly allow for more holistic urban resource representation, therefore workflows that incorporate crowd-sourced data for urban space planning and reuse should be explored. Experience or strong interest in manipulation and analysis of geo-spatial data, especially geoAI is required. There topic can also be approached from blockchain technology perspective.

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