Research Assistant: Evaluating the Architecture of Urban Integrated Photovoltaics

In der aktuellen Covid-19 Situation laufen die Rekrutierungen weiter. Es kann dabei allerdings zu Verzögerungen kommen. Vielen Dank für Ihr Verständnis.

100%, Zurich, fixed-term

ETH Zurich is one of the world’s leading universities specialising in science and technology. It is renowned for its excellent education, its cutting-edge fundamental research and its efforts to put new knowledge and innovations directly into practice. The Institute of Technology in Architecture (ITA) is a leading research institute on building technology, focusing on sustainability, building systems and digital fabrication.

Project background

The announced position will be part of an international collaboration between ETH Zurich and the Singapore National Research Foundation (Future Cities Lab, FCL Global). FCL Global will form an international knowledge hub with the capabilities to conduct fully transdisciplinary and comparative research on the complex challenges of urbanization and sustainability. It will build upon FCL Singapore, which, since 2010, within the frame of the Singapore-ETH Centre (SEC), grew into one of the most impactful urban science research centres in the world. FCL Global will innovate upon those foundations with the benefit of two distinctive regional perspectives: one from the tropics (evolving from existing FCL in Singapore); and another from temperate Europe (embedded at ETH Zurich).

Job description

We offer a Research Assistant position within the Chair of Architecture and Building Systems (A/S), Prof. Dr Arno Schlüter, and co-supervised by Visiting Lecturer Roger Boltshauser, on evaluating the architecture of urban integrated photovoltaics to promote renewable energy integration into the city. It includes the technical assessment of building-integrated PV (BIPV) constructions from both existing buildings as well as of designs in the conceptual stage (thermal and visual comfort, embodied emissions, construction details) while considering the qualitative architectural quality (urban integration, design language, impact on interior space and lighting). You will also be involved in the organization and supervision of architectural design studios focusing on BIPV. Being part of the "FCL Global – Powering the Cities" module, you will be working as a researcher in an interdisciplinary team of architects, engineers, computer scientists and economists.

Your profile

We are looking for highly motivated and self-organized candidates with an excellent Masters's Degree in architecture with experience and a strong interest in engineering methods and renewable energy. Good architectural design skills and prior experience in 3D modelling (e.g., Rhinoceros 3D) and solar simulation (e.g., ClimateStudio, RADIANCE, or Honeybee) are required. Experience in building simulation (e.g., DesignBuilder), programming (e.g., Python), Geographic Information System (GIS), or in photogrammetry and LiDAR for 3D modelling is beneficial but not a must. We require excellent communication skills in German and English, both verbally and written. You should be able to combine strong individual research with teamwork within the project.

Singapore-ETH Centre

The Singapore-ETH Centre provides a multicultural and interdisciplinary environment to researchers working on diverse themes focussed on sustainable and liveable cities, resilient urban systems, and patient-centric healthcare. The centre is home to a community of over 100 doctoral, postdoctoral and professorial researchers working in three main programmes: Future Cities Laboratory, Future Resilient Systems, and Future Health Technologies.

Working, teaching and research at Singapore-ETH Centre