Researcher - Circular BIM

100%, Singapore, fixed-term

ETH Zurich is one of the leading universities of the world with a strong focus on science and engineering. In 2010 it established the Singapore-ETH Centre (SEC) in collaboration with the National Research Foundation (NRF) to do interdisciplinary research on pressing problems.

The centre currently runs several research programmes with the Future Cities Laboratory Global (FCL Global) as one of the programmes . It is home to a community of over 100 PhD, postdoctoral and Professorial researchers working on diverse themes related to sustainable cities and resilient infrastructure systems. In the course of their work, researchers actively collaborate with universities, research institutes, industry, and government agencies with the aim of offering practical solutions.

Project background

The Circular Future Cities module (CFC) of FCL Global aims to develop a systems approach for informing the design of circular buildings with circular material flows in urban areas. This urban-scale systemic perspective enables us to study new technologies and their interdependecies at the level of the circular economy itself. The module will provide integrated frameworks and tools based on advanced digital technology for informing design and deploying effective circular solutions.

For more information on the project, consult our web page, https://fcl.ethz.ch/research/cycles-and-districts/circular-future-cities.html , or watch this lecture about the project, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wNwu85y1EKw .

CFC is looking for talented and motivated professionals to study, design, and develop these new circular technologies.

Join us if you want to:

• Work in a unique and world-leading research environment
• Join an international team of highly talented researches from top universities
• Have the opportunity to shape and develop cutting edge research in circular economy in construction

Job description

Within the module, you will develop a Building Information Modelling extension that integrates workflows for existing building-scale circularity assessment methods into a BIM environment (using IFC standards, integrated in Revit).

This extension will be the design evaluation tool for the 'Circular Economy Potential' (CEP) model, a framework to estimate recovery reuse rates based on a building's configurational characteristics (e.g. how spaces are connected, how walls are assembled, how services are laid out). This framework combines existing assessment methods for design goals related to reuse and recovery (e.g. design for disassembly, building adaptation, maintainability). For an overview of this work, consult this seminar: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sYj0foMbF8E .

The CEP evaluation tool is intended to be used by built envinronment professionals that want to assess the reuse and recovery potentials of buildings and building designs.

Your key responsibilities will be:

• Research and development of the Circular Economy Potential tool, advised by Dr Pieter Herthogs (SEC) and Prof Rudi Stouffs (NUS). This work includes, a.o.:
  • Developing specific scripts, components, and plugins to implement existing models and an overall CEP architecture and interface in a BIM environment
  • Modelling or extracting the configurational patterns in digital models of buildings, building components, and connections
  • Testing and validating the tools with users and stakeholders
  • Developing publications as lead-author and co-author
• Supporting the research and project efforts of the Circular Future Cities module in general. This includes, a.o.:
  • Participating in and contributing to team meetings and interactions with stakeholders
  • Supporting other module reserchers, and the Module Coordinator
  • Presenting your research and that of the module to international audiences and visitors

Your profile

Mandatory Requirements:

You have:

• A Master's degree in a field related to architecture or structural engineering
• Demonstrable experience in Building Information Modelling, particularly the development of tools or custom scripts, preferably using IFC, demonstrated through portfolio and publications. (Salary will be commensurate with experience.)

You are:

• A self-motivated and independent researcher or developer
• A good communicator:
  • Proactive: you can signal issues, set and commit to targets
  • Rational: you can clearly articulate ideas and thoughts
  • Interpersonal: you are able to receive and provide constructive feedback
  • A professional working proficiency in English is required
• Comfortable with basic programming tasks. Able to adopt new programming languages for particular purposes
• Curious and passionate to explore new concepts, methods and technologies. You have the capability to identify and quickly learn the most suitable tools for the research on the go
• Interested in topics related to the research, such as computational design, perfomative design, circular economy in construction, design for change, or life cycle analysis

Significantly Beneficial Attributes:

• Demonstrable experience developing or adapting evaluation models or indicator models related to buildings and/or structures
  • Experience with configurational modelling, graph-based models, or semantic models is a plus
  • Experience with LCA is a plus
• Detail-oriented and meticulous in your work
• A team player: collaborative and constructive, and always open to help team members

Desirable Attributes:

• The ability to present your work and progress in an engaging and effective way

Your workplace

Your workplace

We offer

The Singapore-ETH-Centre is an equal opportunity and family-friendly employer. All candidates will be evaluated on their merits and qualifications, without regards to gender, race, age or religion.

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We value diversity

In line with

our values

, ETH Zurich encourages an inclusive culture. We promote equality of opportunity, value diversity and nurture a working and learning environment in which the rights and dignity of all our staff and students are respected. Visit our

Equal Opportunities and Diversity website

to find out how we ensure a fair and open environment that allows everyone to grow and flourish.

Curious? So are we.

We look forward to receiving your online application with the following pdf documents:

• A short cover letter explaining your interest in the project and position
• Your CV, preferably tailored to this position
• Contact details for at least 2 referees
• One or two examples of an academic publication or document that you wrote (e.g. article, conference paper, thesis, report)
• One example of a slide deck (presentation) that you developed
• A portfolio or compilation document that showcases related past work. While we encourage and consult digital and web-based portfolio's, a summary of overview in pdf form is still recommended

Please note that we exclusively accept applications submitted through our online application portal. Applications via email or postal services will not be considered.

Further information about The Singapore-ETH Centre can be found on our website . For further information, please contact both Dr Pieter Herthogs (Singapore-ETH Centre) [email protected], and Assoc.Prof. Dr Rudi Stouffs (NUS), [email protected].

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.