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.

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 interdependencies 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, or watch this lecture about the project.

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 researchers from top universities.
• Have the opportunity to shape and develop cutting edge research in circular economy in construction.

Within the module, you will work on the development of 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: 

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

You will also play a pivotal role in the development of Circular Economy tools and workflows tailored specifically for the application to Temporary Works (TW). Your responsibilities will include collaborating closely with the research team to develop innovative solutions to enhance circularity within the construction industry.

Your key responsibilities will be:

•  Research and development of the Circular Economy Potential tool, in collaboration with a postdoctoral researcher and 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 tool with users and stakeholders.
  •  Developing publications as lead-author and co-author.
• · Development of Circular Economy tools and workflows for their application to Temporary Works, in support of a PhD researcher. This work includes, a.o.:
  •  Developing BIM models of Temporary Works;
  •  Integrating sustainability metrics and circular economy principles into the BIM models of Temporary Works;
  •  Digitizing document workflows into BIM-augmented workflows;
  •  Developing tools to support these BIM-augmented workflows;
  •  Collaborating with stakeholders to gather input and feedback on the development of Circular Economy tools and workflows for TW.
  •  Implementing parametric modelling techniques to explore design alternatives and optimize TW configurations for maximum resource efficiency and lifecycle performance.
  •  Conducting life cycle assessments (LCAs) to quantify environmental impacts and identify opportunities for material reuse, recycling, and waste reduction in Temporary Works;
• 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 researchers, and the Module Coordinator.
  •  Presenting your research and that of the module to international audiences and visitors.

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, performative 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.

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.

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.

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

A dossier containing 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 portfolios, a summary or 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. Questions regarding the position should be directed to Dr. Pieter Herthogs (Singapore-ETH Centre) pieter.herthogs@sec.ethz.ch & Assoc. Prof. Dr. Rudi Stouffs (NUS) stouffs@nus.edu.sg.

ETH Zurich is one of the world’s leading universities specialising in science and technology. We are renowned for our excellent education, cutting-edge fundamental research and direct transfer of new knowledge into society. Over 30,000 people from more than 120 countries find our university to be a place that promotes independent thinking and an environment that inspires excellence. Located in the heart of Europe, yet forging connections all over the world, we work together to develop solutions for the global challenges of today and tomorrow.