PhD opening in 3D printed stone for heritage buildings ETH Zürich in Switzerland

PhD opportunity at ETH Zurich in 3D printed stone for heritage buildings. The Chair for Digital Building Technologies invites applications for a doctoral position focused on the restoration of historic stone structures through advanced digital fabrication. The project is part of the collaborative ETH Grant Spatially graded 3D printing to elucidate contour scaling of building stones and will be carried out in close exchange with a second doctoral researcher at the Chair for Physical Chemistry of Building Materials in the Department of Civil, Environmental and Geomatic Engineering.

The research combines architectural design, fabrication engineering, and materials research. A key objective is to develop a new laboratory-scale powder-bed printing system with dual powder and dual liquid feeds, enabling spatially graded deposition of stone-like material. The machine will be used to create replacement parts for heritage buildings, with attention to conservation compatibility, tectonic integration, and surface appearance. The project explores how composition, porosity, color, texture, and printed veining can be controlled across a single printed element to respond to historic fabric and conservation needs.

The doctorate is highly hands-on: the successful candidate will design, build, commission, and repeatedly modify the printer, treating the machine as a modular research instrument that evolves alongside the printed artifacts it produces. The work will also support a partner group studying deterioration mechanisms in sandstones, using printed samples with engineered defects and gradients. Findings from that collaboration are expected to feed back into the printing process, while the lab-scale setup informs future transfer to an architectural-scale printer.

The position sits within ETH Zurich’s Institute of Technology in Architecture, a research environment known for computational design, materials, and construction-scale fabrication. The group offers in-house expertise in mechanical design, electronics, and software, together with workshop and prototyping infrastructure. Doctoral researchers are given considerable freedom to shape the trajectory of their work, and the chair highlights a strong international network and a collaborative research culture.

Eligibility highlights: a Master’s degree in architecture or a closely related field, substantial design work, strong digital fabrication skills, and proven ability in mechanical design and prototyping. Experience with electronics, sensing, or control software is advantageous. Excellent English is essential; German is helpful. The project is suited to candidates interested in stone, architectural fabrication, conservation, and material behavior as a design medium.

Application: Submit your application online with a cover letter, CV, portfolio of design and fabrication work (max. 20 MB), and three references. You are also asked to provide a short video introduction via a file-sharing or video platform and include the URL in your cover letter. Questions about the position may be directed to Dr. Pietro Odaglia at [email protected]. Applications must be submitted through the ETH Zurich online portal.

Institution: ETH Zurich, Switzerland.