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Delft University of Technology
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PhD Position: Natural Building Skins for Heat Resilience Delft University of Technology in Netherlands
Degree Level
PhD
Field of study
Environmental Science
Funding
Funded PhD position with salary €3204–€4051 gross per month, plus 8% holiday allowance and an 8.3% end-of-year bonus, on a 4-year employment contract.
Deadline
Nov 11, 2026
Country
Netherlands
University
Delft University of Technology
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About this position
This PhD project at Delft University of Technology explores how nature-based building skins can be used to retrofit existing homes for hotter climates. The research sits at the intersection of building physics, architecture, ecology, and user-centered design, with a clear focus on improving indoor comfort while reducing reliance on energy-intensive cooling systems.
You will work on the development of innovative façade concepts that combine vegetation, circular materials, and smart ventilation strategies to help existing dwellings become healthier, cooler, and more sustainable. A key aim is to create an affordable, easy-to-install building-envelope solution that supports heat resilience, passive cooling, biodiversity, and circular renovation at the same time.
The project is part of the NWO-funded Nature 4 Homes initiative and includes close collaboration with residents, manufacturers, and other stakeholders. Your research will move from co-creation and design requirements to full-scale prototyping and experimental testing, with real-world evaluation of successive façade systems.
Prototypes will be tested at MATELab, TU Delft’s outdoor full-scale façade testing facility, under real weather conditions. The work combines experimentation and modelling to study heat resilience, ventilation, heat and moisture transfer, and indoor environmental performance, while also considering circular-design principles such as adaptability, reuse potential, and life-cycle environmental impacts.
You will be based across the Architectural Engineering + Technology department in the Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment and the Department of Materials, Mechanics, Management and Design in the Faculty of Civil Engineering and Geosciences. The position is supervised by Marc Ottelé, Alessandra Luna-Navarro, and Atze Boerstra, and you will collaborate with a postdoctoral researcher, three other PhD candidates, and research, industry, and public-sector partners in an interdisciplinary environment.
The role is suited to a researcher who enjoys combining experimentation, design, and stakeholder engagement to develop climate-responsive building solutions with direct relevance to the built environment sector.
Funding details
Funded PhD position with salary €3204–€4051 gross per month, plus 8% holiday allowance and an 8.3% end-of-year bonus, on a 4-year employment contract.
What's required
Applicants should hold an MSc in architecture, architectural engineering, civil engineering or a related field. They should have a strong interest in human perception, building physics, building design and climate change, and be motivated to combine experimental research, prototyping and environmental assessments. An affinity with measuring, modelling and analysing indoor and outdoor environmental conditions is expected, along with interest in developing façade design methods based on circular principles. Interdisciplinary collaboration with academic, industry and public-sector partners is important. Excellent oral and written communication skills in English are required, and English proficiency must meet TU Delft Graduate Schools Admission Requirements.
How to apply
Apply online via the application button no later than 11 November 2026. Upload a CV, a motivation letter of up to 600 words, copies of BSc and MSc degrees and transcripts, and names and contact details of at least three references. Do not send applications by email or post.
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