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PhD position in Design Integration of Bio-Inclusive Façade Interventions
What if building facades could do more than protect us from the hot weather? What if they could cool cities, support plant growth, enhance biodiversity and contribute to circular construction?
Job description
The Delft University of Technology (TU Delft) is hiring a doctoral candidate on the topic of “Climate-resilient buildings inspired by nature”.BIO-SKIN is developing a bio-based, waste-derived and circular façade with plant growth. The plants act as an extra layer of insulation and cool the building and its surroundings through shade and water evaporation. In addition, plants improve biodiversity and mitigate other urban challenges. Because the façade is made from bio-based, waste-derived and circular materials, it has a low carbon footprint. In BIO-SKIN, ecologists, materials scientists, industrial designers and lawyers are joining forces. The façade is being iteratively improved in BIO-SKIN via the BIO-SKIN Living Lab on ten existing buildings.
As a PhD candidate you will connect ecology, material choices, circularity, user/stakeholder acceptance, aesthetics, and Living Lab implementation. You will translate ecological, material, circularity, maintenance, aesthetic, and stakeholder requirements into actionable design principles, façade interventions, and a reusable design framework or canvas/toolkit.
The main focus is how ecological, material, circular, maintenance, aesthetic, and stakeholder requirements can be translated into actionable façade design interventions and a reusable design framework.
You will address the following research questions:
Q1: How can ecological, material, circularity, maintenance, and stakeholder requirements be translated into actionable design principles for bio-inclusive façade interventions?
Q2: How can façade interventions support plant growth, biodiversity, cooling, and water retention while remaining acceptable, meaningful, maintainable, and compatible with primary façade functions?
Q3: How can insights from BIO-SKIN be translated into a design canvas/toolkit for future nature-inclusive, biobased, and circular building components?
During your PhD, you will:
Review design strategies for energy-efficient and biodiversity-enhancing façade panels.
Translate ecological, material, technical and stakeholder requirements into façade design interventions.
Design, prototype and evaluate biophilic façade concepts integrating vegetation, water retention, circular materials and/or habitat-supporting features.
Collaborate with consortium and Living Lab partners to test and refine selected interventions in real-world settings.
Assess the environmental, aesthetic and social performance of the designs, including cooling, insulation, durability, maintenance, user perception and life cycle impact.
Develop design guidelines for circular, bio-based and biodiversity-supporting façade solutions.
The PhD will result in validated design interventions and guidelines for biophilic façade panels that support energy efficiency, biodiversity, circularity and climate-resilient urban design.
You will be based at TU Delft, Faculty of Industrial Design Engineering, Section Design for Sustainability, and supervised by Prof. dr. ir. Elvin Karana as promotor and Dr. ir. Sepideh Ghodrat as daily supervisor. You will collaborate with several BIO-SKIN partners, including TU Delft ChemE, WUR, AERES Hogeschool, Alliander, AMS Institute, NPSP, Springtij, Unitura, Van Ginkel and others.
You are expected to work one day per week at AMS Institute in Amsterdam, together with other PhD researchers involved in the BIO-SKIN project.
Job requirements
Driven, enthusiastic and independent thinker
With a master’s degree (MSc) in industrial design engineering, material design, environmental design, or a related field.
Experience with prototyping, material testing and experimentation, façade design, circular design, bio-based materials, or sustainability assessment is highly appreciated.
Be interested in interdisciplinary research and comfortable working with designers, engineers, ecologists, material scientists, municipalities, industry partners, and Living Lab stakeholders.
Experience with, or interest in, environmental sensing technologies, ecological sensing, and their integration into design processes is considered a plus.
Proficiency in English (written and spoken) is essential.
TU Delft (Delft University of Technology)
Working at TU Delft means contributing to solutions that really make a difference.
For over 180 years, we have been training engineers who make an impact worldwide in companies, government bodies, or as entrepreneurs. Our alumni turn knowledge into concrete solutions for the challenges of today and tomorrow. These challenges are changing rapidly. That is why we focus on themes such as energy, climate, digitalisation, artificial intelligence (AI), and smart mobility every day. Our education and research are directly aligned with what society needs now and in the future.
At TU Delft, our people make the difference. With their knowledge and curiosity, our staff provide a high-quality education and conduct pioneering research that extends beyond the campus. You will have the opportunity to take the initiative, work with others, and grow as a professional. Working at TU Delft means join an international community of professionals and students. Together, we create knowledge, innovations, and solutions that help move the world forward.
Faculty Industrial Design Engineering
Matching the evolution of people with the speed of the revolution of technology. This is the focus of the Faculty of Industrial Design Engineering (IDE). Delft designers act as a bridge between advances in technology and the needs of people, organisations and society to create products, services and systems with purpose.
IDE is a leader in design research across the application areas of mobility, sustainability and health, as well as its development of design tools and methods. A 350-strong research team and over 2,000 students work together in our inspiring hall, labs and studios.
In close cooperation with industry, the public sector and NGOs we rehearse possible futures in research and education to design for a complex future.
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Conditions of employment
Doctoral candidates will be offered a 4-year period of employment in principle, but in the form of 2 employment contracts. An initial 1,5 year contract with an official go/no go progress assessment within 15 months. Followed by an additional contract for the remaining 2,5 years assuming everything goes well and performance requirements are met.
Salary and benefits are in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities , increasing from Promovendus gross per month, from the first year to the fourth year based on a fulltime contract (38 hours), plus 8% holiday allowance and an end-of-year bonus of 8.3%.
As a PhD candidate you will be enrolled in the TU Delft Graduate School. The TU Delft Graduate School provides an inspiring research environment with an excellent team of supervisors, academic staff and a mentor. The Doctoral Education Programme is aimed at developing your transferable, discipline-related and research skills.
The TU Delft offers a customisable compensation package, discounts on health insurance, and a monthly work costs contribution. Flexible work schedules can be arranged.
Will you need to relocate to the Netherlands for this job? TU Delft is committed to make your move as smooth as possible! The HR unit, Coming to Delft Service, offers information on their website to help you prepare your relocation. In addition, Coming to Delft Service organises events to help you settle in the Netherlands, and expand your (social) network in Delft. A Dual Career Programme is available, to support your accompanying partner with their job search in the Netherlands.
Application procedure
Applicants should send their CV, a cover letter outlining motivations and qualifications, and an example of their writing. The closing date for the vacancy is 3 August 2026.
For information about the application procedure, please contact Dr. Sepideh Ghodrat (
[email protected])
Doing a PhD at TU Delft requires English proficiency at a certain level to ensure that the candidate is able to communicate and interact well, participate in English-taught Doctoral Education courses, and write scientific articles and a final thesis. For more details please check the Graduate Schools Admission Requirements.
Please note:
You can apply online. We will not process applications sent by email and/or post.
As part of knowledge security, TU Delft conducts a risk assessment during the recruitment of personnel. We do this, among other things, to prevent the unwanted transfer of sensitive knowledge and technology. The assessment is based on information provided by the candidates themselves, such as their motivation letter and CV, and takes place at the final stages of the selection process. When the outcome of the assessment is negative, the candidate will be informed. The processing of personal data in the context of the risk assessment is carried out on the legal basis of the GDPR: performing a public task in the public interest. You can find more information about this assessment on our website about knowledge security.
Please do not contact us for unsolicited services.
Faculty/Department: Faculty of Industrial Design Engineering
Salary range: €3059 - €3881
Submission is possible until: 3 Aug 2026
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