PhD Stipend in AI-supported computational design workflows for sustainable and performance-driven architecture

Vacant position

PhD Stipend in AI-supported computational design workflows for sustainable and performance-driven architecture

Aalborg

Deadline: 29.01.2026

Department: Department of Architecture

Ref number: 2026/47

Employment type: Full Time

Aalborg

Deadline: 29.01.2026

Department: Department of Architecture

Ref number: 2026/47

Employment type: Full Time

Vacant position

Aalborg

Deadline: 29.01.2026

Department: Department of Architecture

Ref number: 2026/47

Employment type: Full Time

Aalborg

Deadline: 29.01.2026

Department: Department of Architecture

Ref number: 2026/47

Employment type: Full Time

The Department of Architecture, Design and Media Technology at the Technical Faculty of IT and Design at Aalborg University, invites applications for a 3-year Ph.D. scholarship focusing on AI-supported and performance-driven design methods in architecture, available from 1st of March 2025 or as soon as possible thereafter.

Your work tasksThe PhD stipend is financed by Aalborg University as part of a new initiative establishing a generative sustainability lab between the Department of Sustainability and Planning and the Department of Architecture, Design and Media Technology. This interdisciplinary lab will include two PhD students and a cross-disciplinary team of supervisors. The team members, including the two PhD students, will collaborate closely to bridge technical development and creative design processes. The lab will provide access to shared resources, joint supervision, and interdisciplinary training in AI, Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), and computational design tools.

The objective of the project is to explore how generative AI can be integrated into the early stages of the architectural design process to improve sustainability-driven decision-making. A main challenge is finding ways to link AI-driven creativity with clear environmental performance feedback early in the architectural design process. This phase is characterized by high uncertainty in data availability and design parameters. Importantly, the AI implementation should act as a facilitator of creativity, enhancing and inspiring the early architectural design phase rather than constraining or replacing it. The goal is to understand how a trustworthy LCA AI assistant can provide meaningful and actionable feedback early in the creative design process. This requires addressing questions such as:

• What role can AI-based design tools play in shaping material choices, structural properties, and life cycle performance?
• How can uncertainty in LCA results during early design stages be modeled and communicated, ensuring that sustainability insights remain actionable despite incomplete or evolving data?

The successful PhD candidates will be expected to:

• Work closely with the other PhD student in the interdisciplinary lab to bridge environmental concerns and creative design processes.
• Investigate novel computational and performance-driven design workflows and their impact on creative thinking and ideation within the early stages of the architectural design process.
• Implement computational-based approaches for the exploration of sustainable design solutions utilizing generative AI and advanced computational design technologies (ex. Rhino 3D, Grasshopper, Python).
• Explore new trajectories for the advancement of AI-supported integrated architecture and its potential impact on the build environment.
• Contribute to developing open-source tools and code repositories
• Produce high-level scientific publications and present findings at international conferences.
• Carry out teaching activities as part of the PhD program.

Your competenciesThe ideal candidate for these projects has excellent academic qualifications, strong self-motivation, and a genuine interest in environmental issues, design, and AI. Preferably, the candidate has experi