PhD Position in Uncertainty- -Cycle Modelling Building Renovation Decision-Making

PhD Position in Uncertainty-Based Life-Cycle Modelling for Building Renovation Decision-Making

Challenge:
Design building renovations under future uncertainty.

Change:
Develop uncertainty-aware life-cycle methods to optimise renovation.
Impact:
Enable robust decisions for sustainable buildings.

Job description
Delft University of Technology is hiring a PhD researcher on “Uncertainty-based Life-Cycle Modelling for Building Renovation Decision-Making”. The PhD position is part of the Horizon Europe CLIMABUILD project.

The candidate will develop probabilistic life-cycle modelling methods to support stakeholders in identifying robust and resilient building renovation strategies. The research will address current limitations in renovation planning by integrating lifecycle performance, climate risks, indoor comfort requirements, sustainability objectives and future uncertainties into a unified decision-making framework. The candidate will develop probabilistic modelling and stress-testing approaches, including Monte Carlo simulations and sensitivity analyses, to evaluate renovation strategies under uncertainties related to climate change, energy systems, market conditions, regulations and component lifetimes.

The developed methods will support the identification of performance thresholds and robust renovation solutions under changing future conditions. The research outcomes will contribute to an explainable decision-support framework capable of visualizing renovation scenarios and communicating recommendations to stakeholders. Validation will be performed through real-world, multi-climate demonstration cases within the CLIMABUILD project. The candidate will work at the intersection of climate resilience assessment, life-cycle modelling and uncertainty quantification.

The successful candidate will collaborate with three research groups within the Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment:
Structures and Materials (restructgroup), Building Design & Technology (architectural-facades-products) and Environmental & Climate Design (climate-energy-circularity). The position is funded for 48 months, during which the candidate will conduct PhD research and contribute to the broader CLIMABUILD research agenda. The project offers opportunities to collaborate with international industrial and academic partners from related disciplines, including digital technologies, civil engineering, architecture and risk science.

About CLIMABUILD:
The project develops a next-generation digital ecosystem for deep renovation by introducing the Sustained Resilience approach, which integrates climate adaptation and long-term sustainability across the building lifecycle. Combining AI-enhanced digital twins, immersive technologies and participatory co-creation, the project enables citizens, practitioners and public authorities to jointly develop and evaluate renovation strategies. Demonstrated across four European countries, CLIMABUILD aims to accelerate building decarbonization while strengthening resilience against multiple climate hazards.

Job requirements

• You have a MSc degree in Building Technology, Civil Engineering, Architectural Engineering, or a related discipline.
• You have building-related knowledge and knowledge of one or more of the following areas: building performance simulation, lifecycle assessment, or climate resilience.
• Knowledge of uncertainty quantification and risk modelling is desirable.
• You have experience with programming and data analysis (e.g., Python).
• You have strong analytical skills and interest in interdisciplinary research.
• You have excellent oral and written communication skills in English proven by a minimum score of 100 in TOEFL or IELTS of 7.0 per sub-skill (writing, reading, listening, speaking). For more details please check the Graduate Schools Admission Requirements.
• You are able to work independently, take initiative and collaborate effectively in a multidisciplinary team.
• You are motivated to develop innovative methods addressing real-world challenges in sustainable and resilient building renovation.

TU Delft (Delft University of Technology)

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