Royal Danish Academy PhD scholarship Institute of Architecture and Space; Topic: Wood Hybrids

Position: The Royal Danish Academy posts vacant PhD scholarship at the Institute of Architecture and Space (Topic: Wood Hybrids
A PhD scholarship is offered at 'The Royal Danish Academy - Architecture, Design and Conservation' in the following topic: 'Wood Hybrids in Architecture'.

Framework

This is a call for a 3-year fully funded PhD Scholarship at the Institute of Architecture and Space, CEMAS - Center for Material Studies, to advance the ongoing research in the field of wood hybrids and thermal design in Architecture.

The topic focuses on material studies based on the combination of wood species for building parts, combined with thermal design and machine learning methods.

The PhD project is connected to ongoing research projects focused on hybrid species analysis and design, featuring structural, acoustic and thermal aspects through hybrid wood species investigations. The project is closely connected to existing projects with partners at Danish universities and industrial partners, allowing the PhD candidate access to a larger network of researchers and practitioners through the research position and project.

The PhD will start on 1 September 2026 or soon hereafter. Final date to receive applications is 28 June 2026.

General Project Summary

Currently, architecture and the construction sector are gravitating towards a more sustainable built environment through the use of wood. However, forests and ecosystems cannot sustain a depletion of living or dead trees for the construction of the built environment.

New knowledge and methods are required to better understand and use multi-stream wood residues that enable better use of the available biogenic materials and activate these materials to modulate heat distribution in buildings, which drives both human thermal sensations and the energy budget of buildings.

Material streams from agricultural land areas, industrial material processing and building demolition create a vast and complex composition of wood residues. The diversity of these raw and processed materials creates a pool of basic materials that require advanced analysis, organisation, and restructuring to be used as ordinary and high-value architectural building components.

The PhD project will explore
1) multi-stream analysis of wood-based residues for wood hybrid building parts,
2) fabrication methods and techniques for the composition of wood hybrids,
3) characterisation of wood hybrids for specific thermal and expressive qualities and
4) full-scale prototyping and testing. Research evolves through cascading experiments, involving theoretical and empirical investigations.

PhD Focus

The PhD project has the following clear focus area:

• Investigation into wood hybrid composites for building parts.
• Investigation into thermal characteristics and design of building elements.
• Machine learning methods for material analysis and design.
• Fabrication methods for wood hybrid composites.
• Scalability of the design and construction methods.

Applicant's Eligibility

The candidate must hold an educational degree equvivalent to a Danish master's degree (180 ECTS/3 FTE BSc + 120 ECTS/2 FTE MSc) in one of the fields below:

• Architecture
• Architectural Technology
• Architectural Engineering

The candidate will investigate the material and geometric analysis and design of grass-based building parts, with applications from façade elements to parts related to building interior transformations. Therefore, the candidate is expected to expand and develop knowledge in the areas of biogenic materials for buildings, fibre-based composites, thermal behaviour and performances of building elements and fabrication methods and processes for the fabrication of the grass-composites.

If you have previous knowledge and experience with studies below, your application will be prioritized:

• Material studies with a focus on natural fibers and natural binders.
• Computational studies, with a focus on machine learning and thermal simulations.
• Prototyping Studies, with a focus on full-scale building part making and testing.

Previous experience in the following topics is advantageous, but not required:

• Python/Coding competencies
• Thermal and hygroscopic testing of building parts

If educational degrees have been obtained abroad, the education must be assessed by the Danish Agency for…