Building Back Circular: Digitalising Construction for Climate-Resilient Recovery

About the Project

We are inviting applications for a PhD project that investigates how advanced digital technologies can accelerate the adoption of circular economy (CE) principles in the built environment. This research will develop innovative strategies and tools to drive resource efficiency, waste reduction, and sustainable lifecycle management of buildings and infrastructure.

The construction industry is the largest global consumer of raw materials and a major generator of waste and carbon emissions. Its reliance on linear “take–make–use–dispose” models is no longer viable in the face of climate change, rapid urbanisation, and resource scarcity. Circular economy principles reduce, reuse, recycle, and recover offer a powerful alternative by closing material loops and designing for longevity, adaptability, and resilience.

Yet, compared to other sectors, the construction industry lags in CE adoption. Barriers include fragmented data and processes, lack of consistent tools, uncertainties around cost and material availability, and limited stakeholder engagement. This PhD addresses these challenges by focusing on the transformative role of digital technologies.

Emerging tools such as Building Information Modelling (BIM), Digital Twins, and Artificial Intelligence (AI) provide unprecedented opportunities to embed circularity at scale. These technologies enable real-time data exchange, predictive design, material traceability, and collaborative decision-making essential to transition towards a digitally enabled circular built environment.

Research Objectives

• Identify barriers and opportunities for deploying digital technologies to support CE in construction.
• Develop an integrated digital model leveraging BIM, Digital Twins, and AI for CE practices such as material passports, adaptive reuse, and deconstruction planning.
• Test and validate the model through case studies or simulations, demonstrating measurable outcomes for sustainability and circularity.
• Generate actionable guidance for industry stakeholders to implement digital workflows that enable circular and resilient construction.

Expected Impact

• Scientific Contribution: Advance knowledge on how digital technologies can operationalise CE across the building lifecycle.
• Industry Transformation: Provide practical, scalable solutions for smarter design, resource efficiency, and carbon reduction.
• Societal Benefit: Support the development of climate-resilient, sustainable cities that reduce waste and maximise resource value.
• Global Relevance: scalability for digitally enabled circular practices with global applications.

This PhD offers the opportunity to shape the future of sustainable construction by bridging digital innovation with circular economy principles. It will equip the candidate to work at the cutting edge of climate adaptation, resilience, and urban sustainability while delivering research with tangible real-world impact.

Academic qualifications

Have, or expect to achieve by the time of start of the studentship a first-class honours degree, or a distinction at master level, with a good fundamental knowledge of Circular Economy & Sustainability, Construction and Built Environment, Digital Technologies in Construction, Artificial Intelligence & Data Analytics, Climate Adaptation & Resilience

English language requirement

IELTS score must be at least 6.5 (with not less than 6.0 in each of the four components). Other, equivalent qualifications will be accepted. Full details of the University’s policy are available online.

Essential attributes:

• Only a first-class honours degree, or a distinction at master level in a subject relevant to the PhD project will be considered, or equivalent achievements.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills to tackle complex, interdisciplinary challenges.
• Ability to critically engage with both technical (digital tools, data analysis) and sustainability concepts.
• Competence in handling and interpreting digital modelling tools (e.g., BIM, Digital Twins).
• Research skills: literature review, conceptual modelling, and methodological design.
• Good written and verbal communication skills for academic writing and stakeholder engagement.
• Motivation and independence to drive innovative research, with openness to collaboration across disciplines.
• Curiosity, creativity, and resilience in exploring future-focused, real-world solutions.

Desirable attributes:

• Practical experience in research or industry will be considered an advantage.

APPLICATION CHECKLIST

• Completed application form
• CV
• 2 academic references, using the Postgraduate Educational Reference Form (download)
• Research project outline of 2 pages (list of references excluded). The outline may provide details about
  1. Background and motivation of the project. The motivation, explaining the importance of the project, should be supported also by relevant literature. You can also discuss the applications you expect for the project results.
  2. Research questions or objectives.
  3. Methodology: types of data to be used, approach to data collection, and data analysis methods.
  4. List of references.
• The outline must be created solely by the applicant. Supervisors can only offer general discussions about the project idea without providing any additional support.
• Statement no longer than 1 page describing your motivations and fit with the project.
• Evidence of proficiency in English (if appropriate)

To be considered, the application must use

• the advertised title as project title

For informal enquiries about this PhD project, please contact l.khaddour@napier.ac.uk