100%, Zurich, fixed-term
The Chair of the History and Theory of Urban Design (Prof. Dr. Tom Avermaete) at the Institute for the History and Theory of Architecture (gta), ETH Zürich, is looking for three doctoral candidates within the ERC Advanced Grant Project “Co-opolis: Another Architectural History of the European City (1890–1990).” The positions are expected to start in March 2027 and are fully funded for four years.
Project background
The ERC Project explores how third-sector actors, such as cooperatives, mutual aid societies, associations, and other collective institutions, co-produced the city following precise values and collectivist agendas centred on the shared provision, usage, and maintenance of built resources, resulting in housing and civic structures (e.g., people’s palaces, cultural centres) that complemented and shaped the urban spaces produced by the state and the market. To this end, the project compares selected examples from Sweden, France, and Switzerland from 1890 to 1990 to examine how the ideologies and practices of third-sector actors influenced the built environment within the evolving frameworks of European welfare states. The project seeks to demonstrate the contribution of collective initiatives to the making of contemporary European cities and to assess the lessons they can offer for current challenges such as affordable housing, social inclusion, and sustainable urban development.
Job description
The three PhD candidates within the “Co-opolis” project will investigate the conditions of emergence, spatial characteristics, and endurance of architectural and urban projects at the intersection of welfare regimes and third-sector collective actors in France, Sweden, and Switzerland over the project’s timeframe. Each candidate will focus on one of these countries, examining how housing projects and civic infrastructures developed through the initiatives of third-sector actors within different welfare regimes.
Specifically, the candidates will:
- Focus on the line of enquiry previously described, producing research on the case studies as well as bringing their own original ideas to the topic. For this reason, we ask potential candidates to include a short description of a possible research direction with the application documents.
- Complete the PhD dissertation within the given timeframe (March 2027–March 2031).
- Contribute to the activities and outputs of the overall ERC project, such as workshops, seminars, authoring articles, presenting their research at international conferences, and contributing to the project’s website.
- Actively engage with the courses and seminars of the PhD programme at the gta Institute, as well as in the academic activities of the Chair of the History and Theory of Urban Design, including participation in research discussions and occasional contributions to teaching activities, such as critiques, reviews, and examinations.
Profile
- We are looking for passionate candidates with an MSc degree in Architecture, History of Art, Social History, or closely related fields in the humanities, to be completed by the start of the position.
- Previous experience in publishing, as well as archival and historical research, is welcome.
- The working language is English.
- Candidates must also be proficient in the language relevant to their selected case-study country: French (France), German plus French and/or Italian (Switzerland), or Swedish (Sweden)
Workplace
Stefano-Franscini-Platz 1, 8049 Zürich, Switzerland
We offer
The successful candidates will join a stimulating and international research environment at the Chair of the History and Theory of Urban Design and Institute for the History and Theory of Architecture (gta), benefiting from close collaboration, structured mentoring, and opportunities to strengthen academic networks through conference participation, training, and teaching activities.
The positions are fully funded according to ETH Zürich doctoral salary conditions.
We value diversity and sustainability
In line with our values, ETH Zurich encourages an inclusive culture. We promote equality of opportunity, value diversity and nurture a working and learning environment in which the rights and dignity of all our staff and students are respected. Visit our Equal Opportunities and Diversity website to find out how we ensure a fair and open environment that allows everyone to grow and flourish. Sustainability is a core value for us – we are consistently working towards a climate-neutral future.
Curious? So are we.
We look forward to receiving your online application with the following documents:
- Motivation letter
- CV
- Short description of possible research direction (max. 1 page)
- Two reference contacts
Further information about the Chair of the History and Theory of Urban Design can be found at our website and repository. Questions regarding the position should be directed to Dr. Elettra Carnelli, carnelli@arch.ethz.ch (no applications).
Please note that we exclusively accept applications submitted through our online application portal. Applications via email or postal services will not be considered.
Applications will be accepted until 22 November 2026. For selected candidates, interviews will take place online on 17 December 2026.
We would like to point out that the pre-selection is carried out by the responsible recruiters and not by artificial intelligence.