We are looking for a passionate, creative, and communicative researcher with a master’s degree in architectural engineering, architecture, or equivalent.
The candidate should have a strong interest in performing scientific research in relation to and through design with special attention for human diversity. Experience in working on built heritage is an asset, but not a must.
The candidate should have distinguished themselves during the studies (excellent grades and/or publications) and should aim to acquire a PhD degree in the course of four years.
The candidate is expected to
1. have a clear interest in and relevant knowledge about the subject, based on education, work or research experience. Experience with designing architecture for later life is an asset;
2. have the capability to work both independently and in an international and multidisciplinary research team;
3. have proficiency in English;
4. have the capability to work with design methods as a form of inquiry;
5. have the capability to effectively communicate in different contexts related to the PhD and with diverse stakeholders, including professional architects/designers, heritage experts, and end users (e.g. older people);
6. conduct fieldwork in built heritage contexts (e.g., conducting interviews with architects/designers, clients, and/or end-users; fieldwork may be planned in built heritage projects depending on the exact project goals);
7. write scientific papers and publish in international journals;
8. present research findings at international academic conferences;
9. assist in guiding Master’s thesis work and/or other teaching tasks.
Built heritage holds potential to serve as a bridge between generations and cultures, by reducing the physical and social isolation of people in later life or otherwise at risk of isolation. At the same time, leveraging the potential of heritage buildings as places that welcome people of different ages, abilities, and cultures is not straightforward: on the one hand, guaranteeing present-day spatial qualities, including accessibility and safety, is often assumed to be a heavy burden on the affordability or even at odds with conservation of heritage values; on the other hand, heritage buildings carry traces of different views on human diversity than are common today, raising questions about how to deal with social concerns in the present.
Starting from the capacity of design trajectories to address paradoxes and hold complexity, the PhD position concerns doctoral research that will investigate the possibilities and limits of design in reconciling seemingly irreconcilable requirements. As such, it will contribute to realizing the potential of built heritage to contribute to quality of life across different ages, abilities, and cultures.
Design-based inquiry will be used in combination with close empirical study, both to analyse existing design proposals and to iteratively explore alternative spatial moves in dialogue with stakeholders; including designers, heritage experts, clients, and (potential) end-users.
The PhD research will be supervised by prof. Stijn Cools (corresponding supervisor) and prof. Ann Heylighen (supervisor).
This vacant position is part of the Suzanne Generet Chair on built heritage and well-being, a collaborative research and education initiative that aims to expand the knowledge on how the repurposing of heritage buildings can contribute to our quality of life in later life or when we are (otherwise) at risk of isolation. The Chair is a joint initiative of four research groups in the Department of Architecture at KU Leuven – (1) Laboratory for Architecture and Practice (L/A\P), (2) Perspectives on Architecture from the Distant Past, (3) Research[x]Design (RxD), and (4) Urban Projects, Collective Spaces and Local Identities – in close collaboration with researchers from other disciplines at KU Leuven and beyond. The Chair is led by prof. Ann Heylighen and prof. Gisèle Gantois. The PhD candidate will work across the L/A\P and Research[x]Design groups, in close collaboration with team members in other units. L/A\P links design research, research by design, academic research, architecture practice and design education in the study program of architectural engineering at the Faculty of Engineering Science in Leuven. The Research[x]Design group conducts research 'about' design, 'for' design, and 'through' design with an eye to making spaces healthier, more engaging, and more inclusive.
The successful candidate will receive
10. a PhD scholarship for a period of 1 year to start with, to be extended after successful evaluation, with the starting date from 1st of September 2026 (or as soon as possible thereafter);
11. a PhD degree in Engineering: architecture (if the PhD is successfully completed);
12. a workplace within a dynamic, multidisciplinary and multicultural research team that values diversity;
13. the opportunity to follow courses on generic skills (e.g. language, academic writing) and/or topics relevant to the research;
14. multiple benefits (health insurance, access to university infrastructure and sports facilities, etc.);
15. KU Leuven affiliation, an international community where innovative research forms the basis of all our academic programs;
16. opportunity to participate in research collaborations and international conferences.