Department of Architecture, Delft University of Technology
Academic Year 2020-2021
April 2021
INTRODUCTION
Under the auspices of the Graduate School of the Faculty of Architecture and the Built
Environment (Delft University of Technology), the Department of Architecture invites
PhD dissertation proposals to help expand its doctoral portfolio. We invite all interested
academic and/or professional candidates who are qualified to pursue PhD-level research
work aligned with the Department’s research agenda.
The research program of the Department consists of 10 Research Lines, and offers
a rich and challenging environment that provides rewarding research experience. The
Department’s research program is guided by a group of diverse critically acclaimed
scholars, leading professional academics and internationally acknowledged architects
(involved as professors of (design) practice). The research program facilitates in-depth,
independent research work that relates to the major themes of the research portfolio as
well as to its educational activities.
For the new round of PhD candidacies, the Department will accept and consider
proposals that will contribute to its existing research portfolio, based on four specific and
pre-defined topics. The successful candidates will be expected to contribute innovative,
leading-edge research work to the Department of Architecture and its research portfolio.
THE ‘X AGENDAS FOR ARCHITECTURE’ RESEARCH PROGRAM
Under the heading ‘X Agendas for Architecture’, the Department of Architecture’s
research program consists of 10 Research Lines, which are: ‘Architecture and the City’;
‘Borders & Territories’; ‘Situated Architecture’; ‘Global Housing’; ‘Architecture, Culture
and Modernity’; ‘Digital Culture’; ‘Ecologies of Architecture’; ‘History’; ‘Architectural
Pedagogies’ and ‘Design Research’. The research carried out by the Department of
Architecture distinguishes itself by a focus on architecture as a cultural field of expertise; a
field in which making and thinking are inextricably linked. The research programme
regards the architectural project as the junction where a complex combination of cultural,
social, artistic, material, functional, economic and ecological factors is articulated as a
concrete spatial proposal. The research groups within the program can be distinguished
by their focus on a particular aspect of architectural expertise that is relevant in addressing
contemporary societal and scientific questions, involving both theory and practice.
PHD PROJECTS
For this round of an Open Call for PhD Proposals, the Department has outlined four
research topics, each constituting a potential contribution to its research portfolio.
PhD Trajectory #01:
Design, Regulation and Resilience: The Architecture of Cooperative Housing
PhD Trajectory #02:
Conflict Mediations
PhD Trajectory #03:
The Business of Architecture
PhD Trajectory #04:
Governing the Global South: Material and Population Flows of Cold War Era
Designs
For complete information, consult the attached pdf:
GENERAL INFORMATION PhD RESEARCH PROJECTS
All four PhD candidates will conduct scholarly research and other related activities. The
candidates will be fully integrated into the Department of Architecture’s research staff,
working closely with the respective members of the Research Lines. Each research group
will provide a collaborative platform for gaining extensive experience and skills for
independent research work.
The successful candidates must be able to:
situate the dissertation within the Department of Architecture’s research interests;
illustrate clearly the hypothesis and the theoretical framework the dissertation seeks to explicate;
demonstrate the proposed dissertation’s value and contribution to the existing discourse;
elaborate on the ambition of the research work.
The PhD track will commence with academic hospitality for an 18 months period, with
a Go No Go review after 12 months. The review panel of both external and internal
jurors will evaluate the research work for its scientific quality and will evaluate the
development of the candidate. When both aspects are deemed satisfactory, the track will
be extended for an additional period of 2,5 years. We expect completion of a PhD thesis
in approximately four years in total. The Department of Architecture’s will appoint the
promoter, co-promoter as well as daily supervisor (as indicated in this brief). Please note
that TU Delft does not provide financial support and that the candidate has to
demonstrate the availability of funding to sustain her/himself during the PhD research.
However, the Department of Architecture, in cooperation with the faculty’s Graduate
School and Valorization Centre, will fully and actively support applications of accepted
candidates with respect to external funding.
All specific conditions will be determined according to the TU Delft’s Doctorate.
Regulations and the Graduate School rules, to be found on:
Additional Graduate School requirements are described online:
SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS
Cover letter (one A4 or US Letter page)
The applicant should elaborate on the personal motivations, interests, and aspirations behind pursuing a PhD degree and describe the qualifications. The applicant should explicitly argue how the proposal is closely aligned with the Department’s research interests. Specify the area of focus and elaborate on how the applicant’s research proposal pertains to this area.
Full CV
The CV should contain comprehensive chronological information on your academic and professional experience, as well as any pertinent record of publication. (Do not include any information prior to the first year of your university-level education.)
The CV should also include the names and contact information of three referents or recommenders. Also mention in which capacity they are familiar with your qualifications and capabilities (e.g. teacher, employer, colleague, etc.). Do not enclose any letters of reference or recommendation in the proposal package. We will contact your referents/recommenders directly.