Doctoral Candidate, History and Theory of Urban Design and Architecture

About the role

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 Zurich, is offering three doctoral positions 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, last four years and are fully funded according to ETH doctoral salary conditions.

The project studies how third-sector actors (cooperatives, mutual aid societies, associations and other collective institutions) co-produced the city between 1890 and 1990, comparing examples from Sweden, France and Switzerland. Candidates will each focus on one country and examine housing projects and civic infrastructures developed by third-sector actors within different welfare regimes.

Key responsibilities

• Produce research on the chosen case study, investigating the emergence, spatial characteristics and endurance of architectural and urban projects at the intersection of welfare regimes and third-sector actors, and bring original ideas to the topic.
• Write the PhD dissertation within the period March 2027 to March 2031.
• Contribute to the ERC project's activities and outputs, such as workshops, seminars, articles, presentations at international conferences and the project website.
• Take part in the PhD programme courses and seminars, research discussions and occasional teaching activities such as critiques, reviews and examinations.

Required profile

• MSc degree in Architecture, History of Art, Social History or a closely related humanities field, completed by the start of the position.
• Previous experience in publishing, archival and historical research is welcome.
• English is the working language.
• Proficiency in the language of the chosen case-study country: French (France), German plus French and/or Italian (Switzerland), or Swedish (Sweden).

What we offer

• A stimulating, international research environment with close collaboration and structured mentoring.
• Opportunities to build academic networks through conferences, training and teaching.
• Full funding according to ETH doctoral salary conditions.

Applications are made online through the university's application portal, with a motivation letter, CV, a short description of a possible research direction (max. 1 page) and two reference contacts. Applications close on 22 November 2026; interviews are scheduled for 17 December 2026.