Smart Buildings & Cities EngD program

The Smart Buildings & Cities EngD program wants to contribute to the transition towards smart, intelligent and sustainable cities where quality of life is high. This transition requires new solutions which can only be created through multiscale and transdisciplinary (design) approaches. This requires technical designers who are able to work in a multidisciplinary environment and know how to communicate with different disciplines and stake holders. This EngD program educates trainees to become those technical designers! Please note that this program is about technological design, i.e., the process of solving problems by means of a technological design, this in contrast to (PhD) research, which is the process of understanding problems.

The Department of the Built Environment of the Eindhoven University of Technology offers you a trainee position to follow a two-year post-master technological designer program, which leads to the degree of 'Engineering Doctorate' (EngD). The program consists of two main parts running in parallel:

• Half of the program consists of post-master level education in the form of generic design projects and courses about design methods, entrepreneurship and professional skills. Furthermore, it includes several technical courses about topics relevant to SBC. This part of the program also offers ample opportunity to develop professional skills.
• The other half of the program is dedicated to an individual design project in collaboration with a company. It is the trainees main responsibility to manage and execute the project. Each trainee is supported by an advisor from the company and an advisor from the university. A business plan for implementation or marketing of the designed product or process is part of the final deliverables.

This company design project is part of a new R&D effort that intends to set a world record for window integrated PV. The proposed system consists of a reflective between-pane solar shading system combined with bi-facial PV cellstripes in the glazing, where the idea is to harvest electricity through both reflection and absorption, while contributing to a positive indoor environmental quality. This project will develop a simulation framework to quantify the potential added value of such a system (in terms of thermal performance, daylighting and electricity harvesting) and provides ideas about what can be done to further optimize it.

The EngD trainee will be embedded in the Building Performance Group at TU/e www.tue.nl/buildingperformance.

We are looking for an excellent and highly motivated candidate with:

• An MSc degree in Architectural Engineering, Building Science, Building, Civil, Mechanical or Environmental Engineering, or equivalent. Interest in physical processes (heat, air and moisture transfer) in the built environment, sustainable energy technologies and computational building performance simulation is essential.
• An interest in developing new sustainable technologies and applications for the built
• environment.
• An academic attitude in order to develop new technologies and perform applied research with an integral view on what is needed for the future built environment.
• An excellent command of the English language, both in speaking and writing.

• A meaningful job in a dynamic and ambitious university with a close relationship to industry.
• A full-time employment for two years.
• To support you during your EngD and to prepare you for the rest of your career, you will have free access to a personal development program for EngD trainees.
• A gross monthly salary and benefits in accordance with the Collective Labor Agreement for Dutch Universities.
• Additionally, an annual holiday allowance of 8% of the yearly salary, plus a year-end allowance of 8.3% of the annual salary.
• A broad package of fringe benefits, including an excellent technical infrastructure, moving expenses, and savings schemes.
• Family-friendly initiatives are in place, such as an international spouse program, and excellent on-campus children day care and sports facilities.
• Assistance for finding accommodation is offered.