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.
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.
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, and 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).
Applications will be accepted until 22 November 2026. Please note that we exclusively accept applications submitted through our online application portal. Applications via email or postal services will not be considered. For selected candidates, interviews will take place online on 17 December 2026.
Further information about the Chair of the History and Theory of Urban Design can be found at our website and repository.