KELLER EASTERLING Medium Design

27.11.2019, 14.30–16.00 | ONA Focushalle E7, Neunbrunnenstr. 50, 8050 Zürich (Oerlikon). In conversation with Marc Angélil, Arno Brandlhuber, Charlotte Malterre Barthes, and Milica Topalović. KELLER EASTERLING is an architect, professor at Yale, and one of the most eloquent theorists of architecture and design. In ‘Medium Design’ (Strelka Press, 2018) Easterling argues that design tools are often inadequate to Mehr

Architecture of Territory. Territorial Design in Histories, Theories and Projects

Core Course on Thursdays, starting 20 September, 10:00–12:00 | ETH Zurich, Oerlikon, ONA E7, Neunbrunnenstr. 50. This lecture series sets up the agenda for widening the disciplinary field of architecture and urbanism from their focus on the city, or the urban in the narrow sense, to wider territorial scales, which correspond to Mehr

Sessions on Territory – Urbanism and the Anthropocene: Ecology

Lecture Series: 6 Sessions on selected Mondays, 16:00–18:00 | ETH Zurich Oerlikon, ONA Focushalle E7, Neunbrunnenstr. 50. Sessions on Territory is a series of public debates on the political economy of architecture and territory. Focusing on how the epoch of the Anthropocene reframes our conceptions of the urban and shapes new ecologies, the Mehr

Urban and Rural Transformations, Addis Ababa, 2016. © Sascha Delz, ETH Zürich.
Urbane und landschaftliche Transformationen, Addis Abeba, 2016. © Sascha Delz, ETH Zürich.

Call for applications

The Institute of Landscape and Urban Studies (LUS) at the ETH Zurich Department of Architecture invites applications for one doctoral fellowship position. The fellowship will start on 1 October 2025, with a 100% workload, based in Zurich, and is fixed-term for three-and-a-half  years.

The LUS Doctoral Programme

The doctoral programme at the Institute of Landscape and Urban Studies (LUS), ETH Zurich D-ARCH, tackles contemporary challenges in urban and environmental transformation within broader socio-cultural, political-economic, and theoretical contexts. In light of the planetary crises, the programme fosters critical discourse and supports independent, innovative, and proactive research aimed at addressing urgent socio-ecological issues.

The LUS Institute examines the production of landscapes, territories, and human settlements across various scales and diverse global geographies, including Switzerland, Europe, and other territories in the so-called Global North and Global South. Key research areas encompass designed ecologies, energy landscapes, agroecology, hydrology, regenerative agriculture, adaptive infrastructures, more-than-human landscapes, indigenous territories, housing, and socio-economic development.

The doctoral programme at the Institute adopts an inter- and transdisciplinary approach, integrating architecture, landscape architecture, urban and territorial design, planning, urban theory and history, as well as the social sciences. It embraces a diverse range of methodologies, including qualitative and quantitative approaches, ranging from multispecies ethnography to critical cartography and participatory action research to non-representational methodologies.

The doctoral programme is conducted in English and currently has an enrolment of 25 participants. The LUS doctoral programme encourages both individual research and collaborative engagement within the doctoral community, fostering a vibrant academic environment. The programme offers a variety of platforms for interaction and exchange, including the LUS methods seminar, institute-wide colloquia, workshops, and doctoral reviews. Embedded in the dynamic doctoral education environment of the Department of Architecture at ETH Zurich, the LUS doctoral programme maintains an active collaboration with the doctoral programme at the Institute of History and Theory of Architecture (gta), ETH Zurich. This collaboration enhances interdisciplinary perspectives and expands research opportunities for participants.

Participating Chairs at the LUS

While it is advantageous for the proposed research to align with the individual and/or collective research agendas of the participating chairs at the LUS Institute, candidates are also encouraged to apply with independent research topics that resonate with the Institute’s broader areas of expertise and competencies.

The LUS Institute currently consists of seven chairs, each contributing uniquely to its diverse research landscape:

Applicant Profile

We are seeking individuals with a background in architecture, landscape architecture, urban and territorial design and planning, and the social sciences, who have strong research or design experience and can benefit from the inter- and transdisciplinary engagements offered by the Institute.

Applicants must hold a university diploma or master’s degree obtained at university level (equivalent to FHEQ Level 7) in architecture, landscape architecture, urban design, urban planning, social sciences, or related fields.

Additionally, applicants should demonstrate excellent research and writing skills.

We offer

The programme provides funding for up to three-and-a-half years. You will be employed at full employment (100% pensum), based on the ETH Zurich doctoral student contract, with monthly salaries according to the ‘standard rate’. For a detailed calculation of salaries, please refer to this link.

You are required to take up residency in Zurich during the period of the scholarship. Working, teaching and research at ETH Zurich

We value diversity

In line with our values, ETH Zurich encourages an inclusive culture. We promote equality of opportunity, value diversity and nurture a working and learning environment in which the rights and dignity of all our staff and students are respected. Visit our Equal Opportunities and Diversity website to find out how we ensure a fair and open environment that allows everyone to grow and flourish.

Curious? So are we.

Applications should be addressed directly to the Institute of Landscape and Urban Studies (LUS), rather than to individual professors. Please note that applications will be evaluated solely based on their content; applicants are therefore requested not to contact individual professors prior to applying.We look forward to receiving your online application, including the following documents by 15 March 2025, 23:59 CET:

1.     Letter of Motivation (1 page).

2.     Outline for the Proposed Research Project (4 pages + addendums). The document should include the research title, a review of the current state-of-the-art related to the proposed topic, clearly defined research questions, articulated aims and objectives, anticipated formats for publication, and the rationale for why the LUS Institute is an ideal host for the proposed research. The main content must adhere to the 4-page limit, using 11 pt font and single-spacing. Supplementary pages may include up to three illustrations (maps, drawings, images), a bibliography, and a project timeline.

3.     Curriculum Vitae (including publications, portfolio, and work samples, maximum 10 pages).

4.     Published Piece of Writing (if available, 1 text, maximum 15 pages).

5.     Names, Affiliations, and Email Addresses of 2 Referees

Please note that applications missing any of the required documents listed above and/or exceeding the specified page limits will not be considered for evaluation.

The programme exclusively accepts application documents submitted through the ETH online application portal. Applications submitted via email or postal mail will not be considered.

For further information about the programme, the participating faculty, and the application process, please visit this page.

Application Timeline

  • 15 March 2025: Submission deadline (23:59 CET).
  • April 2025: Notification to shortlisted candidates.
  • Early May 2025: Interviews with shortlisted candidates.
  • End of May 2025: Notification to successful applicants.
  • 1 October 2025: Start of the programme.

Further Information

Applicants are asked to consult the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) before reaching out. If your question is not covered there, you may contact the doctoral programme coordinator, Nazlı Tümerdem, at tuemerdem@arch.ethz.ch. Requests sent to any other email addresses will not be considered.

You may apply via this link.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)



Constructed Land

Das Projekt Constructed Land: Singapur 1924-2012 untersucht die Materialkreisläufe des Bodens und die sich im Laufe der Zeit verändernde physische Form der Insel Singapur. Bis heute wurde etwa ein Viertel der Landfläche durch den Import von Sand, die Landgewinnung aus dem Meer, die Umgestaltung des vorhandenen Geländes und das Mehr

DenSuisse

Die Braillard-Stiftung verfolgt in Zusammenarbeit mit den Eidgenössischen Technischen Hochschulen Lausanne und Zürich und der Architekturschule Mendrisio ein vorausblickendes Forschungsprojekt zur Verdichtung des Schweizer Stadtraums. ETH Zürich D-ARCH Architecture of Territory, mit Asst. Prof. Milica Topalovic, beteiligt sich am Atelierprojekt Lac Léman – Metropolitan Countryside. Mit Fokus auf Mehr

Territories of Extended Urbanisation

Das Konzept der planetary urbanization ist heute ein viel diskutiertes Thema. Die Grenzen der Stadträume sind förmlich explodiert und umfassen mittlerweile riesige Gebiete weit über die Grenzen der grössten Mega-City-Regionen hinaus. Neuartige Urbanisierungsmuster kristallisieren sich in unterschiedlichen Umgebungen heraus und hinterfragen überlieferte Vorstellungen des Städtischen als umfasste Zone Mehr

Hinterland

Im Laufe der Geschichte fungierten Städte als Zentren politischer und wirtschaftlicher Macht, von denen aus das landwirtschaftliche und ressourcenreiche Hinterland kontrolliert wurde. Seit dem 19. Jahrhundert haben neue Technologien, Verkehrsträger und die Eröffnung neuer Handelswege die Reichweite erweitert und die Beziehung zwischen den Städten und ihrem produktiven Hinterland Mehr

European Countryside

Der europäische Landschaftsraum ist mittlerweile vollständig urbanisiert. Die Landschaft im traditionellen Sinne ist verschwunden; die Unterschiede zwischen Stadt und Land sind zusehends verschwommen. Im Gegensatz zu den eindeutigen urbanen Veränderungsprozessen der Städte sind die Prozesse des urbanen Wandels im ländlichen Raum massiv, verlaufen aber oft unbemerkt. Abseits von Mehr

Prof. Milica Topalovic | Architektur und Territorialplanung

Milica Topalovic ist Architektin und Stadtplanerin. Ihre Forschungsschwerpunkte liegen im Bereich der territorialen Urbanisierung jenseits der Grenzen der «Stadt an sich». Prägende methodische Ansätze zur Beschreibung gegenwertiger Urbanisierungsprozesse werden aus den Themenbereichen der Geographie, der Statdgeschichte und der bildenenden Kunst abgeleitet. Seit August 2015 ist Topalovic als Assistenzprofessorin für Architektur und Territorialplanung am Departement Architektur der ETH Zürich tätig. 2011–15 hatte sie eine Forschungsprofessur am ETH Future Cities Laboratory in Singapur inne, wo sie die Beziehung zwischen einer Stadt und ihrem Hinterland untersuchte.

Beyond the Limits of the City: Research and Design of Urbanising Territories

Architecture of Territory—the ETH Zurich Chair of Architecture and Territorial Planning – dedicates its work to forms and processes of territorial urbanisation, arguing for the necessity of architect engagement at territorial scales. Since 2011 Milica Topalović has been attached to the ETH Future Cities Laboratory in Singapore, studying Mehr

Future Cities Lab Global

Nachhaltige Städte und Siedlungssysteme Entstanden durch Wissenschaft, Design, vor Ort, im Laufe der Zeit Das Future Cities Lab Global (FCL Global) befasst sich mit den weltweit bedeutsamen Herausforderungen einer raschen regionalen Veränderung und verfolgt das Ziel, ein besseres Verständnis für die Beziehungen zwischen Städten, ländlichen Gemeinden und ihren Regionen Mehr

EPFL ETH Master of Advanced Studies in Urban and Territorial Design

Application period: 1 January 2025 – 31 March 2025. Master of Advanced Studies in Urban and Territorial Design ETH Zürich D-ARCH LUS and EPFL ENAC HRC, joint master programme.

(mehr …)



The Inevitable Specificity of Cities

Urban areas, despite facing strong forces of homogenization on a global scale, tend to produce and reproduce their own specificity, their own structures and patterns that are evolving through the uneven process of urbanization. With this book ETH Studio Basel documents its long-standing research on cities and urban regions, Mehr

Hinterland: Singapore, Johor, Riau

Throughout history, cities have functioned as centres of political and economic power, from which the agricultural and resource-rich hinterlands were controlled. From the nineteenth century onward, new technologies, transportation modes and the opening of trade have introduced a remarkable complexity to the relationship between cities and territories. Today, it Mehr