The Royal Danish Academy – Architecture, Design and Conservation invites applications for a fully funded PhD scholarship within the field of architecture, bio-based materials, and living systems.

The project explores how architecture can be conceived as a living interface, where biological processes actively shape material performance, environmental exchange, and spatial organisation. It asks how photosynthetic microorganisms can be integrated into architectural materials to form living systems that capture carbon, produce oxygen, and participate in ecological cycles.



Framework

This PhD is a 3-year fully funded scholarship based at the Institute of Architecture and Technology at The Royal Danish Academy. The research investigates the design and fabrication of living materials through multi-material 3D bioprinting. It focuses on the integration of photosynthetic microorganisms within hydrogel-based composites and explores how their spatial organisation, material environment, and environmental exposure influence metabolic activity and long-term performance. The PhD student will be enrolled at Centre for Information Technology and Architecture (CITA) and supervised by the senior research team with project start 1 November 2026. The application deadline is 31 May 2026.

The PhD will contribute to the development of new architectural material systems that operate across scales, from controlled laboratory conditions to larger spatial prototypes. The work is embedded in a design research environment that combines computational design, digital fabrication, and ecological thinking.



Project Summary

Architecture is entering a material paradigm in which the distinction between the built and the living becomes increasingly porous. Rather than relying on inert materials, this project engages architecture as a site of biological activity, where living systems become integral to material formation, environmental exchange, and spatial performance.

Photosynthetic microorganisms such as cyanobacteria hold the capacity to capture carbon through metabolic processes that are sustained by light, water, and atmospheric exchange. While these systems have been studied extensively in controlled environments, their integration into material systems and spatial structures remains largely unexplored.

This project investigates how such biological processes can be hosted within designed material systems. Drawing inspiration from the organisation of plant canopies and algal structures, it explores how spatial configuration, material composition, and environmental exposure can be designed to support sustained biological activity.

Through the development of multi-material hydrogel systems and advanced 3D printing techniques, the research examines how living materials can be fabricated with precision and scaled across different contexts. Central to the project is the relationship between geometry, material behaviour, and metabolic performance, and how these can be brought into alignment through design. Experimental fabrication is combined with sensing and simulation to understand how light, matter, and biological processes interact within the material. In doing so, the project establishes new design frameworks for architecture as a regenerative and metabolically active practice.



PhD Focus

The PhD will address the following research areas:

• Design of hydrogel-based material systems capable of hosting and sustaining photosynthetic microorganisms

• Development of multi-material 3D bioprinting methods across scales, from laboratory prototypes to spatial constructs

• Exploration of spatial organisation strategies that support light access, gas exchange, and metabolic activity

• Integration of sensing and simulation into design processes to link biological performance with material and geometric configuration

The project is structured as design-led research, where computational modelling, fabrication, and biological experimentation inform one another through iterative development.



Applicant Profile

Applicants must hold a degree equivalent to a Danish Master’s degree (120 ECTS) in architecture, architectural technology, design, engineering, or a related field. We invite applicants who share an interest in material practice, biological systems, and computational design to apply.

The following qualifications are considered advantageous:

• Experience with computational design tools (e.g. Rhino, Grasshopper, or similar), including an interest in volumetric modelling and simulation-driven design

• Familiarity with digital fabrication or robotic manufacturing

• Interest in material experimentation, particularly with bio-based or soft materials

• Experience with or interest in working with living materials, including basic laboratory practices and protocols

• Basic understanding of programming (e.g. Python) or simulation workflows

The candidate is expected to develop an independent research profile and actively contribute to a collaborative research environment.

If educational degree is obtained abroad, the education must be assessed by the Danish Agency for International Education before enrolment and employment can take place. The Royal Danish Academy will assist with the assessment process if selected for the scholarship. Practical information can be found at http://ufm.dk/en/education-and-institutions/recognition-andtransparency/recognition-guide.



Research Environment

The PhD will be based at the Centre for Information Technology and Architecture (CITA) at The Royal Danish Academy. CITA is an internationally recognised research environment that explores the intersections of computational design, digital fabrication, and material practice. The centre is known for advancing design through the integration of computation, robotics, and material experimentation, with a particular focus on bio-based and living systems.

The candidate will be embedded in a research culture that combines design, making, and scientific inquiry, working across scales from material development to spatial prototypes. The environment fosters interdisciplinary exchange and supports experimental approaches that link computational modelling with fabrication and material performance. The PhD will engage with ongoing research at CITA and contribute to its development of new design frameworks for architecture in relation to ecological systems and material cycles.



Terms of Employment

Enrolment takes place with a view to obtaining a PhD degree and leads to salaried fulltime employment for a period of three years in accordance with the agreement between the Danish Ministry of Finance and the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations, AC, protocol on graduate fellowships (annex 5). The salary consists of a seniority-based base salary and a non-pensionable allowance.

The PhD program is structured under the provisions of Ministerial Order on the PhD Program at the Universities and Certain Higher Artistic Educational Institutions (PhD Order) no. 1039 of 27 August 2013 issued by the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Higher Education regarding PhD programs and PhD degrees. This executive order is found at https://ufm.dk/en/legislation/prevailing-laws-and-regulations/education/files/engelsk-ph-d-bekendtgorelse.pdf

The Danish PhD education is a three-year full-time education consisting of independent research under supervision, 30 ECTS PhD courses, shift of research environment and knowledge dissemination.



Application Requirements

Applications must be submitted in English and include:

• A project proposal (max. 5 standard pages) outlining the applicant’s research approach in relation to the described project

• Curriculum vitae

• Documentation of educational qualifications

• Portfolio of relevant work and studies

• List of publications (if applicable)

Please submit application online via the “Apply for position” button no later than 31 May 2026. For further information about the application requirements, please contact HR Employee Sine Kildevang Madsen by e-mail at skmad@kglakademi.dk.

Application material received after the deadline will not be taken into consideration.

Anyone who meets the requirement of an academic degree at a graduate level is encouraged to apply for the scholarship regardless of age, gender, race, religion, or ethnicity.



Assessment procedure

The scholarship is advertised in accordance with the Danish Ministry of Higher Education and Science’s “Executive Order of 12 April 2019 on the employment of artistic and scientific staff at the higher artistic educational institutions within the remit of the Ministry of Higher Education and Science”.

After the application deadline, in consultation with the appointment committee, the head of the institute will select a number of applicants for academic assessment by an unbiased expert committee. Applicants are selected on the basis of which applicants are found by the appointment committee to best meet the overall criteria set out in this call.

All applicants will be informed as to whether or not their application will proceed to the next stage of the selection procedure, and those selected will be informed of the composition of the expert committee. The expert committee will the assess the selected applicants for the scholarship with focus on the abovementioned research area, techniques, skills and requirements. The committee will conclude whether each applicant is qualified. The assessed applicants will get opportunity to comment on their assessment.

After the assessment process the appointment committee will decide amongst the qualified applicants to whom the scholarship should be offered. The appointment committee can choose to interview one or more of the qualified applicants.



Further Information

General information about PhD studies at The Royal Danish Academy can be found on the PhD School’s website: https://royaldanishacademy.com/en/phd-and-research-school



About The Royal Danish Academy

The Royal Danish Academy – Architecture, Design and Conservation educates graduates at the highest level and develops new knowledge through artistic and scientific research. The academy is internationally recognised for its work in architecture, design, and material practices, and plays an active role in shaping sustainable futures within the built environment.

The Royal Danish Academy is a public institution under the Ministry of Higher Education and Science and has approximately 1,700 students and 350 full-time staff equivalents. Read more about the Royal Danish Academy on our website www.royaldanishacademy.com.