Job description

Faculty/Department:  Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment

In this research you will work on developing responsive and high fidelity urban wind and noise simulation models in a game engine-based urban Digital Twin. You will employ the physics and rendering engines of game engine for optimized performance of computationally intensive simulation models. This research also includes the incorporation of GIS into the game engine, including spatial DataBase Management System (DBMS), open geospatial standards for interoperability and seamless interaction between the various involved data types. 

The project begins with exploring the potential of incorporation of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) wind and Raytracing noise models into the game engine. You will develop a theoretical framework for game engine-GIS-simulation triplet. Further enhancements using parallel processing and GPU integration will also be explored. You will subsequently implement the developed framework and will also validate the simulation results using wind and noise observations. 

This is a four-year doctoral (PhD research) appointment. You will be jointly supervised by Dr. Azarakhsh Rafiee and Prof. Peter van Oosterom. You will be a member of the Department of Architectural Engineering + Technology, Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment.The project will offer opportunities to collaborate with academics from other disciplines, as Aerospace and Applied physics as well as with industrial partners.

In the department of Architectural Engineering + Technology we currently have 6 PhD positions open. Click here to see all 6 vacancies.

About Us

TU Delft (Delft University of Technology)

Delft University of Technology is built on strong foundations. As creators of the world-famous Dutch waterworks and pioneers in biotech, TU Delft is a top international university combining science, engineering and design. It delivers world class results in education, research and innovation to address challenges in the areas of energy, climate, mobility, health and digital society. For generations, our engineers have proven to be entrepreneurial problem-solvers, both in business and in a social context.

At TU Delft we embrace diversity as one of our core values and we actively engage to be a university where you feel at home and can flourish. We value different perspectives and qualities. We believe this makes our work more innovative, the TU Delft community more vibrant and the world more just. Together, we imagine, invent and create solutions using technology to have a positive impact on a global scale. That is why we invite you to apply. Your application will receive fair consideration.

Challenge. Change. Impact!

Faculty Architecture and the Built Environment
The Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment has a leading role in education and research worldwide. The driving force behind the faculty’s success is its robust research profile combined with the energy and creativity of its student body and academic community. It is buzzing with energy from early in the morning until late at night, with four thousand people studying, working, designing, conducting research and acquiring and disseminating knowledge. Our faculty has a strong focus on ‘design-oriented research’, which has given it a top position in world rankings.

Staff and students are working to improve the built environment with the help of a broad set of disciplines, including architectural design, urban planning, building technology, social sciences, process management, and geo-information science. The faculty works closely with other faculties, universities, private parties, and the public sector, and has an extensive network in the Netherlands as well as internationally.

Click here to go to the website of the Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment.

Eligibility and requirement

• A Master’s degree in a discipline such as Aerospace, (Applied) Physics, Computer Science/Engineering, Geomatics, or other related discipline;
• Knowledge on programming game engines (e.g. Unity);
• Knowledge on Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD);
• Experience with (Spatial) DataBase Management Systems; 
• Strong technical background and programming experience in C++/C# and Python;     
• You enjoy performing research. You are independent, self-motivated and eager to learn;
• You are enthusiastic about connecting real-world challenges with fundamental research questions.

Funding | Conditions of employment

Doctoral candidates will be offered a 4-year period of employment in principle, but in the form of 2 employment contracts. An initial 1,5 year contract with an official go/no go progress assessment within 15 months. Followed by an additional contract for the remaining 2,5 years assuming everything goes well and performance requirements are met. 

Salary and benefits are in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities, increasing from € 2872 per month in the first year to € 3670 in the fourth year. As a PhD candidate you will be enrolled in the TU Delft Graduate School. The TU Delft Graduate School provides an inspiring research environment with an excellent team of supervisors, academic staff and a mentor. The Doctoral Education Programme is aimed at developing your transferable, discipline-related and research skills. 

The TU Delft offers a customisable compensation package, discounts on health insurance, and a monthly work costs contribution. Flexible work schedules can be arranged.  

For international applicants, TU Delft has the Coming to Delft Service. This service provides information for new international employees to help you prepare the relocation and to settle in the Netherlands. The Coming to Delft Service offers a Dual Career Programme for partners and they organise events to expand your (social) network.

Application procedure

Are you interested in this vacancy? Please apply no later than 2 February 2025 (local Dutch time: UTC time + 2 hrs) via the application button and upload the following documents:

• Motivation letter (no more than 600 words) addressing your interests and describing how your experience and plans fit with the position.
• Detailed CV – highlight examples of projects and/or achievements and previous experience that demonstrate skills relevant to the advertised position; (max. 8 pages).
• MSc thesis and, if applicable, one or two notable publications you have authored or projects you have participated at (please indicate carefully what your contribution is in case of group work).
• Undergraduate and graduate transcripts.
• Contact information for two references (letters not required at this stage).

Doing a PhD at TU Delft requires English proficiency at a certain level to ensure that the candidate is able to communicate and interact well, participate in English-taught Doctoral Education courses, and write scientific articles and a final thesis. For more details please check the Graduate Schools Admission Requirements. 

Contacts

• For more information about this vacancy, please contact Dr. Azarakhsh Rafiee, e-mail: [email protected].

• For information about the application procedure, please contact Nynke Schik, HR advisor, e-mail: [email protected].

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