Design and Operation of Net-Zero Smart Resilient Buildings and Infrastructure
Funded PhD and Postdoc positions in Building, Civil, and Environmental Engineering
Last updated: October 30, 2025, 2:38 p.m.
Supervisory details
Supervisor: Hua Ge
Department: Building, Civil, and Environmental Engineering, Gina Cody School of Engineering and Computer Science
University: Concordia University, Montreal, Canada
Start date: Winter 2026, Summer 2026, Fall 2026
PhD Fellowship: 35K CAD per year for 4 years
Postdoc Fellowship: 50K CAD per year (renewable)
Project overview
This project develops and demonstrates resilient, carbon-neutral building and infrastructure energy systems that integrate onsite renewables, storage, EVs, and smart grid interaction. It emphasizes building-integrated photovoltaics, thermal storage, and advanced HVAC, with applications in new construction and retrofits. Outcomes include scalable, modular energy-positive designs and roadmaps to guide decarbonization of the built environment, influence policy, and enhance comfort, resilience, and aesthetics through integrated solar and thermal technologies.
Role description
- Conduct experimental and numerical research on multi-functional, prefabricated building envelope systems (BIPV, BIPV/T, STPV windows, smart coatings).
- Develop and validate prototype BIPV/T systems in laboratory (SSEC, FBL) and prepare for field demonstrations in residential, commercial, and northern community applications.
- Carry out hygrothermal performance modeling and CFD analysis of wind-driven rain, moisture, and thermal transport in building envelopes.
- Support the integration of BIPV/T systems with HVAC technologies (HRV/ERV, ASHP, radiant heating/cooling).
- Assist in the development of design tools and performance evaluation frameworks covering electrical, thermal, durability, fire safety, prefabrication, and lifecycle impacts.
- Participate in life-cycle assessment (LCA) of innovative building envelope solutions for net-zero and resilient buildings.
- Collaborate with industry partners on prototype development and field demonstrations.
- Prepare publications, presentations, and contributions to policy, codes, and standards for high-performance building envelopes.
Research areas
- Wind-driven rain
- Hygrothermal performance of building envelopes
- Advanced building facades
- Innovative & durable wood-frame construction
- Low-energy buildings
Requirements
- Master’s degree in Building Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Architectural Engineering, or related field.
- Strong academic background in building envelope performance, hygrothermal modeling, or renewable energy systems.
- Experience with numerical simulation tools (e.g., EnergyPlus, COMSOL, TRNSYS, ANSYS Fluent, MATLAB, or Python).
- Knowledge of building physics, moisture/heat transfer, and energy-efficient construction methods.
- Familiarity with experimental testing of materials and systems (durability, fire safety, watertightness, accelerated aging).
- Strong communication and writing skills for technical reports and academic publications.
- Motivation for interdisciplinary collaboration and commitment to net-zero and climate-resilient building research.
- Fully funded PhD and Postdoctoral positions with competitive stipends, plus additional support for research-related travel, conferences, and industry collaboration.
- Hands-on experience with advanced building envelope systems, including BIPV/T curtain walls, STPV windows with dynamic solar control, smart coatings, and integrated HVAC solutions.
- Opportunities to shape codes, standards, and policies on high-performance building envelopes
- Cutting-edge facilities for prototype development, durability and fire testing, hygrothermal modeling, and full-scale demonstrations at Concordia’s Smart Sustainable Engineering Centre (SSEC) and Future Building Lab (FBL).
- Structured mentorship within a multidisciplinary research team bridging building, civil, mechanical, and materials engineering, with strong support for high-impact publications.
- A vibrant research environment in Montreal, a hub for sustainable building innovation and net-zero transitions, with access to world-class academic, industry, and policy networks.
Please combine the following documents into a single PDF file.
- Letter of intent strongly aligned with the project and the research domain of the professor
- Academic CV
- Transcripts
- Names and contact information of 3 referees
- Publications (If any)
- Any other documents that might benefit your file
Send your PDF file to volt-age.recruitment@concordia.ca with the subject:
Envelope_Your name_PhD/Postdoc
Applications will be considered on a rolling basis.
Questions/contact
For all questions, please contact Alisa Makusheva at alisa.makusheva@concordia.ca.
