Research ‒ ENAC ‐ EPFL

Research units | Research laboratories | Doctoral programs | Libraries, collections and archives | Published Thesis

The main objective of the Institute of Architecture and the City (IA) is the development of research. A fundamental task that implies that architecture, the quality of construction, the insertion in the surrounding environment, the respect of natural and urban landscapes as well as that of the cultural heritage are primarily of general interest.

Research units

ACHT
Architecture, Criticism, History and Theory
Prof. Christophe van Gerrewey

ALICE
Design Studio on the Conception of Space
Prof. Dieter Dietz

CEAT
Urban and regional community planning
Prof. Jérôme Chenal

CRCL
Lab for creative computation
Prof. Stefana Parascho

DC-LAB
Domestic City laboratory
Prof. Sophie Delhay

EAST
Laboratory of Elementary Architecture and Studies of Types
Prof. Anja Fröhlich, Prof Martin Fröhlich

FAR
Laboratory of Construction and Architecture
Prof. Paolo Tombesi

HITAM
History and Theories of Architecture, Technology and Media
Prof. Alfredo Thiermann

LAB–U
Laboratory of Urbanism
Prof. Paola Viganò

LAPIS
Arts of sciences laboratory – Archives of imaginary
Prof. Nicola Braghieri

LAST
Laboratory of Architecture and Sustainable Technologies
Prof. Emmanuel Rey

LASUR
Urban Sociology Laboratory
Prof. Vincent Kaufmann

LDM
Media and Design Laboratory (ENAC/IC)
Prof. Jeffrey Huang

LEURE
Laboratory of Environmental and Urban Economics
Prof. Philippe Thalmann

LIF
Laboratory of Imagination and Fabrication
Prof. Jo Taillieu

LIPID
Laboratory of Integrated Performance in Design
Prof. Marilyne Andersen

MANSLAB
Laboratory for spatial manufacturing
Prof. Marco Bakker, Prof. Alexandre Blanc

RIOT
Research and development for innovation on architecture, urban design and territory
Prof. Charlotte Malterre-Barthes

SXL
Structural Exploration Lab
Prof. Corentin Fivet

TEXAS
Theory and Experience Architecture Studio
Prof. Eric Lapierre

THEMA
Theory of Environment, Material, and Architecture
Prof. Sarah Nichols

TPOD
Theory and Project of Domestic Space
Prof. Pier Vittorio Aureli

URBES
Laboratory of Urban and Environmental Systems
Prof. Gabriele Manoli

ACM
Archives of modern construction
Salvatore Aprea

BUILD-O
Building 2050
Sergi Aguacil Moreno

HRC
Habitat Research Center
Prof. Paola Viganò

URBDEMO
Urban Demography
Mathias Lerch

ARCHIZOOM
Cyril Veillon

CNPA
Laboratory of Numeric Cultures for Architectural Projects
Prof. honoraire Bernard Cache

LCC
Construction and Conservation Laboratory
Prof. honoraire Luca Ortelli

LTH3
Theory and History of Architecture Laboratory 3
Prof. honoraire Roberto Gargiani

LTH2
Theory and History of Architecture Laboratory 2
Prof. honoraire Bruno Marchand

TSAM
Techniques et sauvegarde de l’architecture moderne
Prof. honoraire Franz Graf

Research Laboratories

ACHT

ALICE

CEAT

CRCL

DC-LAB

EAST

FAR

ACM

Building 2050

LAB-U

HITAM

HRC

LAB-U

LAPIS

LAST

LASUR

LDM

LEURE

LIF

LIPID

MANSLAB

RIOT

SXL

TEXAS

THEMA

TPOD

URBES

Doctoral programs

EPFL’s excellence in manifold research fields, as evidenced by its top academic rankings, means that it is an outstanding place for doctoral students to interact with internationally renowned researchers and to work in over 350 laboratories equipped with cutting-edge facilities.

The Doctoral School supervises 22 doctoral programs covering together all EPFL fields of research. Each programs is responsible for recruiting doctoral students, organizing their supervision and monitoring their progress. The doctoral programs also organize an offer of advanced level courses and create a community based in their scientific domain.

The Doctoral Program brings together in one doctoral program the world of architecture and that of social sciences concerned with the inhabited space and combines basic and applied research in an interdisciplinary perspective. Comprised of faculty members active within more than 30 laboratories of EPFL, the EDAR doctoral program receives three times a year new PhD Students interested in its scientific orientations which encompass three research areas across the researches conducted in the laboratories.