DC4 – PhD Position Climate change and sustainability transition in circular real estate valuation

Do you want to be part of the circular revolution to rethink the way we value the built environment? Join us as a fullyfunded doctoral candidate (DC) in the QuiVal doctoral network, where we learn, ideate and reimagine real estate value and valuation practices by drawing inspiration from quantum theories.

Job description

In order to make our cities more circular, we need to fundamentally revisit the way that we define and quantify the value of our built environment. This fully funded doctoral project is part of a Marie Sklodowska Curie Action Doctoral Network, QuiVal, a programme funded by the European Union with the aim to develop a fundamentally new approach to real estate valuation, allowing the sector to rapidly transition towards a more sustainable, low carbon and circular future. 

This will be achieved through a transdisciplinary doctoral training programme across 8 universities and 14 industry partners, and including 13 doctoral candidates who will work, together and separately, to rethink the philosophy, principles and processes of valuation. 

The programme is transdisciplinary and co-produced by leading academics and practitioners who are passionate and knowledgeable about the real estate industry and about sustainability. Five objectives have been developed through which to achieve the aim, and each doctoral project will respond to one of these objectives. For an overview of all the vacancies of QuiVal, click here.

The doctoral project at the Department of Architecture, University of Naples Federico II (research project DC4) is part of the response to the second objective, ‘Value of the building that lasts’. Using quantum concepts, this project will study how location features are affecting the value of a building, specifically with respect to climate change. Following, this project will study the potential of buildings being adaptively reused, maintaining their use and avoiding vacancy (and obsolescence), and building and location features affecting value depreciation or increase. A particularly relevant issue is whether adaptable buildings depreciate at a slower rate than less adaptable buildings in locations that are affected by climate change. Another question is which locations would be more favourable for adaptable developments or extending building lifespan and which locations would be favourable for demountable or shorter lifespan buildings. 

The objective of project DC4 is to explore, develop and test the value of a building in its urban setting, considering location factors interaction at different scales and the impact of different uses, temporary or permanent. 

Furthermore, the aim of project DC4 is to develop knowledge on factors to be included in building valuation, including also climate changes, adaptation and mitigation, circularity and building adaptability. As well as a dissertation, and a number of academic papers, the project will produce an accessible report for real estate professionals.

The doctoral candidate (DC) will spend the majority of the funded three years at the Department of Architecture, University of Naples Federico II in Naples, Italy, but will also be funded for two periods on secondment to QuiVal partners, one to industry partner RINA and the other to university partner University College London in London, United Kingdom. 

There will also be significant opportunities for sharing knowledge and fostering discussions with the other 12 DCs, through five workshops and three summer schools. The DCs will also work together to collect data, and collaborate with stakeholders including a network of industry frontrunners who are partners in the programme, increasing understanding, research impact, and chances of employment in the real estate and related sectors.