Assistant Professor of Architecture (Tenure-Track) in Design Research and Computational Design

Department: School of Architecture, University of Utah – Salt Lake City, UT
Track: Tenure Track
Start date: July 1, 2026 (nine-month, 1.0 FTE appointment)

About the School

The School of Architecture (SoA) within the University of Utah’s College of Architecture + Planning is one of the most active schools of architecture in the region and nation, recognized for its strong research and design profile. Aligned with the university’s goal to be among the top public institutions in the nation, the SoA is expanding its research activities and creative work. The school is committed to teaching creative critical thinking, community engagement, design excellence, ecological resilience, global citizenship, leadership, and risk-taking. Its interdisciplinary and integrated work emphasizes place-based engagement (including the DesignBuildUTAH program), social justice, and environmental stewardship. The SoA convenes critical conversations, hosts national conferences, fosters community dialogues, publishes the journal Dialectic, and serves as a test bed for ideas on campus.

The SoA offers an accredited Master of Architecture (M.Arch), a Bachelor of Science in Architectural Studies (BSAS), a Master of Science in Architectural Studies (MSAS), and a newly launched Bachelor of Arts in Architectural Studies (BAAS). A PhD program in Architecture is planned for the near future. The school’s integrated curriculum features immersive design studios with supporting courses in technology, research, theory, and design communication, culminating in a student-driven capstone design project grounded in architectural research.

About the Role

The SoA seeks a tenure-track Assistant Professor in design research and computational design, with expertise in architecture as a liberal art. The successful candidate will contribute to the school’s research and design initiatives, teach studio and lecture courses at both graduate and undergraduate levels, and take a leadership role in integrating computational design and design research across the curriculum. The position requires a strong research trajectory, a commitment to securing external funding, and active publication or creative work within an R1 university setting. The candidate will also support the school’s core beliefs: design excellence, responsibility, resiliency, respect, and response.

Responsibilities

• Teach design studio courses and seminars at graduate and undergraduate levels, fostering innovative architectural designs for moderately complex projects.
• Develop and lead courses in computational design and design research, integrating them with studio and core curriculum.
• Conduct high-quality research and produce scholarly or creative work, including seeking competitive external funding.
• Mentor students through research and design projects.
• Contribute to committee and service assignments within the school and college.
• Promote the school’s core beliefs and the college’s commitments to responsibility, respect, resilience, and response.
• Advance the school’s interdisciplinary and place-based engagement initiatives.

Qualifications

• Accredited degree in architecture with an advanced degree in architecture, design research, or computational design.
• Demonstrated expertise in architectural design research at the intersection of architecture as a liberal art and computational design, including design process, materials, sketching, physical making, design inquiry, joinery methods, aesthetics, and technology.
• Experience in developing undergraduate or graduate design programs to generate new knowledge.
• Previous academic teaching and/or professional experience, with a portfolio of work and student examples.
• Strong research trajectory and evidence of excellence in scholarly or creative work.
• Ability to teach design studios and seminars for moderately complex architectural projects.

Preferred Qualifications

• PhD or doctoral degree in architecture, with a focus on design research in computational design or architecture as a liberal art.
• Integration of architectural research with design projects.
• Awards or recognition for teaching and/or design.

Application Requirements

• Letter of intent addressing qualifications, areas of expertise, teaching interests, and alignment with the school’s core beliefs and college’s commitments.
• Curriculum Vitae.
• Teaching philosophy (one page).
• Research statement (one page).
• Scholarly/design portfolio (8MB max or a link to a digital portfolio) including architectural design work, design research, computational design, and examples of student work.
• Names and contact information for three references (references will not be contacted without candidate’s consent).

Review of applications begins January 15, 2026, and remains open until filled.