School of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering

Interdisciplinarity

At ENAC, several scientific communities come together under one roof: environmental engineers, civil engineers, architects, and social scientists. Combining disciplinary depth and interdisciplinary breadth, our teaching and research activities contribute to the common goal of finding solutions for a sustainable future by engaging together about the quality of our environment. ENAC School has a long tradition of interdisciplinarity, such as realized in the teaching program Design Together and different research activities. Furthermore, the School supports initiatives fostering interdisciplinary student projects, such as the Swiss Living Challenge and the Student Kreativity and Innovation Lab (SKIL). There exist many interdisciplinary research and teaching collaborations between the different ENAC laboratories. These common academic activities are visualized by the Affinity Map, which uncovers cohesion within the School in terms of joint teaching activities, co-supervision responsibilities, and co-authored publications.

Education

At ENAC, students are offered world-class undergraduate and graduate courses, allowing them to become specialists in their own domain of study. Throughout their bachelor education, students acquire the foundation upon which they build their specialization in the master’s degree program. Hands-on design projects with deliberate exposure to other disciplines add unique value in preserving a broad approach to knowledge and recognizing how each discipline directly or indirectly connects to others. Mandatory internships in industry and academia give students early exposure to what awaits them after their graduation. Early on in their studies, students experience for themselves the potential and the challenge of interdisciplinary breadth and plant the seeds for their budding careers.

Research

Research within ENAC shapes the environment we live. As part of a world-class science with a strong interdisciplinary culture, it addresses many of the major challenges faced by society today through collaborative research projects. With over 80 laboratories, ENAC researchers work at the interface between human activities and the biosphere, from underground microbial ecosystems to complex human urban systems.

Innovation

To facilitate and encourage outreach and innovation, ENAC actively promotes research partnerships with public and private organizations, tech-transfer, and the launch of spin-offs. A dedicated industrial liaisons officier and a strategic vigil work with EPFL’s Technology Transfer Office to identify promising technologies and provide assistance drafting patents, raising funds, and getting start-ups off the ground. By partnering with laboratories at ENAC, companies and public entities gain access to some of the most advanced research teams and equipment.

Events