Two ETH medals in vault construction

Every year, ETH Zurich honors outstanding doctoral theses with a medal and a bonus of 2,000 Swiss francs. Two people were honored at the Department of Architecture in 2023, both of whom dedicate their research to arched structures, but with different approaches.

Ricardo Maia Avelino is a civil engineer and received his PhD from the chair of Professor Philippe Block. His doctoral thesis is part of a Swiss National Science Foundation research project that investigates the stability of vaulted unreinforced masonry structures. Such structures form a large part of the world’s built heritage. In his dissertation Avelino presents a novel computational approach to assess vaulted structures.

Giulia Boller, whose doctoral thesis has already been awarded the Lino Gentilini Award 2023, was also awarded an ETH medal. The civil engineer and architect received her doctorate from Professor Joseph Schwartz and Professor Laurent Stalder. In her research, she examined the work of the Swiss civil engineer Heinz Isler, who became known for his shell structures. Based on documents from the gta archive, Boller researched how Isler developed new shell designs using physical models.