Research

Three Instituts to perform cutting-edge research

©EPFL-IA/EPFL-LIPID/EPFL-iBois/EPFL-ECOL/ERZ/NASA/iStock

ENAC researchers work at the crossroads of the built and natural environments. They explore the many facets of our world — from underground microbial networks to complex urban mechanisms — with a clear focus on innovative, sustainability-oriented solutions.

Our three institutes and over 70 laboratories are recognized internationally for their research excellence and their cross-disciplinary approach. Our teams also collaborate with the broader scientific community and various public and private partners within prestigious organizations.

ENAC’s labs are located across three different EPFL campuses (Lausanne, Fribourg and Sion) and benefit from state-of-the-art equipment. They are designed to foster open and reproducible science, paving the way to new discoveries and encouraging knowledge sharing.

Institute of Architecture and the City – IA

The Institute of Architecture (IA) addresses the systemic challenges posed by the ongoing climate crisis, rapid urbanization, digitalization and the threat of ecosystem collapse, as they relate to our built environment. Its ambition is to use transdisciplinary design-focused research to develop coherent, progressive and inclusive visions and solutions for our future, operating as catalysts for the ecological transition that is vital for human habitation on the planet.

Civil Engineering Institute – IIC

The Civil Engineering Institute (IIC) conducts multidisciplinary research with a primary focus on the sustainability of infrastructure and geosystems, new sources of energy, distributed energy systems, and mobility and transportation. Through multi-scale experimental and computational research, IIC embraces technological literacy and promotes open science.

Environmental Engineering Institute – IIE

The Environmental Engineering Institute (IIE) pioneers adaptation to environmental changes as part of sustainable design. Its emphasis is on translational science based on a rigorous understanding of the environment, seamless integration of data and models, humans as integral components of environmental systems, and the development of novel, leading-edge technologies.

News about research

The researchers and study's co-authors Wenlong Liao and Fernando Porté-Agel. © 2025 EPFL/Alain Herzog - CC-BY-SA 4.0

New study improves the trustworthiness of wind power forecasts

Published:29.01.25 — By applying techniques from explainable artificial intelligence, engineers can improve users’ confidence in forecasts generated by artificial intelligence models. This approach was recently tested on wind power generation by a team that includes experts from EPFL.

Harnessing proteins to clean contaminated soil

Published:21.01.25 — Scientists from EPFL work on sustainable approaches to soil remediation, like the use of naturally occurring microorganisms that can “eat” pollutants found in soil and the water table.

The research team around the CryoNanoSIMS instrument. © 2025 EPFL/Alain Herzog - CC-BY-SA 4.0

How cryogenic microscopy could help strengthen food security

Published:15.01.25 — A joint EPFL and University of Lausanne research team reports on a novel observation of a plant protection mechanism in response to salt stress. The study opens new avenues of research to strengthen food security.

Picture taken in Ecuador, while sampling the river on February, 27, 2020. © NOMIS Field Team

Scientists discover a unique microbiome on our planet's roof

Published:08.01.25 — Two EPFL-led studies published in 'Nature' and 'Nature Microbiology' shed light on the uniqueness, complexity and climate-related vulnerability of the world’s glacier-fed-stream microbiome.

More news about research

ENAC’s Labs

Acronyme	Nom complet	professeur responsable	Institut	lieu
SOIL	Soil biogeochemistry laboratory	Aeppli Meret	IIE	Sion
BUILD-O	Building 2050	Aguacil Sergi	IA	Fribourg
VITA	Visual lntelligence for Transportation	Alahi Alexandre	IIC	Lausanne
MACE	Microbiome Adaptation to the Changing Environment	Altshuler Ianina	IIE	Sion
LHE	Environmental Hydraulics Laboratory	Ancey Christophe	IIC	Lausanne
LIPID	Laboratory of Integrated Performance in Design	Andersen Marilyne	IA	Lausanne
GR-ACM	Les Archives de la construction moderne	Aprea Salvatore	IA	Lausanne
TPOD	Theory and Project of Domestic Space	Aureli Pier Vittorio	IA	Lausanne
MANSLAB-CO	Laboratory for spatial manufacturing – General	Bakker & Blanc	IA	Lausanne
RIVER	River Ecosystems Laboratory	Battin Tom	IIE	Sion
LTE	Environmental Remote Sensing Laboratory	Berne Alexis	IIE	Lausanne
EML	Environmental Microbiology Laboratory	Bernier-Latmani Rizlan	IIE	Lausanne
EESD	Earthquake Engineering and Structural Dynamics Laboratory	Beyer Katrin	IIC	Lausanne
TRANSP-OR	Transportation and Mobility Laboratory	Bierlaire Michel	IIC	Lausanne
HERUS	Laboratory on Human-Environment Relations in Urban Systems	Binder Claudia R.	IIE	Lausanne
CHANGE	Laboratory of Catchment Hydrology and Geomorphology	Bonetti Sara	IIE	Sion
LAPIS	Arts of sciences laboratory – Archives of imaginary	Braghieri Nicola	IA	Lausanne
GR-CEL	CEL Group – Central Environmental Laboratory	Breider Florian	IIE	Lausanne
SENSE	Smart Environmental Sensing in Extreme Environnements	Chappellaz Jérôme	IIE	Sion
CEAT	Urban and Regional Planning Community	Chenal Jérôme	IIE	Lausanne
DC-LAB	Domestic City laboratory	Delhay Sophie	IA	Lausanne
ADHER	Architectural Design and Heritage	Devaux Claudia	IA	Lausanne
ALICE	Design Studio on the Conception of Space	Dietz Dieter	IA	Lausanne
IMOS	Intelligent Maintenance and Operations Systems	Fink Olga	IIC	Lausanne
SXL	Structural Exploration Lab	Fivet Corentin	IA	Fribourg
EAST-CO	Laboratory of Elementary Architecture and Studies of Types – General	Fröhlich Martin & Anja	IA	Lausanne
LUTS	Urban Transport Systems Laboratory	Geroliminis Nikolaos	IIC	Lausanne
PERL	Plant Ecology Research Laboratory	Grossiord Charlotte	IIE	Lausanne
MICROBE	Laboratory of microbial physiology and resource Biorecovery	Gu Wenyu	IIE	Lausanne
LBE	Laboratory for Environmental Biotechnology	Holliger Christof	IIE	Lausanne
LDM	Media and Design Laboratory (ENAC/IC)	Huang Jeffrey	IA	Lausanne
LAND	Laboratory of Landscape Development	Jessel Beate	IA	Lausanne
LMD	Data-Driven Mechanics Laboratory	Karapiperis Kostas	IIC	Lausanne
LASUR	Urban Sociology Laboratory	Kaufmann Vincent	IA	Lausanne
ICE	Laboratory of Integrated Comfort Engineering	Khovalyg Dolaana	IIC	Fribourg
LVE	Laboratory of Environmental Virology	Kohn Tamar	IIE	Lausanne
LSR	Laboratory of Sustainability Robotics	Kovac Mirko	IIE	Lausanne
TOX	Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology	Kristin Schirmer	IIE	Lausanne
RPGL	Rock Physics and Geofluids Laboratory	Kushnir Alexandra	IIC	Lausanne
LMS	Soil Mechanics Laboratory – Chair gaz naturel Petrosvibri	Laloui Lyesse	IIC	Lausanne
TEXAS	Theory and Experience Architecture Studio	Lapierre Eric	IA	Lausanne
GEL	Geo-energy Laboratory – Gaznat Chair on Geo-energy	Lecampion Brice	IIC	Lausanne
CRYOS	Laboratory of Cryospheric Sciences	Lehning Michael	IIE	Sion
GR-URBDEMO	Urban Demography	Lerch Mathias	IA	Lausanne
HOBEL	Human-Oriented Built Environment Lab	Licina Dusan	IIC	Fribourg
RESSLAB	Resilient Steel Structures Laboratory	Lignos Dimitrios	IIC	Lausanne
GR-LUD	Ludwig Group / EPFL-PSI Joint Professorship in Solid Waste Treatment	Ludwig Christian	IIE	Lausanne
RIOT	Research and development for innovation on architecture, urban design and territory	Malterre-Barthes Charlotte	IA	Lausanne
URBES	Laboratory of Urban and Environmental Systems	Manoli Gabriele	IA	Lausanne
DISAL	Distributed Intelligent Systems and Algorithms Laboratory	Martinoli Alcherio	IIE	Lausanne
LGB	Laboratory for Biological Geochemistry	Meibom Anders	IIE	Lausanne
LSMS	Computational Solid Mechanics Laboratory	Molinari Jean-François	IIC	Lausanne
STREEM	Sustainable River Engineering, Energy and Morphodynamics	Musa Mirko	IIC	Lausanne
LAPI	Laboratory of atmospheric processes and their impacts	Nenes Athanasios	IIE	Lausanne
THEMA	Theory of Environment, Material, and Architecture	Nichols Sarah	IA	Lausanne
CRCL	Laboratory for Creative Computation	Parascho Stefana	IA	Lausanne
PL-LCH	Hydraulic Constructions Platform	Perona Paolo	IIC	Lausanne
WIRE	Wind Engineering and Renewable Energy Laboratory	Porte Agel Fernando	IIE	Lausanne
LAST	Laboratory of Architecture and Sustainable Technologies	Rey Emmanuel	IA	Lausanne
ECHO	Laboratory of Ecohydrology	Rinaldo Andrea	IIE	Lausanne
CONSTRUCT	Concrete Behaviour and Structural Design Laboratory	Ruggiero David	IIC	Lausanne
EERL	Extreme Environments Research Laboratory – Ingvar Kamprad Chair	Schmale Julia	IIE	Sion
Nanosolar	Nanotechnology for Solar Energy Conversion	Schueler Andreas	IIC	Lausanne
ETHOS	Civil Engineering and Technology for Human Oriented Sustainability Lab	Sonta Andrew	IIC	Fribourg
LIF	Laboratory of Imagination and Fabrication	Taillieu Jo	IA	Lausanne
LESC	Laboratoire de spectrochimie environnementale	Takahama Satoshi	IIE	Lausanne
LEURE	Laboratory of Environmental and Urban Economics	Thalmann Philippe	IA	Lausanne
HITAM	History and Theories of Architecture, Technology and Media	Thiermann Alfredo	IA	Lausanne
FAR	Laboratory of Construction and Architecture	Tombesi Paolo	IA	Lausanne
ECEO	Environmental Computational Science and Earth Observation Laboratory	Tuia Devis	IIE	Sion
ACHT	Architecture, Criticism, History and Theory	van Gerrewey Christophe	IA	Lausanne
GR-MEC	Group of Composite Mechanics	Vassilopoulos Anastasios	IIC	Lausanne
LAB-U	Laboratory of Urbanism	Viganò Paola	IA	Lausanne
LEMR	Laboratory of Experimental Rock Mechanics	Violay Marie	IIC	Lausanne
LTQE	Laboratory for Water Quality and Treatment	Von Gunten Urs	IIE	Lausanne
IBOIS	Chair of Timber Construction	Weinand Yves	IIC	Lausanne
HOME	Laboratory for Human-Oriented Mobility Eco-system	Zhang Kenan	IIC	Lausanne