About the Project
his transformational Quebec Living Lab advances decarbonization and electrification in social, affordable, and low-income housing. It combines technical innovation with community engagement to deliver scalable solutions for a sector often excluded from market-driven retrofits.
The project includes four living labs:
Longueuil (cooperative housing retrofit) In partnership with the Centre de transformation du logement communautaire (CTLC)
Montreal-Nord (Black community housing project)
Hochelaga (social housing project) In partnership with the Centre opérationnel de transition écologique (COTÉ)
Montreal (public social housing project) In partnership with the Office municipal d’habitation de Montréal (OMHM)
Supervisor: Ursula Eicker
Department: Building, Civil, and Environmental Engineering
University: Concordia University, Montreal, Canada
Start Date: Fall 2026
PhD Fellowship: 35K CAD per year for 4 years
Key Words: Building physics, urban energy systems, digital twins, retrofit strategies, electrification, smart grids, renewable energy, energy modeling, sustainable cities, low-carbon housing, data-driven decision tools
ROLE DESCRIPTION
Develop and implement digital twin models for low-income housing and urban districts
Build and apply building energy simulation models to evaluate pre- and post-retrofit performance
Design and test retrofit strategies (heat pumps, thermal storage, PV systems, battery integration)
Model electrification scenarios and assess impacts on distribution grids and demand response
Contribute to the Tools4Cities platform, including integration of 3D city models and urban data
Simulate urban sustainability indicators (e.g., thermal comfort, heat island exposure, walkability)
Integrate real-time monitoring data (smart meters, indoor conditions) for model validation and calibration
Develop decision-support tools for stakeholders (housing authorities, municipalities, community partners)
Analyze cost, emissions, and policy constraints for retrofit scenarios
Support implementation monitoring and continuous commissioning of retrofit interventions