Ongoing research projects
UNO (2010-2012) Urban Network Optimization
Following the project “Building stock”, this project aims to identify quality indicators for the energy networks. The networks studied are district heating networks, power grids and transportation networks. These indicators are then applied at several urban scales through a multicriteria analysis in order to get a picture of urban fragments energy consumption.
UNO
SIMBA (2009-2013) Simulation Multi-physique du Bâtiment
This research aims to integrate simulation tools developed by aeronautic sector into building physics. These tools have become indispensable because of energy performance requirements for buildings construction or renovation. Their use will also permit to get a better understanding of complexes phenomena occurring in buildings such as natural convection, forced convection, radiation or also conduction.
SIMBA
SAFE (2009-2011) Suburban areas favoring energy efficiency
This research focuses on the energy assessment of existing suburban neighborhoods in order to improve their energy efficiency by the development of new methods for suburban design and planning. The main objective of this research is to provide an interactive tool, accessible on the web, for assessing energy efficiency of existing suburban Walloon areas and comparing different strategies of suburban renewal. This tool is intended for all people involved in the process of design, construction and renovation of urban areas. The web-tool developed will be based on different types of simulations: microclimate simulations (CFD simulations, ...), dynamic simulations of buildings energy consumption and energy simulations of urban fragments throughout their life cycle (including transport and energy networks.
SAFE - Outil interactif SAFE
SUN (2009-2012) Sustainable Urban Neighbourhoods
«Sustainable neighbourhoods» are trendy and developing in all European regions, but most often on greenfields. Is it really sustainable? What about urban sprawl and what about existing urban neighbourhoods? How to raise their attractiveness face to new «sustainable» peri-urban developments? How to reverse dereliction and deprivation processes operating in some urban neighbourhoods? Sustainability is too often understood as referring to the sole environment and energy saving concerns, while it is a much more integrated and holistic concept including cultural and social issues, as well as economic development.
SUN
VALUE (2008-2012) Valuing Attractive Landscapes in the Urban Economy
VALUE aims to demonstrate the economic value of green infrastructure at the city/region scale and to show how to target green investments to maximise competitive benefits to communities throughout North-West Europe. Green infrastructure is a valuable part of our urban economy. As urbanisation increases throughout North-West Europe, public and private greenspaces are progressively transformed in order to accommodate housing and commercial developments. It is hence necessary to provide with hard evidence demonstrating the value of greenspaces, to ensure that high quality green infrastructure is protected and developed in the urban fabric.
