Menu

ISBE
Information Systems
in the Built Environment

The ISBE Group is part of the Department of the Built Environment at the Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e). The ISBE group carries out research and education in the field of information systems for design, engineering, construction and management of the built environment.

TU/e Page Research Education

Get an insight into our Research and Education activities below.

Scroll Down

NEWS

NEWS

We are pleased to share that our researcher Shahryar Sarabi and a team of researchers has granted a seed fund in Urban Rural Circularity.

Research

Research

This section lists several selected research projects, conducted by our Postdoctoral, PhD, and EngD researchers.

Categories

Research projects are performed for the below topics and research categories.

Building Informatics

Building Information Modelling and Management

Urban Informatics

Urban data management and analytics

Digital Twinning

Building and City Digital Twins

Circular economy

Enabling a circular built environment

Internet of Things

Embedding and integrating devices, data streams and software

Linked Building Data

Ontologies, Linked Data and Semantic Web technologies

Sustainability and Energy

Sustainability, building performance and energy transition

Construction Process Modeling

Information management and process modelling

Artificial Intelligence

AI for design, engineering, construction and operation

Construction Robotics

Robotics and automated technology to support on-site workforce

Mobility

Smart mobility, traffic simulations and innovative mobility services

Parametric Design

Computational and algorithmic design methods and technologies

Projects

Projects

These research projects are updated over time, and only the latest research projects are shown. For a full overview of the ISBE research output, please refer to ISBE Research Output and ISBE Group Pages.

Durable Re-use of Spatial Data - Amsterdam Project

In the project 'Durable Re-use of Spatial Data (DHRD in Dutch)', a BIM validator tool was built that allows to validate whether files created using BIM tools and BIM processes can be stored in a durable manner for long-term re-use (10-20 year term).

Linked Building Data (LBD)

The ISBE research group is a big proponent in the Linked Building Data (LBD) project, which aims to make Building Data generally available using linked data and semantic web technologies (RDF/OWL). Using this LBD approach, various kinds of building data can be made available and interlinked in RDF-based graph databases over the Web.

Brains4Buildings (B4B Project)

Brains for Building's Energy Systems (B4B) is a multi-year, multi-stakeholder project focused on developing methods to harness big data from smart meters, building management systems and the Internet of Things devices, to reduce energy consumption, increase comfort, respond flexibly to user behaviour and local energy supply and demand, and save on installation maintenance costs. This will be done through the development of faster and more efficient Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence models and algorithms. The project is geared to existing utility buildings such as commercial and institutional buildings.

Integrated Approaches for the Energy Transition in Existing Buildings - IEBB Project

The Integrale Energietransitie in Bestaande Bouw (Integrated Approaches for the Energy Transition in Existing Buildings) is a multi-year, multi-stakeholder program focused on developing affordable and user-friendly renovation concepts for residential buildings. The program consortium is working on innovative solutions for heat conversion and storage, digitization, industrialization concepts, decision-making frameworks, value chain integration and partnership models.

Robot Navigation and Construction

Several ongoing projects are focusing on navigation and collaborative construction with robots. This includes the creation of a robotic simulation platform based on BIM models and Smart Components (PhD project), research on self-navigating robots relying on live cloud-based BIM models, and updating of BIM models based on real-time communication from mobile robots.

TUe-KPN Flagship Project on Digital Twinning

In the TUe-KPN Flagship project, ISBE collaborates on the topic of Digital Twinning of urban environments (cities) and buildings. By using the developed digital twin technology, a detailed overview can be achieved of the built environment and all data involved. This is being used to improve health and comfort in the built environment, using the feedback obtained from people and diverse databases in specific environments.

EAISI EMDAIR Creative Machines project

Creativity forms the basis for the design of all human artefacts. This Creative AI Machines project aims to research creativity and develop creative AI methods to (a) generate creative design solutions, and (b) emerge and promote creativity in (human) design processes through close interaction between AI and humans. The research will be consolidated with a framework on human-machine embodied interaction design.

Education

Education

This section lists selected educational projects in which ISBE research group members are involved.

Master Programs

ISBE is actively involved in three master programs, namely the Master of Construction Management and Engineering (CME), the Master of Architecture, Building and Planning (ABP), and the Master of AI and Engineering Systems (AI&ES).

Construction Management and Engineering (CME)

ISBE is heavily involved and committed to delivering the 4TU CME Master program. The 4TU CME Master is organised at TU Eindhoven by the Built Environment (BE) and Industrial Engineering & Innovation Sciences (IE&IS) departments. It has two main tracks, namely Building Information Management (BIM) and City Information Management (CIM). With courses across the BE and IE&IS Departments, this educational program offers the best in terms of construction and engineering (buildings) as well as process modelling, supply chains, and innovation in the built environment at large. Key topics are city information management, advanced data management, circularity, and sustainable innovation.

CME Program picture

Architecture, Building, and Planning (ABP)

Furthermore, several courses in the Architecture, Building, and Planning (ABP) are offered by ISBE staff and researchers. This mainly involves those courses that involve the use of information systems, databases, programming, and modelling, such as the courses Parametric Design, Digital Built Environment, Fundamentals of BIM, System Engineering, Information Management and Process Modelling, as well as several project-based courses (Challenge-Based Learning - CBL).

ABP Program picture

Artificial Intelligence and Engineering Systems (AI&ES)

Finally, the ISBE group participates in the AI&ES Master Program, that is offered as a multi-departmental program at Eindhoven University of Technology. More particularly, the ISBE group is mainly concerned with the Smart Buildings and Cities track of the AI&ES Program. Courses and student projects in this track focus on the use of AI techniques for improving construction procedures and the overall quality and comfort in our built environment. Besides this track, several other tracks are also offered at AI&ES.

AI&ES Program picture

Student Projects

Projects listed below are selected example projects from our students across the listed master programs. All graduation projects are stored in the OfCourse CME Master Thesis Database.

Staff

Staff

Meet the ISBE staff of Professors, PhD researchers, Postdocs, and EngDs.

Staff

profile picture Bige Tuncer
Bige Tunçer
Chair, Full Professor
profile picture Qi Han
Qi Han
Associate Professor
profile picture Dujuan Yang
Dujuan Yang
Assistant Professor
profile picture Pieter Pauwels
Pieter Pauwels
Associate Professor
profile picture Ekaterina Petrova
Ekaterina Petrova
Assistant Professor
profile picture Shahryar Sarabi
Shahryar Sarabi
Assistant Professor

profile picture Arghavan Akbarieh
Arghavan Akbarieh
Postdoctoral Researcher

PhD and EngD researchers

profile picture Alex Donkers Alex Donkers
Postdoctoral Researchere
profile picture Bei Wang Bei Wang
Doctoral Candidate
profile picture Yinuo Zhou Yinuo Zhou
Doctoral Candidate
profile picture Xianglong Tang Xianglong Tang
Doctoral Candidate
profile picture Lasitha Chamari
Lasitha Chamari
Doctoral Candidate
profile picture Pei-Hsuan Lee
Pei-Hsuan Lee
Doctoral Candidate
profile picture Xuan Liu
Xuan Liu
Doctoral Candidate
profile picture Shahrzad Shadmanhaghighi
Shahrzad Shadmanhaghighi
Engineering Doctorate Candidate
profile picture xinyi mu
Xinyi Mu
Doctoral Candidate
profile picture Julia Kaltenlegger
Julia K. Kaltenlegger
Doctoral Candidate
profile picture Lu Wan
Lu Wan
Doctoral Candidate
profile picture Yuan Zhuang
Yuan Zhuang
Doctoral Candidate
profile picture Saeed Akbari
Saeed Akbari
Doctoral Candidate

Repositories

Code Repositories and Open Data

As part of our research program, we strive to keep our projects open-source. Several code repositories and data stores are available through several repositories.

GitHub

A GitHub environment is maintained for the ISBE research group at https://github.com/ISBE-TUe/. This code repository lists most of our public code repositories for past and ongoing projects. Most repositories are associated to specific research projects, such as the DUTO BIM repository (DHRD) and the Atlas Digital Twin repository. Other repositories are forked from individual researchers in our ISBE lab.

GitHub Repository

GitLab

The ISBE GitLab environment (https://gitlab.tue.nl/ISBE) is a second environment where code from ISBE research projects is maintained. The GitLab environment has code repositories that are primarily available within the TUe network. The repositories in the TUe GitLab environment are therefore more closed source, including tutorials and demonstration projects for and by students in ISBE course. This includes a Python course, a Wiki-based environment with Parametric Design sample script (Rhino Grasshopper), and several student projects for reference.

GitLab Repository