Quebec Sustainable Social and Community Housing Living Lab
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
REQUIREMENTS
- Master’s degree in Building Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Energy Systems, Civil Engineering, or related field Strong background in building physics and energy systems modeling
- Experience with simulation tools (e.g., EnergyPlus, TRNSYS, Modelica, or similar)
- Programming skills in Python, MATLAB, or similar for data analysis and modeling
- Familiarity with digital twins, 3D city modeling, or GIS tools (asset)
- Knowledge of renewable energy systems (heat pumps, solar PV, storage technologies)
- Understanding of electrification and grid interaction concepts (demand response, flexibility)
- Experience with data integration and analysis (sensor data, urban datasets)
- Interest in sustainable cities, decarbonization, and low-carbon infrastructure
- Ability to work in interdisciplinary teams and communicate with non-technical stakeholders
WHAT WE OFFER
- Fully funded PhD (tuition coverage + competitive stipend)
- Work on real-world decarbonization projects in social housing across Québec
- Hands-on experience with digital twins, urban energy modeling, and Tools4Cities
- Exposure to renewable energy systems, electrification, and grid interaction
- Opportunity to contribute to decision-support tools for cities and housing partners
- Support for publications, conferences, and research dissemination
- Access to Volt-Age training in leadership, communication, and applied research
HOW TO APPLY
Please send the following documents in a single PDF file to volt-age.recruitment@concordia.ca:
- Letter of intent clearly aligned with the professor’s research domain *(You may also review their recent publications and highlight relevant experience.)*
- Academic CV
- Unofficial transcripts with CGPA and course names
- Names and emails of 3 referees
- Publications with embedded links, if any
- Any other supporting documents that strengthen your application
Subject of the email: Digital twins_Your name
Deadline: applications will be considered on a rolling basis.
For all questions, please contact Alisa Makusheva at alisa.makusheva@concordia.ca
Unlock this job opportunity
View more options below
View full job details
See the complete job description, requirements, and application process


