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