Şahin Akın
About
I am a Postdoctoral Researcher at the NTNU-MIT Energy Research Program. My work focuses on energy- and climate-positive transformation of buildings, urban sustainability, and building energy modeling.
My current research includes work within the Making PEDs project, where I contribute to the development of Positive Energy Districts and strategies for energy-efficient urban transformation. I am also involved in research on energy and climate-positive buildings, refining approaches to building energy modeling and urban energy systems in collaboration with MIT. In addition, I contribute to the International Resource Panel and United Nations Environment Program projects, focusing on resource efficiency, urban sustainability, and energy consumption modeling in metropolitan areas of the Global South. As part of my postdoctoral work, I also support the CIRCEULAR, CIRCOMOD, and CO2NSTRUCT projects, where I work on improving data integration methods and addressing European Commission midterm review requirements.
During my Ph.D. at NTNU’s Industrial Ecology Program, Department of Energy and Process Engineering, my research focused on quantifying the resource use/emissions of the residential building stock in Western Asia and North Africa using building energy simulations and dynamic stock models. I developed representative residential building archetypes as part of the Resource Efficiency and Climate Change (RECC) project, which integrates industrial ecology, engineering-based modeling, and energy scenario methods to assess global resource efficiency strategies. Before my Ph.D., I worked as a Research Assistant on projects related to building performance assessment, energy efficiency, parametric design, BIM/HBIM, architectural visualization, UX design, and virtual/mixed reality environments for design.
I hold a Ph.D. in Industrial Ecology from NTNU, Norway, an M.Arch. in Architecture from Middle East Technical University, Turkey, and a B.Arch. in Architecture from Izmir University of Economics, Turkey. My research bridges architecture, engineering, and industrial ecology, focusing on advanced modeling techniques, sustainability assessments, and energy-efficient building strategies to drive the sustainable transformation of the built environment.
Publications
2025
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Voitenko, Galina;
Akin, Sahin;
Gaitani, Niki.
(2025)
Data structure for 3D City Models.
Making Peds
Making Peds
Report
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spohr, jakob;
Ortiz, Joana;
Salom, Jaume;
Akin, Sahin;
Pistore, Lorenza;
Chang, Carlos.
(2025)
Description of the computation models for PEDs Preliminary version.
Making Peds
Making Peds
Report
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Voitenko, Galina;
Akin, Sahin;
Andresen, Inger;
Salom, Jaume;
Gaitani, Niki.
(2025)
Data applications for semantic 3D neighbourhood models: Challenges and opportunities in a case study in Norway.
Journal of Physics: Conference Series (JPCS)
Academic article
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Amini, Sara;
Akin, Sahin;
Rousseau, Lola Sylvie Annie;
Hertwich, Edgar G..
(2025)
Material Demand and Energy Saving Potential of Renovation of Norwegian Residential Buildings: A Bottom-up Approach.
Journal of Physics: Conference Series (JPCS)
Academic article
-
Akin, Sahin;
Carrer, Fabio;
Hertwich, Edgar G..
(2025)
Future resource efficiency scenarios for the Western Asian and Northern African residential buildings: An exploratory study.
Sustainable Cities and Society (SCS)
Academic article
-
Akin, Sahin;
Eghbali, Aida;
Nwagwu, Chibuikem Chrysogonus;
Hertwich, Edgar G..
(2025)
Western Asian and Northern African residential building stocks: archetype analysis.
Buildings & Cities
Academic article
2024
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Nwagwu, Chibuikem Chrysogonus;
Akin, Sahin;
Hertwich, Edgar G..
(2024)
Modelling Nigerian residential dwellings: bottom-up approach and scenario analysis.
Buildings & Cities
Academic article
2023
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Akin, Sahin;
Nwagwu, Chibuikem;
Heeren, Niko;
Hertwich, Edgar.
(2023)
Archetype-based energy and material use estimation for the residential buildings in Arab Gulf countries.
Energy and Buildings
Academic article
2022
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Akin, Sahin;
Dino, Ipek Gursel;
Sargin, Aysen Savas.
(2022)
Heritage Building Information Modelling for the Conservation of 20th Century Modernist Architecture.
METU Journal of the Faculty of Architecture
Academic article
-
Akin, Sahin;
Iseri, Orcun Koral;
Dino, Ipek Gursel;
Erdogan, Bilge.
(2022)
Exploratory and Multi-objective Decision-Making Methods for Retrofit Planning Processes.
International Journal of Digital Innovation in the Built Environment
Academic article
2020
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Akin, Sahin;
Ergun, Oguzcan;
Surer, Elif;
Dino, Ipek Gursel.
(2020)
An immersive performative architectural design tool with daylighting simulations: a building information modeling-based approach.
Engineering Construction and Architectural Management
Academic article
-
Dino, Ipek Gursel;
Sari, Alp Eren;
Iseri, Orcun Koral;
Akin, Sahin;
Kalfaoglu, Esat;
Erdogan, Bilge.
(2020)
Image-based construction of building energy models using computer vision.
Automation in Construction
Academic article
Journal publications
-
Voitenko, Galina;
Akin, Sahin;
Andresen, Inger;
Salom, Jaume;
Gaitani, Niki.
(2025)
Data applications for semantic 3D neighbourhood models: Challenges and opportunities in a case study in Norway.
Journal of Physics: Conference Series (JPCS)
Academic article
-
Amini, Sara;
Akin, Sahin;
Rousseau, Lola Sylvie Annie;
Hertwich, Edgar G..
(2025)
Material Demand and Energy Saving Potential of Renovation of Norwegian Residential Buildings: A Bottom-up Approach.
Journal of Physics: Conference Series (JPCS)
Academic article
-
Akin, Sahin;
Carrer, Fabio;
Hertwich, Edgar G..
(2025)
Future resource efficiency scenarios for the Western Asian and Northern African residential buildings: An exploratory study.
Sustainable Cities and Society (SCS)
Academic article
-
Akin, Sahin;
Eghbali, Aida;
Nwagwu, Chibuikem Chrysogonus;
Hertwich, Edgar G..
(2025)
Western Asian and Northern African residential building stocks: archetype analysis.
Buildings & Cities
Academic article
-
Nwagwu, Chibuikem Chrysogonus;
Akin, Sahin;
Hertwich, Edgar G..
(2024)
Modelling Nigerian residential dwellings: bottom-up approach and scenario analysis.
Buildings & Cities
Academic article
-
Akin, Sahin;
Nwagwu, Chibuikem;
Heeren, Niko;
Hertwich, Edgar.
(2023)
Archetype-based energy and material use estimation for the residential buildings in Arab Gulf countries.
Energy and Buildings
Academic article
-
Akin, Sahin;
Dino, Ipek Gursel;
Sargin, Aysen Savas.
(2022)
Heritage Building Information Modelling for the Conservation of 20th Century Modernist Architecture.
METU Journal of the Faculty of Architecture
Academic article
-
Akin, Sahin;
Iseri, Orcun Koral;
Dino, Ipek Gursel;
Erdogan, Bilge.
(2022)
Exploratory and Multi-objective Decision-Making Methods for Retrofit Planning Processes.
International Journal of Digital Innovation in the Built Environment
Academic article
-
Akin, Sahin;
Ergun, Oguzcan;
Surer, Elif;
Dino, Ipek Gursel.
(2020)
An immersive performative architectural design tool with daylighting simulations: a building information modeling-based approach.
Engineering Construction and Architectural Management
Academic article
-
Dino, Ipek Gursel;
Sari, Alp Eren;
Iseri, Orcun Koral;
Akin, Sahin;
Kalfaoglu, Esat;
Erdogan, Bilge.
(2020)
Image-based construction of building energy models using computer vision.
Automation in Construction
Academic article
Report
-
Voitenko, Galina;
Akin, Sahin;
Gaitani, Niki.
(2025)
Data structure for 3D City Models.
Making Peds
Making Peds
Report
-
spohr, jakob;
Ortiz, Joana;
Salom, Jaume;
Akin, Sahin;
Pistore, Lorenza;
Chang, Carlos.
(2025)
Description of the computation models for PEDs Preliminary version.
Making Peds
Making Peds
Report
Outreach
2026
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InterviewAkin, Sahin; Hertwich, Edgar G.; Shahba, Alyaa Abo. (2026) Modern buildings and the environment. Al-Ahram Weekly Al-Ahram Weekly [Journal]
2024
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InterviewAkin, Sahin; Hertwich, Edgar G.; Saeed, Mohammed. (2024) الثورة النفطية أسهمت في زيادة البصمة البيئية لمباني دول الخليج (The oil revolution contributed to increasing the environmental footprint of buildings in the Gulf countries). https://www.natureasia.com/ar/nmiddleeast/article/10.1038/nm https://www.natureasia.com/ar/nmiddleeast/article/10.1038/nm [Internet] 11.01.2024
2023
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Academic lectureNwagwu, Chibuikem; Akin, Sahin; Hertwich, Edgar. (2023) REDEFINING NIGERIA'S RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS IN THE FACE OF HUMAN DEVELOPMENT AND CLIMATE CHANGE CRISES. ISIE 2023 , Leiden 02.07.2023 - 05.07.2023
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PosterAkin, Sahin; Eghbali, Aida; Nwagwu, Chibuikem; Hertwich, Edgar. (2023) Estimating Resource Use and Related Greenhouse Gas Emissions in Western Asian and Northern African Residential Buildings. Under construction: Circularity in the built environment , Trondheim 27.11.2023 - 28.11.2023
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Academic lectureAkin, Sahin; Eghbali, Aida; Nwagwu, Chibuikem; Heeren, Niko; Hertwich, Edgar. (2023) Estimating Embodied and Operational Emissions of Residential Building Stock in Western Asia and Northern Africa: A Comparative Study. ISIE 2023 , Leiden 02.07.2023 - 05.12.2023
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InterviewAkin, Sahin; Hertwich, Edgar G.; Bazilchuk, Nancy Reney. (2023) The energy footprint of architecture built by oil. Norwegian SciTech News Norwegian SciTech News [Journal] 07.12.2023
2022
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Academic lectureAkin, Sahin; Heeren, Niko; Hertwich, Edgar. (2022) Resource consumption of the affluent Arabic countries' residential building stock: A bottom-up approach. Cutting-edge applications of industrial ecology in the built environment-International Industrial Ecology Day 2022 , Virtual 30.11.2022 - 30.11.2022
2021
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PosterAkin, Sahin; Heeren, Niko; Hertwich, Edgar. (2021) A GIS-based Bottom-up Building Archetype Development Approach for the Middle Eastern Building Stock. International Industrial Ecology Day 2021 , Virtual 21.06.2021 - 21.06.2021
2020
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Academic lectureIseri, Orcun Koral; Akin, Sahin; Dino, Ipek Gursel. (2020) Energy Demand Prediction For Residential Buildings at Different Climate Conditions Based on Data-Driven Models. BAUSIM 2020 , Graz 23.09.2020 - 25.09.2020
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Academic lectureAkin, Sahin; Iseri, Orcun Koral; Erdogan, Bilge; Dino, Ipek Gursel. (2020) An Exploratory Multi-objective Retrofit Decision-making Process. International Symposium of Architecture, Technology and Innovation (ATI) , Izmir 27.08.2020 - 29.08.2020
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Academic lectureAkin, Sahin; Iseri, Orcun Koral; Akgul, Cagla Meral; Erdogan, Bilge; Dino, Ipek Gursel. (2020) Climate Change Impact on Multi-Objective Optimization: A Case Study on Educational Buildings. Symposium on Simulation for Architecture and Urban Design (SimAUD) 2020 , Vienna 25.05.2020 - 27.05.2020
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Academic lectureKalfaoglu, Esat; Dino, Ipek Gursel; Iseri, Orcun Koral; Akin, Sahin; Sari, Alp Eren; Erdogan, Bilge. (2020) Vision-Based Lighting State Detection and Curtain Openness Ratio Prediction. Symposium on Simulation for Architecture and Urban Design (SimAUD) 2020 , Vienna 25.05.2020 - 27.05.2020
2019
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Academic lectureAkin, Sahin; Ergun, Oguzcan; Dino, Ipek Gursel; Surer, Elif. (2019) Improving Visual Design Perception by an Integrated Mixed Reality Environment for Performative Architecture. eCAADe RIS 2019. Virtually Real. Immersing into the Unbuilt: Proceedings of the 7th Regional International Symposium on Education and Research in Computer Aided Architectural Design in Europe , Aalborg 02.05.2019 - 03.05.2019
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Academic lectureDino, Ipek Gursel; Sari, Alp Eren; Kalfaoglu, Esat; Akin, Sahin; Iseri, Orcun Koral; Alatan, Aydin. (2019) Automated building energy modeling for existing buildings using computer vision. CIB W78 Conference: Advances in ICT in Design, Construction and Management in Architecture, Engineering, Construction and Operations (AECO) , Newcastle 18.09.2019 - 20.09.2019
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Academic lectureDino, Ipek Gursel; Kalfaoglu, Esat; Sari, Alp Eren; Akin, Sahin; Iseri, Orcun Koral; Alatan, Aydin. (2019) Video Content Analysis-Based Detection of Occupant Presence for Building Energy Modelling. CIB W78 Conference: Advances in ICT in Design, Construction and Management in Architecture, Engineering, Construction and Operations (AECO) , Newcastle 18.09.2019 - 20.09.2019
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PosterErgun, Oguzcan; Akin, Sahin; Dino, Ipek Gursel; Surer, Elif. (2019) Architectural Design in Virtual Reality and Mixed Reality Environments: A Comparative Analysis. 2019 IEEE Conference on Virtual Reality and 3D User Interfaces (VR) , Osaka 23.03.2019 - 27.03.2019
2018
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PosterAkin, Sahin; Ergun, Oguzcan; Surer, Elif; Dino, Ipek Gursel. (2018) An Immersive Design Environment for Performance-Based Architectural Design: A BIM-based Approach. 4th EAI International Conference on Smart Objects and Technologies for Social Good (GOODTECHS 2018) , Bologna 28.11.2018 - 30.11.2018