Şahin Akın
About
I am a Postdoctoral Researcher at the NTNU Faculty of Architecture and Design, linked to the MIT Building Technology 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 Driving Urban Transitions Partnership (DUT) - Making PEDs project, where I contribute to the development of Positive Energy Districts (PEDs) and strategies for energy-efficient urban transformation. Additionally, I am involved in research on energy- and climate-positive buildings, refining approaches to building energy modeling and urban energy systems. My role also extends to the International Resource Panel (IRP) and United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) projects, where I contribute to research on resource efficiency, urban sustainability, and energy consumption modeling in metro areas of the Global South. As part of my postdoctoral work, I also support CIRCEULAR and CO2NSTRUCT, two projects aimed at improving building archetype modeling, refining data integration methods, and responding to European Commission (EC) midterm review requirements.
During my Ph.D. at NTNU’s Industrial Ecology Programme, 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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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
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;
Iseri, Orcun Koral;
Gursel Dino, Ipek;
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
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Akin, Sahin;
Gursel Dino, Ipek;
Savas Sargin, Aysen.
(2022)
Heritage Building Information Modelling for the Conservation of 20th Century Modernist Architecture .
METU Journal of the Faculty of Architecture
Academic article
2020
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Gursel Dino, Ipek;
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
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Akin, Sahin;
Ergun, Oguzcan;
Surer, Elif;
Gursel Dino, Ipek.
(2020)
An immersive performative architectural design tool with daylighting simulations: a building information modeling-based approach.
Engineering Construction and Architectural Management
Academic article
Journal publications
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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
-
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;
Iseri, Orcun Koral;
Gursel Dino, Ipek;
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;
Gursel Dino, Ipek;
Savas Sargin, Aysen.
(2022)
Heritage Building Information Modelling for the Conservation of 20th Century Modernist Architecture .
METU Journal of the Faculty of Architecture
Academic article
-
Gursel Dino, Ipek;
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
-
Akin, Sahin;
Ergun, Oguzcan;
Surer, Elif;
Gursel Dino, Ipek.
(2020)
An immersive performative architectural design tool with daylighting simulations: a building information modeling-based approach.
Engineering Construction and Architectural Management
Academic article
Outreach
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] 2024-01-11
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 [Business/trade/industry journal] 2023-12-07
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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. The International Society for Industrial Ecology (ISIE) ISIE 2023 , Leiden 2023-07-02 - 2023-07-05
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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. The International Society for Industrial Ecology (ISIE) ISIE 2023 , Leiden 2023-07-02 - 2023-12-05
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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. NTNU Sustainability Under construction: Circularity in the built environment , Trondheim 2023-11-27 - 2023-11-28
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. The International Society for Industrial Ecology (ISIE) Cutting-edge applications of industrial ecology in the built environment-International Industrial Ecology Day 2022 , Virtual 2022-11-30 - 2022-11-30
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. The International Society for Industrial Ecology (ISIE) International Industrial Ecology Day 2021 , Virtual 2021-06-21 - 2021-06-21
2020
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Academic lectureIseri, Orcun Koral; Akin, Sahin; Gursel Dino, Ipek. (2020) Energy Demand Prediction For Residential Buildings at Different Climate Conditions Based on Data-Driven Models. TU Graz BAUSIM 2020 , Graz 2020-09-23 - 2020-09-25
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Academic lectureAkin, Sahin; Iseri, Orcun Koral; Erdogan, Bilge; Gursel Dino, Ipek. (2020) An Exploratory Multi-objective Retrofit Decision-making Process. Yasar University International Symposium of Architecture, Technology and Innovation (ATI) , Izmir 2020-08-27 - 2020-08-29
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Academic lectureAkin, Sahin; Iseri, Orcun Koral; Akgul, Cagla Meral; Erdogan, Bilge; Gursel Dino, Ipek. (2020) Climate Change Impact on Multi-Objective Optimization: A Case Study on Educational Buildings. Austrian Institute of Technology Symposium on Simulation for Architecture and Urban Design (SimAUD) 2020 , Vienna 2020-05-25 - 2020-05-27
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Academic lectureKalfaoglu, Esat; Gursel Dino, Ipek; Iseri, Orcun Koral; Akin, Sahin; Sari, Alp Eren; Erdogan, Bilge. (2020) Vision-Based Lighting State Detection and Curtain Openness Ratio Prediction. Austrian Institute of Technology Symposium on Simulation for Architecture and Urban Design (SimAUD) 2020 , Vienna 2020-05-25 - 2020-05-27
2019
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Academic lectureAkin, Sahin; Ergun, Oguzcan; Gursel Dino, Ipek; Surer, Elif. (2019) Improving Visual Design Perception by an Integrated Mixed Reality Environment for Performative Architecture. Aalborg University 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 2019-05-02 - 2019-05-03
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PosterErgun, Oguzcan; Akin, Sahin; Gursel Dino, Ipek; 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 2019-03-23 - 2019-03-27
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Academic lectureGursel Dino, Ipek; 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 2019-09-18 - 2019-09-20
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Academic lectureGursel Dino, Ipek; 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 2019-09-18 - 2019-09-20
2018
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PosterAkin, Sahin; Ergun, Oguzcan; Surer, Elif; Gursel Dino, Ipek. (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 2018-11-28 - 2018-11-30