Architecture and urban physics

Architecture and urban physics

Localisation


Anglet

UPPA’s research unit - Multidisciplinary Institute for Applied Research

Facts

Team

Leader: Benoît Beckers

  • 1 permanent employee
  • 3 PhD
  • 3 post-doctoral fellows

Key dates

  • Kick-off: january 2017
  • Duration: 5 years

Financial contribution/year

Architecture and urban physics

Benoît Beckers holds the chair in “Architecture and Urban Physics” located at ISA BTP in Anglet. The UPPA, the technology center Nobatek/INEF4, the New Aquitaine region and the Communauté d’Agglomération Pays Basque came together to create a “joint laboratory” hosting this chair.

When half of humanity lives in cities, the theories and models that we have built so far no longer apply as they do not take into account the urban dimension. Talking about sustainable construction while encouraging urban sprawl is meaningless. We need to move up to a larger scale, to change our point of view, especially by using physics and the digital tools that we now have at hands.

The goal of this chair is to design innovative digital models that take into account not only the architectural dimension, but also data on human motion, accoustics, sunlight... Urban physics requires an interdisciplinary approach! The new chair relies on both the capabilities of the SIAME laboratory (Engineering Science Applied to Mechanics and Electrical Engineering) and the experience and expertise of Nobatek in sustainable construction.

 

Benoît Beckers has a background in Physical Engineering, and a doctorate from the architecture school of the Polytechnical University of Catalogna. Before joining the UPPA, he directed a research team in the «Urban systems engineering» department of the Technological University of Compiègne.