The main focus of this project is on the perceptions, emotions and behaviours of older people regarding different urban street designs. In specific, we are interested in exploring perceived discrimination due to age (ageism), a topic studied from a socio-psychological perspective. Hence, psychology is the main scientific area for this project. However, the multidisciplinary nature of the team is a major advantage, creating the opportunity to investigate people-place factors more deeply and use methodologies commonly used in other fields (architecture, computer science) in order to test our hypotheses (e.g., virtual reality studies).

The InCITIES project aims to achieve the transformations of HEIs and their surrounding ecosystem centred around on cities’ needs of inclusion, sustainability and resilience. Its specific focus on widening countries (Portugal and Slovakia) will allow to overcome structural, sociocultural, economic, political and institutional barriers to transformation fostering. Addressing the European-global challenges of cities, InCITIES has 4 objectives: 1) Map institutional transformation strategies towards research-based sustainable universities including open science and career opportunities. 2) Build a long-term network of participating HEIs and surrounding ecosystems based on integrated knowledge HUBs. 3) Increase scientific, technological and staff capacity by sharing the best pedagogical, research, management and administrative practices in the consortium, and piloting leverages to widening HEIs. 4) Promote digitally driven universities by creating an open and innovative education and training platform in synergy with the project research and innovation agenda on inclusive, sustainable and resilient cities. The 5 methods jointly developed will set the foundation for the consortium role model: 1) Method for a common research map, 2) Capacity building actions based on the Learning by Developing pedagogical model, 3) Capacity building in talent scout and career opportunity strategy (attractiveness of research careers, including open science incentives), 4) Capacity building on equality, diversity and inclusion, 5) Methods to address enablers and barriers to integration of the InCITIES Alliance. From knowledge co-creation to joint production between European HEIs, surrounding ecosystems and citizens’ involvement, integrated actions play a key-role in achieving the consortium objectives. Capacity building actions implemented are a step towards the submission to the European Universities Initiative; it will strengthen the ERA, the EEA, and Europe’s approach to coope...

Following the ICOMOS study “The World Heritage list: filling the gaps – an action plan for the future” and the Global Strategy of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee (WHC) encouraging State Parties to submit nominations on the 20th century Heritage, ICOMOS-Portugal presented an Ensemble of works of Álvaro Siza for the World Heritage (WH) Tentative List, in 2017.  Siza is not only an Architect of national relevance, but also international; as one can count the design of approximately 500 projects and built works (spread across 4 continents and 16 countries), more than 100 distinctions and awards, 19 PhDs Honorary degrees, hundreds of dedicated publications. Despite the international recognition of the quality of Siza’s architecture, there is not yet a complete and systematic inventory of his built works. The information is usually scattered, partial or incomplete. The existent literature focuses more on formal questions of the project, and little on the constructive and technical dimension of his works, on the state of conservation of the buildings, or on possible threats affecting them. In this framework, the scope of SizaATLAS project is to address a comprehensive inventory of all of Siza’s built works, and to develop a detailed documentation and analysis of the 18 buildings selected for the WH List. This research and the comparison with other contemporary architecture will result in a better understanding of the unique value of Siza’s architecture, in a national and international context. This will be key to establish the justification of the Oustanding Universal Value (OUV) of his work, its national protection and an effective management system to support the instruction of Siza’s works nomination for the WH List. The research intends to develop: 1) a COLLABORATIVE PLATFORM for open access, which will allow database management and exchange, as well as forms' compilation and research dissemination; 2) a georeferenced INVENTORY of all the built works by Siza, ...

Implementation and usability testing of an Interactive System for generating house plans based on Shape Grammars. Architectural design models and automatic generation tools need to support the specification of specialized knowledge in the form of design requirements that can be used either to evaluate solutions or to guide exploration or design generation. Using shape grammars, an architect must express design specifications not only by visual knowledge, using shape rules, but also by specialized requirements that are, in computational language, logical and procedural. Moreover, contrary to what usually happens in shape grammars, knowledge about shapes and about procedures must be separated, if we want to obtain a model for generating flexible solutions and enabling the quick specification of solutions. Separating this knowledge would facilitate convenient abstraction and modularization for the algorithmic development of a design solution generation system. The Alternative Shaper model (F. Santos, et all, 2018 *)  main objective is the characterization and implementation of a design model based on extended shape grammars with knowledge representation primitives and appropriate procedural primitives for the automatic generation of designs . In addition to generating a housing design solution, the system also provides for the possibility of viewing it in an immersive virtual reality environment which, we expect, will give the inhabitants a greater sense of reality.

This project aims to explore new research problems that can be solved by using image and video data analysis. This project will be developed in collaboration with the Lisbon City Council (CML) and addresses challenges that CML launched for the scientific community. The area topic to be addressed is computer vision for knowledge extraction based on aerial and street-level city imagery. We propose a new multi-spatial scale urban fabric dataset and a novel convolutional neural network solution for urban fabric classification tasks. Considering the challenges launched by CML and the already established collaboration between Iscte and CML, this project proposes to explore solutions to a set of urban classification problems by using video and image analysis. In this topic the goal is to identify features of the city shape, namely: i) to estimate the existence of unregistered greenspaces, as green rooftops (since CML is not currently aware of most green rooftops existing in Lisbon) and green back yards (not registered in the city council); ii) to estimate the height and deployment shape and area of Lisbon’s buildings, which will enable to develop an automatic and constantly updated tri-dimensional urban fabric map for Lisbon; iii) to estimate and automatically classify the conservation state of buildings’ facades; iv) among others. Such a methodology will be initially based on the set of aerial and street-level images obtained from CML (during the period of the scholarship). We are also considering exploiting existing city plans freely available at OpenStreetMaps to boost the convolutional neural network's training process, as well as to improve its inference performance. In a second phase, we will explore the use of other types of images such as from google street viewer and the ones directly collected by cameras in drones or city council vehicles (e.g., garbage trucks). For this second phase, we envision submitting a proposal to competitive funding and propose this topic...

The initiative “Artificial Realities: Virtual as an aesthetic medium in architectural ideation”, is an opportunity to strengthen the relationship between ISTAR (Information Sciences, Technology and Architecture Research Centre, ISCTE-IUL) and the Virtual Reality Lab (NMBU- Norwegian University of Life Sciences).  Both universities will join to share expertise in the field of Virtual Reality. “Artificial Realities” is framed by the confrontation between rationality and efficiency related to virtual technologies applied to the architectural design process. The experience of architectural space and the state of contemplation and delight of the architectonic exercise will have a digital materialization. Since the fields of research of both groups coincide, ISTAR and NMBU will work together this core theme. By the end of the term, the results will be shared by publications.  Thus, the initiative will explore the ways in which virtual reality technologies can enable: i) designers to create immersive spaces that drive the users to escape to other realms in cutting-edge aesthetic experiences, ii) final-user/citizens to be engaged in urban design discussions. In this exploratory field, ISTAR want to be part of the international networks of researchers, being NMBU a partner of excellence to build a strong partnership through mobility programs, sharing labs and equipment and joint research tasks.  The project kick-off will be an international exhibition coupled with a one-day symposium, selected to be an Associated Project of Lisbon Architecture Triennale 2019, hosted by ISCTE Architecture School and organized by ISTAR on the 14th-18th of October 2019. 

BIM is vigorously changing all phases of buildings’ life cycle, from strategic planning, design, construction, operation and decommission. Building operation, which is the longest and most significant phase, has it’s own nuances. Professional roles are different from other phases since architects and civil engineers are often replaced by managers and MEP (Mechanical, electrical, and plumbing) professionals, focus is on maintenance, cost reduction and profitability and user comfort. BIM, as a natural tool for building information storage and use, is a natural part of a Facility Management System. We work on the development of BIM platforms for the management of large, multi-building facilities, such as education campus or hospitals, where scale, geolocalization and visual communication render traditional methods inefficient. We work with Facility Management platforms that link with and take advantage of BIM models and we employ Virtual and Augmented Reality technologies to enhance and visualize facilities’ data.

The goal of ADENE was to develop an Energy Interpretation Center – CINERGIA – in Lisbon. ISTAR entered the project as consultants within four stages: 1st stage – Deliver an study on the existing Portuguese Interpretation Centers/museums where AR/VR/MR technologies were used. Deliver a preliminary design project for the CINERGIA 2nd stage – Accompany the execution of the Final Execution Project for CINERGIA 3rd stage – Accompany the execution of the Final Execution Project for ADENE permisses related to the implementation of CINERGIA. 4th stage – Deliver a study and accompany the execution of a temporary exhibition in Centro de Ciência Viva, Lisbon, with two of the CINERGIA exhibition modules.

The overall goal of IRIS is to provide a natural interaction communication platform accessible and adapted for all users, particularly for people with speech impairments and elderly in indoor scenarios. Human-Computer interaction with this platform will adopt the principles of universal design and natural user interfaces such as speech, silent speech, gestures, tactile and haptic devices, pictograms, animated characters and personalized synthetic voices.   The platform will provide a set of services that allow easy access to social networks, friends and remote family members, fighting social-exclusion of people with special needs or impairments. Application of these features will be performed in the context of serious games, virtual reality environments and assisted living scenarios. We will also explore the use of personalized avatars (that resemble with the user) in asynchronous human-human and human-machine communications, in situations where the user has lost his/her voice and in scenarios where it is not possible to have a video signal transmission due to low bandwidth or privacy reasons. Biometrics will complement the platform, in the sense that authentication and authorization are fundamental aspects for assuring access security to personal information in a natural way.

ISTAR-IUL collaborates on projects where assessing people’s satisfaction with the built environment, both existing and under design, is a central question. In the scope of an ongoing project of AUDAX, ISTAR-IUL collaborated with the design and 3D modeling of interior spaces for new concepts for stores of leading companies from Telecom, Bank, Insurance and Energy industries. For such an assessment the 3D models of stores were created using several computer aided design software, including Unity, and then visualized by potential stores’ users with Oculus Rift. The immersive visualization enables potential users to have a full experience in the designed store and assess how the differences in the design can affect their use of the space. For a collective experience inside the store PockeCAVE could have been used which would enable e.g. group discussion.  

For the first time an experience in Immersive Virtual Reality was used to show the population of the Ponte de Sôr municipality future ideas for the city. Using a Head Mounted Display (HDM) it was possible for everyone at the “Flavours Fair”, April 29th to May 1st, to navigate virtually in the future market and surrounding areas. This technology, developed by the Digital Living Spaces group of ISTAR-IUL, ensures full immersion and a sense of presence that is impossible with any other representation method. According to the author of the architecture project, architect João Monteiro, “this method of exploring a future space has enormous potential for communication with clients and lay people “. Immersive virtual reality gives the user the experience of being in real space. The user can walk virtually to their liking by choosing the route and looking in all directions. “I noticed once again that plans, cross-sections, elevations and even models are not understood by most people, but in this virtual environment they perfectly understand the space”, said Sara Eloy, who led the team of researchers who adapted the architecture model for virtual reality and accompanied the demonstration. This partnership between ISCTE-IUL, the João Correia Monteiro architects studio and the Ponte de Sôr municipality made it possible for all its residents to have a thorough knowledge of what will be the space that will result from the renovation of the city’s market, creating an area for startups and creative businesses that will revitalize the city. Navigate in Ponte de Sôr model here.

This project aims to provide an answer to societal challenges by providing an innovative Organisational Life Assistant (OLA), a virtual presence that supports instrumental activities relating to daily living needs of older adults allowing them to be more independent, self-assured and to have a healthier, safer and organized life, while facilitates caregivers by supporting them on offering high-quality assistance OLA will mediate and facilitate interaction (communication and collaboration) between senior citizens and their informal caregivers or other services or professionals, through technological devices such as standard computers, mobile devices (tablets) and home automation modules.   These ICT devices will be based on an innovative multimodal model, embracing various physical/healthy and cognitive characteristics of the older adults and will specifically oriented to increase the level of independence of the elderly, by supporting the possibility of carers’ assistance remotely and by improving the accessibility to existing services on the Web, such as shopping on-line services. Moreover, the OLA will also provide a personalized well-being and safety advices to older users in order to avoid unwanted age related health and safety situations at their own home. Such a well-being and safety advisor makes uses of a combination of collected user information (personal physical/health and cognitive characteristics) and user interaction information extracted through emotion recognition and various sensor settings.

Ambient Assisted Living (AAL) is a new approach to the challenges related with population aging and has as its main goals applying ambient intelligent technologies in supporting and training people with specific requirements (such as giving to elderly with memory loss products/services that help them reminding events or paths), and in developing safe environments to the maintenance of an independent life, promoting the active aging. Many national and international actions in the scope of AAL, more or less articulated, have been done, exploring several approaches to the development of innovative technologies. However, in general, we do not have a global understanding that determine and guide the Investigation & Development in AAL. In this context, the AAL4ALL project aims to develop a platform for the aggregation of products / services that promote the creation of assisted living environments, presenting an answer through the development of products and services ecosystem for AAL associated with a business model and validated by a large-scale pilot test.

The future of the real estate market in Europe requires the rehabilitation of existing residential areas in order to respond to new life-styles and dwelling requirements. In this research both shape grammar and space syntax are used as part of a rehabilitation methodology as tools to identify and encode the principles and rules behind the adaptation of existing houses to new requirements. (Eloy, 2012) In addition to defining a general methodology applicable to all the building types, the study focused on a specific type, called “rabo-de-bacalhau” (“cod-tail”), built in Lisbon between 1945 and 1965 for which a specific methodology was generated. Ongoing work focuses on the generalization of the transformation grammar using the same general framework of rules and integrating specificities of different building types (Eloy and Duarte, 2012), the development of tools to generate functional programmes (Pedroso et al, 2014) and the development of tools to automate the design layouts (Strobbe et al, 2016). The development of a general transformation grammar would enable the rehabilitation of various types of housing buildings. An architectural challenge, such as the large-scale refurbishment of existent housing stocks, that require too much design efforts to be logistically or economically feasible, can be addressed by a stand-alone generative system such as shape grammars. Considering of design solutions achieve by the transformation grammar, there is evidence that those refurbishment designs have the same architectural quality as designs done by human architects (Eloy and Vermaas 2014b). This design tool could be made available as a web tool directly to the apartment inhabitants and therefore enabling them to define their own house (Eloy and Vermaas 2014a). Recent work focus on the transformations performed by inhabitants in existing housing settlements and how can shape grammar can be a tool to both assure design quality and enable co-design (Eloy, Dias, Vermaas, 20...