2024 Thesis Defenses at ULiège's GeoScITY Lab
The GeoScITY Lab at the University of Liège proudly announces the successful defenses of two doctoral theses in 2024. These works contribute significantly to the fields of 3D property valuation and urban digital twin creation, addressing major challenges in urban digital modeling.
Dr. Siham El Yamani
Date of Defense: July 9, 2024
Thesis Title: "Towards a 3D Property Valuation Model: Conceptualization and BIM-CIM Based Data Integrability"
Supervisors: Roland Billen (ULiège) and Rafika Hajji (Institut Agronomique et Vétérinaire Hassan II)
In response to the rapid urbanization and scarcity of land, Dr. Siham El Yamani's research introduces a 3D property valuation model that leverages BIM (Building Information Modeling) and CIM (City Information Modeling) technologies. Traditional 2D valuation methods fall short in complex urban environments, but this new approach incorporates 3D variables—including interior factors like air quality and daylight, and exterior elements such as view analysis and noise levels. By integrating data through standards like IFC and CityGML, Dr. El Yamani’s framework enables more dynamic simulations and accurate property assessments, benefiting investors, urban developers, and policymakers.
Her work establishes a significant step forward in precise property valuation.
Access the full thesis: Towards a 3D Property Valuation Model - ORBi ULiège
Dr. Zouhair Ballouch
Date of Defense: November 27, 2024
Thesis Title: "Enhancing Semantic Segmentation of Large-Scale 3D Point Clouds with Deep Learning Techniques for Urban Digital Twin Creation"
Supervisors: Roland Billen (ULiège) and Rafika Hajji (Institut Agronomique et Vétérinaire Hassan II)
Dr. Zouhair Ballouch's thesis tackles the challenge of extracting detailed semantic information from large-scale LiDAR point clouds for the creation of Urban Digital Twins. By using Deep Learning techniques and developing innovative fusion approaches between point clouds and imagery, his work enhances automatic 3D modeling and semantic segmentation of urban environments.
This research addresses critical issues such as object extraction, data efficiency, and the integration of enriched 3D point clouds for simulations like flood analysis, solar potential studies, and urban change detection. Dr. Ballouch's work culminates in a foundational Digital Twin for the city of Liège, providing concepts, algorithms, and tools that expand the potential of urban simulations and decision-making.
Access the full thesis: Enhancing Semantic Segmentation of 3D Point Clouds - ORBi ULiège
The University of Liège and the GeoScITY Lab congratulate both Dr. El Yamani and Dr. Ballouch for their contributions to urban and geospatial information sciences, paving the way for future applications in 3D modeling, property valuation, and urban digital twin technologies.
