KEYNOTE SPEAKERS
KEYNOTE SPEAKERS
Senior Lecturer, School of Built Environment, University of New South Wales
Riccardo by training is a building engineer and he received a Ph.D. in Building Systems Engineering from Politecnico di Milano, Italy, in 2011. He joined UNSW Built Environment in February 2017. He is a Senior Lecturer in the High Performance Architecture research cluster. Riccardo is also an affiliate of the Heat Island Group, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA. Previously, he had an appointment as post-doc at Politecnico di Milano, Italy (2011-2017). He had been teaching heat and moisture transport in building envelope applications at Politecnico di Milano at postgraduate level for six years.
Professor at Paris-Saclay University / ENS Paris-Saclay in France
Prof. Dr. Ing. R. BENNACER is an Engineer in Mechanical field (1989), and he got his PhD thesis at Pierre et Marie Curie University (Paris 6) in 1993. He worked as lecturer in the University Paris XI (1993/94), became an associate professor at Cergy Pontoise University in 1994 and full Professor in 2008. He moved as senior Professor to the prestigious school Ecole Normale Superieure (Paris-Saclay) since 2010. He becomes in 2017 an Exceptional National Class Professor. He is also adjunced professor at Tianjin Uni. Of comm. (China) and UMB Univ. He assumed several responsibilities, director of the LEEVAM research team (2003-2007), Licence degrees (2008-2010), Aggregation title (2010-2011), Master research degree (2011 2013), Transfer and Environmental Research Unit (CNRS LMT-Lab) (since July 2012), dean of Civil/Environmental department (Oct. 2012/Sep. 2016) and since 2019 Coordinate International Affairs Related To Ph.D Univ. Paris-Saclay. His present research activity is within the LMT laboratory where he manages Transfer and Environmental Research Unit. His Research field covers wide spectrum and several domains. It covers the building material for energy applications or on durability aspect, renewable and energy system. The expertise covers the direct numerical simulation including CFD coupling on multi-scales. The previous approach is consolidated by analytical or reduction approach in order to identify the instabilities and global behavior bifurcation and similarity controlling parameters in multiphysics situations. He published around 10 book chapters and more than 150 referenced international journals (Rank A).
Professor at University of Lorraine in France
Prof. M. El-GANAOUI is a full professor at the University of Lorraine and researcher in the Jacques Villermaux Federation for mechanics, energy and processes (FR 28 63/LERMAB). He is heading the research in energy in the Henri Poincaré Institute of Technology in Longwy. Previously, he was an associate professor in the University of Limoges and the SPCTS UMR 6638 CNRS laboratory where he was responsible for the Physics Department (2004-2010) and the international cooperation service (2006- 2010) in the Faculty of science and technology. His research aims to understand heat and mass transfers through modeling and numerical simulation with a specific activity in the field of the solid -liquid-vapor phase change. Applications concern materials and energy and benefit to energy systems including phenomena for sustainable building (Eco-materials). He teaches the mechanics of continuous media, heat transfers, and numerical methods. He was advisor of more than 30 Phd Thesis with strong international interaction noticeably in the Euro-Mediterranean context. He participated/managed the PAI Australia, Canada, Maghreb (Tassili, Utique, Volubilis), China (Xugangqi). El Ganaoui has participated in the Edition of more than 12 special issues and conference proceedings, co-authored over than 220 publications in journals (rank A) and participated in more than 110 international conferences including ten he co-organized. He is member of many international scientific societies in mechanics and heat transfers
Professor at Ecole Nationale d’Architecture et d’Urbanisme (ENAU) in Tunisia
Architect Co-founder of qartbunDESIGN & ebniecolo
Dorra Ismail is a PhD, Research Director in architecture, Professor at ENAU Director of the 4C-ENAU (2019-2022).
ENAU-UCAR Quality Manager (2019-2021), AQI-IIEP-Unesco certified 2021. She is an expert and trainer in bioclimatic and green building approaches. Coach/Mentor at OSTX-Carthage (2020-2022).
She is associated with Mehdi Dellagi, co-founder of the architecture company qartbunDESIGN, sarl. Several green building projects built since 2002 and a tunisian patent INNorPI named QAWS of a constructive system (N°23821, 04 September 2015). Co-founder of the first platform of valorization, promotion and networking of green building in Tunisia ebniecolo. Co-founder of the 1st Accreditation of continuous training in “Green Building” in Tunisia & Founding Member (2009) of the Tunisia Green Building Council – TGBC.
Dorra Ismail is also Director of Research in Architecture and Head of the EaE research team (Epistemology of Architecture & Événementialité), made up of 25 members, with 4 PhD defended.
Professor at ENSIAS College of Engineering in Rabat
Mohamed Essaaidi is a professor at ENSIAS College of Engineering in Rabat, he got his PHD in Electronics and Telecommunication from the University of Abdelmalek Essaadi in 1997. The topics of his research are Antennas and Propagation, Wireless Communications, Wireless and Microwave Circuits, Vehicular Ad Hoc Networks, Wireless Sensor Networks, Grid Computing and Cloud, and Smart Grid. He is currently teaching Network, Wireless Communications, Wireless and Microwave Circuits, Security and Privacy, Technical English (with a focus on emerging technologies). He is a MEA chair in IEEE Global Cities Alliance and an education chair in IEEE Public Safety Technology.
Lead Urban Energy Solutions, UN-HABITAT
Vincent Kitio is architect graduated from the Institute of Architecture of Venice and holds a PhD in Appropriate Energy Technologies (energy efficiency and renewable energy) for Developing Countries, from the University of Rome la “Sapienza”, Italy. He leads the Urban Energy Solutions of UN-HABITAT, a section that works on three focus areas: universal energy access for the urban poor; energy efficiency in the built environment (including adequate and affordable housing) and renewable energy systems (both generation and consumption) in urban areas. He develops and implements regional energy programs in Africa. Past and ongoing projects include: “Promoting Energy Efficiency in Buildings in East Africa” that aims at mainstreaming energy efficient measures in housing policies, building codes, building practices and building finance; and the “Mainstreaming Energy and Resource Efficiency measures, and Renewable Energy technologies into Building Codes in West Africa (Senegal, Nigeria and Cameroon).
Professor at Al Akhawayn University in Ifrane
Asmae Khaldoun has a Physics and Chemistry BSc and M. Sc. degree in Renewable Energy from the University Mohamed V in Rabat. She earned her Ph.D. in physical chemistry at the University of Abdel Malek Essaadi in Morocco in 2002. She got a second Ph.D. in Physics “Soft condensed Matter” on January 10th, 2013 at the University of Amsterdam. From 2004 to 2007 she worked, as Post Doc at the University of Amsterdam, under the direction of Profs. Daniel Bonn. This group – and particularly its work on complex fluids – is acknowledged to be among the premier experimental chemical engineering research programs worldwide. In September 2009, she started working at Al Akhawayn University as Assistant Professor and got promoted to Associate Professor in 2016. She has taught undergraduate classes such as Physics, Thermodynamics Material Science and Engineering.
Professor at Politecnico di Milano in Milan
Physicist, Phd in Energy Engineering, Visiting at LBNL in energy economics and regulation. At Politecnico di Milano has created in 1997 and leads a research group on low energy buildings, comfort models, analysis of energy efficiency technologies and programmes, efficiency and sufficiency policies (end-use Efficiency Research Group). Has been the supervisor of eight PhD candidates. Has participated in, promoted and directed more than 30 research projects and studies funded by public (e.g. Regional Governments, National Ministries, European Union) and private bodies (e.g. Electric Companies) on various aspects of buildings analysis and simulation, buildings monitoring, comfort surveys and energy economics and planning, with a special focus on end use efficiency and sufficiency.
Find his publications on Scopus, Researchgate and Linkedin
Motto: “Language is a model, a picture of reality”
Ludwig Wittgenstein
Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus 1921
Politecnico di Milano, Italy
Silvia Erba is Senior Researcher in Building Physics at Politecnico di Milano and she holds a M.Sc. degree and a PhD in Building Engineering. Since 2012 she has been conducting research and teaching activities in the field of thermodynamics, building physics and building diagnostics. Her research mainly deals with low and zero energy buildings, performance simulation and thermal comfort under future weather scenarios, occupant behaviour, sustainable materials, energy flexibility and positive energy districts. She has been involved in several European projects dealing with smart buildings and smart cities, deep energy renovation, nearly Zero Energy Buildings, post-occupancy evaluations, energy and IEQ monitoring.
Engineer and General Manager at ALTO EKO in Morocco
Zakaria SADIK is an auditor and engineer in Energy and Environment. He is the only Passive House Designer certified by PHI in Morocco. He leads ALTO EKO, an environmental and energy consulting firm for resilient and sustainable buildings and urban spaces. He’s also a teacher in architecture schools in Rabat and Casablanca and has served as the former president and advisor of the NGO Morocco Green Building Council.
Zakaria collaborates and supports companies and public services in creating and developing healthy, comfortable, and low-cost living and working spaces. He is passionate about bioclimatic architecture and is a certified Passive House Designer, advising project owners, individuals, and professionals on efficiency and sustainable construction. With experience in Morocco and internationally, Zakaria is aware of the importance of taking into account the local context, current challenges, and future developments in choosing solutions adapted to the local culture and evolving needs.
Professor at Cadi Ayyad University in Morocco
Abderrahim BRAKEZ is a Professor in the Department of Physics of the Faculty of Sciences Semlalia – Marrakech. Since 2006, he has contributed to the coordination of a professional license in renewable energies and energy efficiency. He has actively participated in the national research projects RafriBAT (2013-2017) and PPLaME (2022-2025) dedicated to energy efficiency in buildings. The first project is a project to introduce energy efficiency in buildings in the Marrakech area by means of passive and low-exergy air-conditioning systems. The objective of the second project is Prediction PLANning and Management of Energy Performance in Green Buildings. As part of these projects, he supervises doctoral theses on dynamic thermal simulation applied to the energy renovation of buildings, the integration of renewable energies in residential buildings with intelligent energy management as well as the use of machine learning to model the occupant-building interaction and its influence on energy consumption.
ERNEST DIONE
Consultant on bio-based materials and sustainable construction
Biologist, holds a diploma in Professional Studies In Depths (DEPA) in Environmental Management from the International Francophone University Leopold Sédar Senghor of Alexandria in Egypt. He has held several positions as: Deputy Director of DEEC Coordinator of the Coastal Erosion Adaptation Project in Senegal’s Vulnerable Areas Coordinator of the National Program to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions Through Energy Efficiency in the Building Sector in Senegal (PNEEB) and the Project to Transfer Technology to Produce Building Materials-Based Typha (TYPHA). Focal point of the Global Alliance on Building and Construction (Global ABC) and the Building Energy Efficiency Program (PEEB) GIZ/AFD
Architect specialised on local building materials
Mamoun Kadiri Hassani is an architect graduated from the École Nationale Supérieure d’Architecture de Paris-Val de Seine, Habilité à la Maîtrise d’Œuvre en son Nom Propre (HMONP) since 2020. His office is located in Beni Mellal, Morocco. He proposes an architectural design based on the search for comfort, favouring the use of local and natural materials. His approach begins with the observation of available resources and implementation techniques. The architectural project is then developed in a way that is adapted to the climate and the particularities of each site.
