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P.J.M. van Oosterom

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A novel data-driven multimodal method based on online review data and natural language processing

Journal article (2026) - Zian Wang, Yifan Yang, Peter Van Oosterom, Steffen Nijhuis, Stefan Van Der Spek
Understanding public experiences in urban greenspace is essential for supporting more human-centric design and management. While traditional survey methods are often time- and labor-intensive, user-generated content (UGC) offers a rapid and scalable alternative for capturing public experiential insights. However, extracting detailed user experience information from this data remains methodologically challenging. This study proposes a novel multimodal analytical framework based on online review data and natural language processing techniques, combining LoRA fine-tuned RoBERTa language model with CLIP vision-language model to analyze multidimensional ecosystem service experience patterns in urban greenspace from user-generated text and image reviews. Results demonstrate that the proposed approach achieves more robust extraction and analysis of user experience insights compared to conventional deep learning and lexicon-based methods, exhibiting greater capacity to process contextually embedded experiential information. The multimodal framework enables more comprehensive capture of user experiences than either text or image data alone, with particular gains on dimensions that are difficult to represent through a single modality. Applying the analytical framework to Amsterdam and Rotterdam as case studies, statistical and spatial analysis reveals heterogeneity in user urban greenspace experiences and identifies key experiential bundles alongside their associated synergies and trade-offs. This study offers a novel approach to quantifying urban greenspace experiences from a user perspective, and provides insights for evidence-based urban greening practices. ...

Integrating multiple geometric representations and sharing semantics

Architectural heritage is increasingly documented and managed through point clouds, photogrammetry, Heritage Building Information Modelling (HBIM), Geographic information system (GIS), machine learning, and immersive media. Yet these technologies often remain fragmented, with weak continuity of identity, semantics, and spatial alignment across representations. This paper argues that heritage digitization should be reframed as a 3D smart-data integration problem rather than a sequence of isolated 3D representations. Building on recent analyses of digital heritage technologies and their multi-stage application trajectory, we propose the Architectural Heritage Information Infrastructure (AHII) as a standards-oriented framework that links Smart Point Clouds (SPC), IFC, and 3D Gaussian Splatting (3DGS) through persistent identifiers, a shared spatial reference, explicit crosswalks, and controlled vocabularies. In this architecture, SPC acts as the evidence layer and semantic proposal space, Heritage Building Information Modelling / Industry Foundation Classes (HBIM/IFC) provides authoritative object semantics and structured attributes, and 3DGS supports lightweight, queryable photorealistic visualization for expert review and public interaction. Two Dutch pilot cases illustrate how the framework can support cross-representation interoperability, semantic propagation, and audience-specific delivery while preserving traceability. The paper contributes a concise conceptual and operational model for smart heritage data, positions architectural heritage within broader information infrastructures, and outlines how building-scale heritage assets can become interoperable components of future smart-city information ecosystems. ...
Urban analysis often relies on separate geospatial mapping, street-level image analysis, point-cloud analysis and 3D urban modeling workflows, which can lead to semantic and spatial inconsistencies when structural, visual and volumetric results are interpreted together. This paper develops an SPC-guided Smart 3D Gaussian Splatting (S3DGS) analytical framework to address this fragmentation. Using the Aula–library block in Delft as a case study, we construct a CityGML-inspired Smart Point Cloud from laser-scanning data, generate street-level and aerial 3DGS components from multi-view imagery, align and fuse them into a common coordinate frame, and propagate SPC-derived semantics to Gaussian primitives. The resulting S3DGS base supports projection-based semantic composition, observer-centered visual exposure, volumetric spatial-presence aggregation and layered scene typing within the same reference. Cross-layer interpretation links volumetric and visual-exposure types in the same spatial units, revealing conditions such as physically present but visually recessive building mass. This layered reading allows surface composition, visual experience and three-dimensional spatial presence to be traced within the same urban unit. Evaluation results indicate a stable workflow, with an alignment RMSE of 0.0439 m and a kNN label consistency of 92.24%. By turning Gaussian scenes into semantically traceable and spatially co-referenced analytical bases, S3DGS offers a practical pathway from isolated urban measurements toward integrated, viewpoint-aware and three-dimensional interpretation of the built environment. ...
Districts face dual pressures: reducing carbon emissions while managing surging electricity demand from electrification and urban growth. Traditional grid expansion cannot match the speed and complexity required for modern energy transitions. District energy transitions require connecting different scales, from individual buildings to grid networks, and different timeframes, from daily operations to long-term planning. Despite growing interest in Digital Twin (DT) for energy management, their application to integrated district-level energy transitions remains poorly understood. This review investigates how DTs can enable district energy transitions by examining their applications in built environment and energy infrastructure at district level, analyzing implementations across Positive Energy Districts (PEDs), microgrids (MGs), and related district energy paradigms. DT components (physical models, core capabilities, data infrastructure, and functional evolution) are investigated to assess their integrative potential. The analysis reveals three disconnects: building and grid systems are modeled separately despite inherent interdependencies; operational insights rarely inform infrastructure planning; and intervention strategies overlook sequential dependencies. To address these gaps, we propose an integrated framework advancing DTs toward district energy planning. The framework bridges semantic, temporal, and sequential planning through: knowledge graph architectures enabling cross-domain data integration, coupled simulation pipelines capturing building-grid interactions, and reinforcement learning optimizing intervention sequences. Unlike optimization that fixes strategies upfront, sequential planning accommodates technology emergence and regulatory shifts inherent to multi-decade transitions. This integrated approach transforms DTs from domain-specific monitoring tools into strategic planning platforms where coordinated building improvements and distributed energy resources defer costly grid expansions while accelerating district decarbonization. ...

An automated database-driven pipeline for district-scale building energy modeling, demonstrated on Dutch district retrofit

Journal article (2026) - Amin Jalilzadeh, Azarakhsh Rafiee, Thaleia Konstantinou, Stefan de Graaf, Henk Scholten, Peter J.M. van Oosterom
District-scale energy transition planning requires building-level energy profiles, yet current Urban Building Energy Modeling (UBEM) workflows require substantial manual data preparation with no integrated path from building registries to scenario comparison. This paper presents DELFT-UBEM, an automated tool that generates dynamic simulation models from building registries and national performance standards through a lookup-table architecture that maps building age, function, and energy label to physical parameters, translating regulatory documents into simulation-ready parameters within a unified, database-driven pipeline. The pipeline shifts repeated project-level preparation into reusable database, lookup-table, and configuration components: once these components and a geographic boundary are available, data ingestion, geometric processing, archetype assignment, Input Data File (IDF) generation, parallel simulation, and post-processing execute as a connected automated workflow, producing analysis-ready results for downstream policy evaluation. Against national benchmarks, the model reproduces structural variation in Dutch residential heating demand across 35 archetypes without building-specific calibration. Comparison with measured postcode-level gas consumption across 63 postcodes (~3,000 buildings) corroborates this at aggregate scale, with residual errors systematically traceable to known data barriers and modeling limitations. To demonstrate downstream analytical capability, two contrasting Dutch districts were used to define custom retrofit and electrification applications, producing path-dependent marginal abatement cost curves with building-level sequencing across 3,404 upgrade steps. The paper discusses open challenges in UBEM validation standards and cross-tool comparability, highlighting how the pipeline’s modular architecture supports continuous refinement. The complete pipeline, archetype library, and parameter mappings are published as open-source resources, and DELFT-UBEM is accessible as a web-based digital twin platform. ...
Since its foundation in 1990 Docomomo International has created a body of knowledge through their documentation “fiches” produced by the national working parties and coordinated by the International Specialist Committee (ISC) Registers. Although based on literature and other publications the fiches often do not contain accurate and complete plans and layouts and little spatial information. The Docomomo 3D Platform addresses this last gap by aggregating and publishing multi-modal spatial content of modern movement architecture, and is designed for clarity, interoperability, and public reuse. The platform curates four primary content types: (1) smart point-cloud models that embed semantic tags and condition notes; (2) 3D Gaussian Splatting (3DGS) reconstructions optimized for photoreal, real-time exploration; (3) HBIM models that encode construction logic, materials, and interventions for conservation planning; and (4) synchronized 2D assets (photographs and short videos) that contextualize each building’s design, setting, and use. A consistent metadata schema links these modalities at the building level, enabling users to pivot from a navigable 3D experience to archival stills, plans, and bibliographic notes. The next development phase introduces participatory pipelines: users will be able to upload image sets that the platform processes into community-generated 3DGS models, with automated quality checks and curator review. This opens a path for distributed recording of at-risk sites and creates a living repository that tracks change over time. By unifying documentation types and lowering the barrier to contribution, the Docomomo 3D Platform advances two goals: to improve public understanding of modern architecture and design, its materials, space, and everyday life, and to accelerate responsible dissemination for research, education, advocacy, and finally conservation. The paper outlines the data standards, ingestion workflow, and viewer UX, and presents case studies demonstrating how multi-modal models clarify significance, integrity, and conservation options for modern heritage. ...

A UML-based information model linking HBIM, smart point clouds, and 3D Gaussian splatting

Journal article (2026) - Yingwen Yu, P.J.M. van Oosterom, E. Verbree, Zhuoyue Wang, U. Pottgiesser, Abeer Abu Raed, Y. Peng
This paper presents the Architectural Heritage Information Infrastructure (AHII), a standards-operational framework for maintaining identity, semantics, and traceability across three complementary representations used in heritage workflows: Smart Point Clouds (SPC), HBIM/IFC, and Smart 3D Gaussian Splatting (S3DGS). AHII is centered on a compact UML information model and governed code lists, and it operationalizes cross-representation continuity through a shared alignment transform and an explicit identifier crosswalk. This design supports task-driven switching between evidence-grade inspection (SPC), standards-based querying and exchange (IFC), and lightweight photorealistic dissemination (S3DGS), while maintaining auditable correspondence across iterative updates. We validate AHII on two Dutch case studies using a reproducible protocol with fixed evaluation splits and independent checkpoints, complemented by an online, task-anchored user study (N = 200). Results provide evidence of cross-representation interoperability, together with task-appropriate technical performance: intrinsic SPC segmentation reaches macro-mIoU ≈ 0.88, cross-representation co-location achieves 3D RMSE on the order of 1–3 cm, and IFC4 round-trip checks preserve GUIDs with near-lossless property-set retention. Together, these findings show that AHII can be implemented in practice as a traceable information infrastructure linking documentation, modeling, standards-based data and semantic exchange, and dissemination across heterogeneous representations. ...
Journal article (2026) - Adibah Nurul Yunisya, Sisi Zlatanova, Edward Verbree, Peter Van Oosterom
Indoor wayfinding involves not only movement through a spatial transition but also anticipation before the transition and confirmation after it. However, these route-relative phases are rarely represented explicitly in photorealistic three-dimensional environments. This study proposes an episode-based highlighting approach for visualising Transitional Spaces in a Gaussian Splatting scene. A selected route in the West Hallway of the Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment at Delft University of Technology was organised into Anticipation, Transition, and Confirmation episodes around an L-shaped intersection identified as the Transitional Space core. A separate green-orange-red sequence was used to represent conceptually inferred changes in wayfinding activity and demand, distinguishing episode position from demand interpretation. The environment was captured using PortalCam and reconstructed in LCC Studio. Route-relative regions were then manually segmented and assigned episode and demand classes in SuperSplat before being exported as separate layers. The original Gaussian Splatting scene and highlighted regions were composed at runtime in a Three.js/WebGL viewer. The results demonstrate a gradual route sequence from relatively stable corridor following, through increasing anticipation, to concentrated transition-related activity and subsequent route checking. The approach preserves the photorealistic context of the original scene while making route-related spatial interpretation visually explicit from overview, oblique, and pedestrian-level viewpoints. The proposed method provides a conceptual and visual basis for examining Transitional Spaces in Gaussian Splatting environments. Future work should automate Transitional Space detection and route-relative episode assignment using geometric, semantic, and topological building information and evaluate the resulting classifications through behavioural studies. ...
Incremental urban and community expansion in rural heritage landscapes often produces cumulative visual impacts, yet planning rarely specifies a clear endpoint for acceptable change. This paper proposes an integrated Visual Impact Assessment (VIA) framework, aligned with SDG 11, to determine “when to stop” using stage-comparable evidence across past, present, and future conditions. The framework is organized in three modules. First, a point cloud-enhanced GIS module quantifies visibility and spatial change across development stages. Second, an enhanced Key Observation Point (KOP) module derives matched eye-level evidence from multi-temporal street-level panoramas and scenario visualizations, for example using Street View Imagery (SVI) time series and 3D Gaussian Splatting (3DGS) rendering. Third, a decision layer integrates structured public acceptability from a questionnaire covering different respondent groups with in-depth expert interviews and synthesis, with virtual reality (VR) eye- and head-tracking used as supportive behavioral evidence. Applied to the Middenbeemster expansion in the Beemster Polder, the Netherlands, the framework yields a case-calibrated reference package for decision support: KOP-based construction intensity serves as the primary reference line for review, perception indicators serve as supporting guardrails, spatial character metrics act as case-specific reference checks to protect the polder framework, and visibility diagnostics remain a necessary screening layer. More broadly, the framework provides a transparent and replicable procedure that can be transferred and locally recalibrated for heritage-sensitive rural-urban fringes where change is incremental and cumulative, supporting a stage-comparable VIA approach. ...

A Novel Integrated NLP Model Based on Multimodal Online Reviews

Journal article (2026) - Zian Wang, Yifan Yang, Peter Van Oosterom, Steffen Nijhuis, Stefan Van Der Spek
Understanding users’ experiences and evaluations in urban public spaces is essential for human-centric design and management. While traditional survey methods are costly, large-scale user-generated content (UGC) offers new possibilities for capturing public insights. However, existing approaches mainly assess evaluations and experiences through oversimplified, single-dimensional assessments, while deriving users’ multidimensional experiences beyond basic sentiments and capturing their underlying mechanisms remain critical research gaps. This study proposes a novel integrative analytical model for assessing urban public space experiences and evaluations. Drawing on large-scale online review data, it employs a Low-Rank Adaptation (LoRA)-fine-tuned RoBERTa language model for multidimensional user evaluation identification, combines a lexicon-based method with an Aspect-based Sentiment Analysis (ABSA) pipeline to examine specific experiential qualities and satisfaction, and integrates textual and visual modalities through Bootstrapping Language-Image Pre-training (BLIP) vision-language model. Focusing on Amsterdam as a case study, validation demonstrates that the proposed model outperforms baselines, achieving a mean accuracy of 85% and exceeding widely used XGBoost and LSTM methods by 12% and 23%, respectively. The application effectively quantifies nuanced and detailed user experience and evaluation patterns, revealing differentiated associations between experiential qualities and overall evaluation positivity, thereby providing a deeper understanding of human-environment interactions in urban public spaces. The proposed approach offers an integrated and scalable method for investigating user insights and can inform future responsive, human-centric public space design and management. ...
Journal article (2025) - J. Schembri, A. Rafiee, P.J.M. van Oosterom
Estimating the losses in the immediate aftermath of an earthquake is a key component of seismic response. Seismic rapid-loss estimates provide first responders with a prediction of where and what to prepare for. Improving the precision of quick loss estimates requires an estimate of how a buildings in the affected zone may have reacted to an event. Structural response prediction models are a novel approach to estimating building response from the observed displacement of instrumented buildings. Current SRPMs are built on relatively small databases but offer potential for expansion. There exists no robust building-specific database which could facilitate the construction of these models. As a reaction to this gap, this study applies, abstractly and concretely, the OGC SensorThings data model to building seismograph records. The harmonized records form part of a proposed abstract and concrete Structural Response Prediction Model to make estimates of building-response on other un-instrumented buildings. The utility of a abstracted observation data-model and pipeline is shown, with the potential for unifying existing data-sources. The work shall show that the OGC SensorThings integrates generally well, with some limitations, with the requirements of seismic observation record keeping. ...
The need for 3D Land Administration Systems (LAS) is growing. In this respect, research is carried out in the field of 3D LAS with respect to data sources, registration of 3D Rights, Restrictions and Responsibilities and dissemination services. Within this context, BIM/IFC models are considered promising sources for 3D LAS, even though the reuse of such models from practice has not yet been examined adequately. Evaluating BIM/IFC-models from practice is crucial, since they are created for different purposes, fulfilling various design criteria. This paper investigates the technical challenges encountered when using real-world BIM/IFC-models for apartment rights’ registration in a 3D LAS. It addresses the validation of five Dutch real-world BIM/IFC-models against four technical criteria, namely: existence of IfcSpace; geometric validity; no overlap and georeferencing. The results of the validation show that the collected BIM/IFC-models lack georeference, IfcSpace and a reference to attributes related to the respective legal units in the Dutch 3D LAS. After validation the models are stored in a 3D LAS Database management system (DBMS), in which the legal spaces are enriched with information of the Rights, Restrictions and Responsibilities (RRR’s) in line with the Land Administration Domain Model (LADM - ISO 19152:2012). The contents of the 3D LAS DBMS are visualised in a web viewer. Additionally, the design for a webservice is introduced, aiming to automate the process of validation, conversion and visualisation. The paper concludes with recommendations and guidelines for creators of BIM/IFC-models based on the outcome of the validation, as well as challenges and recommendations for implementing a validation webservice. ...

A workflow evaluation of 3D Gaussian splatting and LiDAR point cloud for modern architectural heritage

Journal article (2025) - Yingwen Yu, Edward Verbree, Peter van Oosterom, Uta Pottgiesser, Yuyang Peng, Florent Poux
This paper investigates the role of 3D Gaussian Splatting (3DGS) within point cloud–dominated workflows for modern architectural heritage digitization. While 3DGS enables real-time, photorealistic visualization, its integration into LiDAR-based documentation pipelines remains underexplored. Using Bouwpub, a modern heritage building in the Netherlands, as a case study, the paper compares 3DGS and LiDAR across data acquisition and preservation, visualization, semantic segmentation, and dissemination. Results show that 3DGS offers superior visual expressiveness and user responsiveness, whereas LiDAR provides greater structural accuracy and segmentation reliability. Based on these findings, two integration strategies are proposed: a Blender-based multi-angle rendering workflow and a Level of Detail 3DGS (LOD3DGS) pipeline. Moving from isolated assessment to applied integration, the study positions 3DGS as a complementary visualization and dissemination module rather than a replacement. This hybrid approach supports immersive, scalable, and semantically enriched digital heritage systems, offering new directions for enhancing both expert documentation and public engagement. ...
Journal article (2025) - Ainn Zamzuri, Alias Abdul Rahman, Muhammad Imzan Hassan, Peter van Oosterom
This paper enhances the Sarawak LADM Country Profile by proposing a structured workflow for mapping IFC elements (e.g. IfcSpace, IfcWall, IfcSlab) to LADM classes to improve the representation of legal space boundaries. The methodology focuses on extracting legal space information from IFC models, mapping it to LADM using Enterprise Architect, and structuring the data for future integration with PostgreSQL. The mapping framework supports strata title management and 3D cadastral in Sarawak. Additionally, this study outlines a conceptual workflow for visualising legal space boundaries using CesiumJS. The proposed approach enhances data interoperability between BIM and land administration, advancing BIM-driven cadastral systems. ...
This special issue on the Land Administration Domain Model (LADM) and 3D Land Administration (3D LA) containsthe eight best, updated papers from the FIG’s (International Federation of Surveyors) 12th International Workshop onLADM & 3D LA. The 3DLA2024 Workshop is one of the activities of the LADM & 3D LA Working Group (WG), a joint initiat-ive of FIG Commission 3 (Spatial Information Management) and Commission 7 (Cadastre and Land Management). [...] ...

Integrating Floor Plans and Nationwide Airborne LiDAR (AHN)

As urban environments become increasingly vertical, Land Administration Systems (LAS) must support complex 3D spatial representations. While Building Information Models (BIM) offer such capabilities, they are not always available. This paper investigates an alternative approach using point clouds for 3D LAS, focusing on the integration of scanned cadastral floor plans and airborne LiDAR from the Actueel Hoogtebestand Nederland (AHN). We present a semi-automated pipeline that extracts floorplan geometries, segments and enhances AHN data, and synthesizes room-level point clouds. Results from a case study in Rotterdam demonstrate the potential of this approach in the absence of BIM, supporting legal space definition and public visualization. However, challenges such as misalignment due to occlusion in AHN data and inconsistent quality in older floor plan drawings affect the accuracy and automation of the process. The synthetic point clouds include room-level attributes, enabling a seamless integration with AHN, offering a representation of real-world features such as building facades, walls, and fences, which often delineate cadastral boundaries. ...
Journal article (2025) - Mengying Chen, Abdullah Kara, Peter van Oosterom, Regina Orvañanos Murguía, John Gitau, Christiaan Lemmen
Over the past fifteen years, LGAF, GLII, and SDGs frameworks have jointly shaped a complementary global land governance monitoring system. However, challenges remain in data fragmentation and standardised indicator computation. This study explores how ISO 19152 LADM provides a unified technical foundation to model and monitor global land indicators. It develops a standardised conceptual model with UML-based implementation and proposes a modular indicator computation architecture based on interface classes and reusable logic components. The proposed approach supports scalable reporting, enhances indicator operationalisation, and bridges the gap between global policy frameworks and practical land administration systems at the national level. ...
Conference paper (2025) - Y. Yu, E. Verbree, P.J.M. van Oosterom, U. Pottgiesser
3D Gaussian Splatting (3DGS) is an advanced 3D representation method that enhances point clouds by incorporating spectral image content, enabling high-fidelity heritage documentation. A 3DGS visualization presents these enriched Gaussians, ensuring high geometric accuracy, detailed texture representation, and efficient spatial reconstruction, thereby enhancing both precision and efficiency in digital heritage preservation. This paper applies 3DGS to modern architectural heritage, combining UAV-based data acquisition with advanced rendering techniques. Using the Delft University of Technology Aula and Library buildings as case study, the research establishes a workflow for efficient heritage documentation and visualization. ...
This systematic literature review critically examines the application of digital technologies in architectural heritage risk management from 2014 to 2024, focusing exclusively on English-language publications. As the significance of architectural heritage continues to be recognized globally, there is an increasing shift towards integrating digital solutions to ensure its preservation and management. This paper explores the evolution and application of digital technologies such as Building Information Modeling (BIM), Geographic Information Systems (GIS), and advanced imaging techniques within the field. It highlights how these technologies have facilitated the non-destructive evaluation of heritage sites and enhanced accessibility and interaction through virtual and augmented reality applications. By synthesizing data from various case studies and scholarly articles, the review identifies current trends and the expanding scope of digital interventions in heritage conservation. It discusses the interplay between traditional conservation approaches and modern technological solutions, providing insights into their complementary roles. The analysis also addresses the challenges and limitations encountered in the digital preservation of architectural heritage, such as data integration, the compatibility of different technologies, and the need for more comprehensive frameworks to guide the implementation of digital tools in heritage conservation practices. Ultimately, this review underscores the transformative impact of digital technology in managing architectural heritage risks, suggesting directions for future research and the potential for innovative applications in the field. ...
Journal article (2025) - Simay Batum, Eftychia Kalogianni, Marjan Broekhuizen, Christopher Raitviir, Kermo Mägi, Peter Van Oosterom
This research explores the automation of compliance checks in the early stages ofspatial planning by integrating Industry Foundation Classes (ISO 16739) withthe Land Administration Domain Model (LADM) Part 5: Spatial Plan Information (ISO 19152-5). Traditional planning processes rely on manual assessments,making them time-consuming, prone to errors, and inefficient. While recentresearch has focused primarily on automating the permitting phase, this studyaddresses an earlier step: verifying spatial plans against regulatoryframeworks. By introducing a standardized approach, the research aims toenhance data management, improve interoperability, and ensure adherence tointernational standards. Automating early compliance checks – such as verifyingbuilding height restrictions or required distances between structures – helpsstreamline the planning process, ensuring that only plans meeting regulatoryrequirements advance to the design approval phase. Estonia is selected as acase study due to its highly developed digital infrastructure and commitment toimproving e-government services. ...