GRBES (Group for Research on the Built Environment and Sustainability) is a research team focused on the physics of the built environment and its environmental and energy performance. The group studies the interaction between buildings, energy, climate, and occupants, combining experimental measurements, simulation tools, and data analysis.
Our work covers indoor environmental quality, the thermal behaviour of materials and surfaces, urban microclimate, the integration of renewable energy sources, and building energy systems.
The GRBES team focuses on the study and optimization of the built environment through research in the following areas:
Indoor air quality and thermal comfort
Experimental measurements and assessment of indoor comfort conditions.
Building energy performance
Energy simulations and strategies for reducing building energy consumption.
Environmental assessment of materials
Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), CO₂ emissions analysis, and evaluation of embodied carbon.
Thermal behaviour of materials and surfaces
Determination of thermal and optical properties of materials in controlled laboratory environments, as well as surface temperature measurements under both laboratory and real-world conditions.
Urban microclimate and urban heat island effect
Investigation of how buildings and materials influence the urban environment.
Integration of renewable energy systems
Evaluation and optimization of solar and other clean energy technologies in buildings.
Our goal is to bridge scientific research with practical solutions for sustainable and resilient buildings.
Our mission is to advance the science and application of energy-efficient and climate-resilient buildings.
We aim to:
Produce high-quality research that connects the physics of the built environment with practical applications for sustainable buildings and cities.
Develop innovative methodologies for evaluating and optimizing building energy performance.
Contribute to policy development aimed at reducing the energy footprint of the building sector at national and European levels.
Train the next generation of researchers and professionals who will address climate change challenges in the built environment.
Collaborate with industry, institutions, and local communities to transfer knowledge from research into practice.
Our team
Margarita Niki Asimakopoulou is a Professor in the Department of Physics at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Head of the Building Environmental Studies Group, and Director of the certified Laboratory for Indoor Environmental Quality Measurements.
She studied Electrical and Electronic Engineering at the Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine in London (United Kingdom). She then obtained a Diplôme d'Études Approfondies (D.E.A.) in Bâtiment et Environnement – Buildings and Environment from the École Nationale des Travaux Publics de l'État (ENTPE) in Lyon, France. From the same institution, she received her Doctorate in 2004, with a thesis titled "Développement et Évaluation des Systèmes et Stratégies de Contrôle de Régulation d’un Vitrage Électrochromique".
Her research primarily focuses on the energy efficiency and indoor environmental quality of buildings, as well as building management technologies. Since 2016, she has also been active in the field of innovative construction materials.
She has participated in more than 25 research projects funded by European and/or national sources.
She has extensive experience in science communication through her involvement in the dissemination of research results to both stakeholders and the general public.
She is the author of over 80 peer-reviewed articles in international scientific journals and more than 70 peer-reviewed conference proceedings and presentations, as well as technical reports.
Citations: 4,691
h-index: 35
(January 2025, source: Google Scholar)
Email: masim@phys.uoa.gr
Chrysida Lymperopoulou is an Administrative Manager of European and national projects. She holds a Master's degree in Public Administration and has 20 years of experience in the administrative and financial support of projects funded by international and national bodies. She is responsible for the proper implementation of projects and the absorption of their budgets. She is also responsible for handling the contracting procedures for all personnel employed in the projects, organizing tender procedures for any required procurement (equipment, scientific instruments, etc.), as well as preparing project budgets. Finally, she prepares financial reports for the projects and manages communication among the partners to ensure that project needs are properly addressed whenever they arise.
Email: xrlymp@phys.uoa.gr
Dr Chrysanthi Efthymiou is an Environmental Physicist and Senior Researcher at the Building Environmental Studies Research Group, Department of Physics, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA), Greece. She serves as Technical Manager of the group’s accredited laboratory.
Her research focuses on energy efficiency in buildings and urban environments, bioclimatic urban planning, urban climate resilience, and the integration of renewable energy systems in the built environment, with emphasis on innovative materials and their thermal and optical performance.
She has extensive experience in the design, supervision and implementation of large-scale experimental campaigns and in-situ measurements of thermal, optical, bioclimatic and energy parameters in urban environments. She is actively involved in European and national research projects, contributing to proposal development, technical coordination, experimental implementation and scientific reporting. Her expertise also includes advanced urban environmental modelling (ENVI-met, EnergyPlus, MATLAB). She has authored more than 20 peer-reviewed scientific publications.
Email: c-efthymiou@phys.uoa.gr
Dr. Vassilis Duros is a Postdoctoral Researcher and Project Manager in our research group. With a PhD in CO2 capture and specialization in the Physics of the Built Environment, his published work covers a wide range of sustainable building, from Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) of materials and the optimization of Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ) in buildings, to addressing energy poverty in vulnerable social groups.
With experience in the coordination and implementation of European programs, he combines academic research with strategic project management while his contribution extends to the public debate by formulating policy proposals for climate neutrality and the energy transition. Vassilis has been awarded internationally for the innovation of his research proposals (1st Prize Innovation Hackathon 2025 Greece-Turkey) while in his free time he explores city routes and nature trails.
Email: vntouros@phys.uoa.gr
Dr. Dimitra Papadaki is an environmental scientist and senior researcher at the Physics Department at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, from where she holds her Bachelor's Degree in Physics.
She is a Lecturer at Johns Hopkins University, U.S.A., for the MS in Energy Policy and Climate and the MS in Environmental Sciences & Policy programs. Papadaki is also an adjunct faculty member in the College of Aviation at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, U.S.A, for the MSc. In Aviation and Aerospace Sustainability.
Her MSc. in Environment and Resource Management was obtained from the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, the Netherlands, focusing on Energy studies. Her PhD was conducted at the Foundation for Research and Technology Hellas (FORTH) and the Technical University of Crete (TUC), School of Environmental Engineering. During her PhD and post-doctoral studies, she conducted research as a visiting fellow at various international research institutes. Particularly at the Council of Science and Industrial Research (CSIR) in South Africa, the Queensland University of Technology (QUT) in Brisbane, Australia, the Institute National de la Recherche Scientifique (INRS) in Canada, and the National University of Singapore (NUS).
She holds a VU Fellowship scholarship of excellence for her MSc from Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, and the Award of Visionary Educator (2025) for the College of Aviation at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. Author/co-author of over 40 peer-reviewed publications.
Email: dpapadaki@phys.uoa.gr
Aikaterini Kytrilaki holds a degree in Physics from the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA), with a specialization in Environmental Physics and Meteorology. She subsequently obtained a Master’s degree in Applied Physics from the same department, specializing in Environmental Physics, graduating with distinction. Her master’s thesis focused on the development of composite materials for carbon dioxide (CO₂) absorption with applications in the built environment.
Since 2024, she has been working as a researcher at the Department of Physics of NKUA, within the Group of Building Environmental Studies (GRBES), under the supervision of Professor Margarita N. Assimakopoulos. Her research focuses on building energy performance, indoor and urban air quality, environmental monitoring, and sensor data analysis in the built environment.
She participates in several research projects, including the European projects HEATSAFE, FairCity, PaRaMetriC and GreenRenoV8, contributing to activities related to the installation and operation of environmental monitoring systems, the collection and analysis of atmospheric pollutant data, as well as the assessment of air quality and thermal comfort in indoor and urban environments. In addition, she has been involved in field measurements for monitoring air pollutants and in the analysis of how building characteristics and energy interventions influence indoor environmental conditions.
She has also contributed to scientific publications and presentations at international conferences on topics related to building energy performance, passive cooling systems and urban air quality.
Email: kytrilakiaik@phys.uoa.gr
Christos Georgiou is a Greek Physics graduate from the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, with strong academic training and professional experience in both education and research. He is a member of a university research team focusing on the collection and analysis of air pollutants. He is fluent in English (C2 level) and combines teaching expertise with research skills in the field of Physics.
Faidon Mavroudis is a researcher at the Department of Physics, Sector of Environmental Physics and Meteorology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA). His work focuses on environmental and atmospheric physics, with particular emphasis on climate processes, aerosol and dust analysis, and the interaction between the atmosphere and the built environment. His research also includes the environmental assessment of building renovation strategies and their impact on indoor environmental quality and energy performance.
He holds an MSc in Applied Physics (Environmental Physics and Meteorology) from NKUA and a BSc in Physics from the same department. During his studies, he specialized in atmospheric observations, remote sensing, and environmental data analysis, working with satellite observations, climate model outputs, and large environmental datasets.
Mavroudis has participated in international training programs on atmospheric science and remote sensing, including the P4CV Summer School on Satellite Remote Sensing at the National Observatory of Athens, focusing on EarthCARE and WIVERN satellite missions, as well as the “Above the Clouds” School on Atmospheric Optics at the Izaña Atmospheric Observatory in Tenerife.
Alongside his research activities, he contributes to science communication and climate education initiatives. He is involved in the development of educational materials and digital tools for the Climate Academy platform and is a member of the Outreach Team of the NKUA Physics Department, where he works on public engagement and digital communication of scientific research.
Email: phaethon@phys.uoa.gr
Where we are
National and Kapodistrian University of Athens
(+30) 210-7276847
Zografou
Athens, 157 84
masim@phys.uoa.gr