The energy performance of buildings has become a main concern globally in response to increased energy demand, the environmental impacts of energy production, and the reality of energy poverty. To improve energy efficiency, proper building design should be secured at the early design phase. Digital tools are currently available for performing energy assessment analyses and can efficiently handle complex and technically demanding buildings. However, alternative designs should be checked individually, and this makes the process time-consuming and prone to errors. Machine learning techniques can provide valuable assistance in developing decision support tools. In this paper, typical residential buildings are considered along with eleven factors that highly affect energy performance. A dataset of 337 instances of such parameters is developed. For each dataset, the building energy performance is estimated based on BIM analysis. Next, statistical and machine learning techniques are implemented to provide artificial models of energy performance. They include statistical regression modeling (SRM), decision trees (DTs), random forests (RFs), and artificial neural networks (ANNs). The analysis reveals the contribution of each factor and highlights the ANN as the best performing model. An easy-to-use interface tool has been developed for the instantaneous calculation of the energy performance based on the independent parameter values.

Urban flooding represents a growing global concern, especially in areas with rapid urbanization, unregulated urban sprawl and climate change conditions. Conventional flood modeling approaches do not effectively capture the complex dynamics between natural watershed behavior and urban infrastructure; they typically simulate these domains in isolation. This study introduces the Watershed-BIM methodology, a three-dimensional simulation framework that integrates Building and City Information Modeling (BIM/CIM), Geographic Information Systems (GIS), Flood Risk Assessment (FRA), and Flood Risk Management (FRM) into a single framework. Autodesk InfraWorks 2024, Civil 3D 2024, and RiverFlow2D v8.14 software are incorporated in the development. The methodology enhances interoperability and prediction accuracy by bridging hydrological processes with detailed urban-scale data. The framework was tested on a real-world flash flood event in Mandra, Greece, an area frequently exposed to extreme rainfall and runoff events. A specific comparison with observed flood characteristics indicates improved accuracy in comparison to other hydrological analyses (e.g., by HEC-RAS simulation). Beyond flood depth, the model offers additional insights into flow direction, duration, and localized water accumulation around buildings and infrastructure. In this context, integrated tools such as Watershed-BIM stand out as essential instruments for translating complex flood dynamics into actionable, city-scale resilience planning.

Urban flooding represents a growing global concern, especially in areas with rapid urbanization, unregulated urban sprawl and climate change conditions. Conventional flood modeling approaches do not effectively capture the complex dynamics between natural watershed behavior and urban infrastructure; they typically simulate these domains in isolation. This study introduces the Watershed-BIM methodology, a three-dimensional simulation framework that integrates Building and City Information Modeling (BIM/CIM), Geographic Information Systems (GIS), Flood Risk Assessment (FRA), and Flood Risk Management (FRM) into a single framework. Autodesk InfraWorks, Civil 3D, and RiverFlow2D software are incorporated in the development. The methodology enhances interoperability and prediction accuracy by bridging hydrological processes with detailed urban-scale data. The framework was tested on a real-world flash flood event in Mandra, Greece, an area frequently exposed to extreme rainfall and runoff events. A specific comparison with observed flood characteristics indicates improved accuracy in comparison to other hydrological analyses (e.g., by HEC-RAS simulation). Beyond flood depth, the model offers additional insights into flow direction, duration, and localized water accumulation around buildings and infrastructure. In this context, integrated tools such as Watershed-BIM stand out as essential instruments for translating complex flood dynamics into actionable, city-scale resilience planning.

Paper-based rapid tests are widely used in point-of-care diagnostics due to their simplicity and low cost. However, their application in quantitative analysis remains limited. In this work, a nucleic acid lateral flow assay (NALFA) was integrated with an automated image acquisition system built on a Raspberry Pi platform for the quantitative detection of SARS-CoV-2 virus, increasing the accuracy of the test compared to subjective visual interpretation. The assay employed blue polystyrene microspheres as reporters, while automated image capturing, image processing and quantification were performed using custom Python software (version 3.12). Signal quantification was achieved by comparing the grayscale intensity of the test line with that of a simultaneously captured negative control strip, allowing correction for illumination and background variability. Calibration curves were used for the training of the algorithm. The system was applied for the analysis of a series of samples with varying DNA concentrations, yielding recoveries between 84 and 108%. The proposed approach integrates a simple biosensor with an accessible computational platform to achieve full low-cost automation. This work introduces the first Raspberry Pi-driven image processing approach for accurate quantification of NALFAs and establishes a foundation for future low-cost, portable diagnostic systems targeting diverse nucleic acids, proteins, and biomarkers.