Cairan Van Rooyen joined HOBEL as a new PostDoc

Cairan shares his experiences, first impressions, and future goals as he joins EPFL and the Human-Oriented Built Environment Lab. Let's see what he shares.

• You just arrived at the EPFL Fribourg - what are your first impressions?

My first impressions are very positive! Fribourg is a beautiful city with a unique charm and an inviting atmosphere. I am looking forward to exploring its history and culture. As for EPFL, I am excited about joining the team and contributing towards the research.

• Can you tell us more about your career in academia?

Before returning to academia, I worked as a building physicist and a Chartered Engineering consultant, designing indoor environmental solutions and then understanding their performance in use. However, my true passion lies in understanding how occupants interact with the built environment, how this shapes the indoor environment, and its implications for comfort, well-being, and physical health. This led me to pursue a PhD at University College London (UCL).

My doctoral research focused on the relationship between ventilation and indoor environmental quality (IEQ) from a human health perspective. After completing my PhD, I continued to work at UCL as a research fellow, where I spent a year enhancing a complex Python-based model used by the UK Government to assess the health impacts of home energy efficiency measures.

• What are you most excited about your appointment at the Human-Oriented Built Environment Lab?

I am most excited about returning to empirical real-world research concerning behaviour, IEQ, and ventilation – this is my passion. My research interests lie in understanding how humans interact with the built environment and how this, in turn, influences health and climate outcomes. I am eager to contribute to studies that explore these critical relationships.

• What will your research focus on over the coming year?

This year, my work will focus on developing and launching a monitoring campaign across European buildings undergoing prefabricated energy efficiency retrofits. Through this research, I aim to assess the impact of these interventions on IEQ and occupant behaviour.

• What inspires you about the built environment of the future and its research schemes?

What inspires me most is the complex critical nexus between human behavior, health, and the climate. We spend the majority of our time indoors, and our behaviours directly impact our comfort, well-being, and physical health. Simultaneously, our need for comfortable and healthy indoor environments results in energy consumption and carbon emissions. We must rapidly reduce and eliminate carbon emissions from buildings, but at the same time ensure the built environment is sustainable, comfortable and healthy. Addressing this intersection of behaviour, health, and sustainability is what drives my passion for built environment research.

• Whenever you are not doing research, what are you interested in?

Outside of my academic work, music plays a big role in my life. I’m currently relearning the guitar and enjoy designing and building electronic instruments. This passion for electronics extends into my research, where I develop custom platforms for IEQ and ventilation. Beyond music and technology, I love traveling and spending time outdoors—whether it’s diving, hiking, biking, or simply exploring the natural world.