Abstract:

In recent years, the construction sector has witnessed a surge in interest and adoption of digital technologies, aiming to enhance efficiency, transparency, and collaboration across the project lifecycle. Amidst this digital transformation, the emergence of Web3 presents a novel paradigm shift, offering decentralized solutions and blockchain-based frameworks that could revolutionize the construction industry. This talk explores the potential applications and implications of Web3 technologies in the construction sector, examining how decentralized platforms, smart contracts, and tokenization can streamline processes, mitigate risk, and empower stakeholders. A case study of the development of an application and the pathways for adoption is presented. The construction sector has the opportunity to reimagine traditional practices, foster innovation, and unlock new value propositions in the digital age.

Bio:

Professor Marc Aurel Schnabel is a renowned expert in digital design, digital transformation, intelligent cities, and extended reality environments, with a distinguished career in architecture and design education spanning over 25 years in Germany, China, Australia, New Zealand, and Japan. Now, as the Dean, he is leading the  Design School at Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University. Previously, he was the Founding Director of the FORUM8 Research Lab in Tokyo, exploring virtual city simulation. In New Zealand, as Dean of the Faculty of Architecture and Design at VUW, he advanced higher education in the creative fields. Trained as an Architect, Professor Schnabel has been the President of several professional organisations, is a CAADRIA Fellow, Austrian Science Fund  Board Member, and partner of the European Union’s REACH platform. Throughout his career, Professor Schnabel has published extensively on digital architecture, curated several digital architectural exhibitions, and established online research networks connecting professionals and researchers in innovative digital design. 

Abstract:

This talk delves into the transformative impact of artificial intelligence, generative design, metaverse, and other novel technologies on architectural production and cultural landscapes. As these technologies rapidly advance, architects are called upon to utilize these tools to push design boundaries, creating structures that are both innovative and reflective of diverse contextual approaches. The presentation will analyze a variety of past, ongoing, and future practice-based research works, ranging from intricate medical devices to expansive university campuses. It aims to explore how well-informed architectural processes that integrate cultural, natural, and local elements with computational technology can foster sustainability and cultural diversity, while critically addressing the challenges of technological determinism.

Bio:

Toto Hu is a registered architect (UK), and co-founded T22 Architects. His research focuses on using architectural processes to understand techno-diversity, locality, extended sensibility, and the interplay between the physical and virtual realms. His recent works have been exhibited at the Bi-City Biennale of Urbanism/Architecture, Athens Digital Art Festival, Art Basel Miami, Web3 Summit Dubai, RIBA London, as well as Frame, SIGraDi, and CAADFutures. He taught part time at the University of Nottingham Ningbo China, Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, Shanghai Jiaotong University, and Beijing Institute of Fashion Technology.

Abstract:

Aiming to the complex urban interface and high requirements for green and low-carbon in future communities, a solar radiation transfer model under complex urban interfaces was studied. Based on this model and reinforcement learning algorithm, the design scheme of a residential community was optimized with photovoltaic power generation as the optimization index. The optimized scheme increased the photovoltaic production capacity by 11.78% compared to the original scheme.

Bio:

Haowei Xing is a Doctor of Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) from Tongji University, a senior engineer, and a D-class talent in Hangzhou. After completing his postdoctoral research at Zhejiang University, he stayed on as a staff member at The Architectural Design and Research Institute of Zhejiang University Co., Ltd. His research focuses on the fields of green and low-carbon buildings and the optimized design of photovoltaic (PV) building clusters.