Final Report of Julian Wang

Hi everyone,

I have came back to Texas A&M University and started a new semester. The period of time in EPFL is very important for my Ph.D. research and enriching academic experiences.

During the visiting period, I took part in several academic seminars and an interesting workshop. The one-week workshop is related to the use of digital tools (Processing software from MIT) for architectural production. It scripted from form to architecture, and a sustainable design related to solar panel. All of results were generated through parametric design engines of Processing program. The workshop provide the capacity of digital media to iterate form, simulate behavior, and evaluate performance, which promises to satisfy both the social imperative for pragmatics and the sustainability pursuit of innovation.

Also, we discussed the possibility of future collaborative research. The topic will involve the "Sentient buildings" through the RP technology and bio-sensors for forming energy efficient design methods to achieve healthy indoor air quality. This topic relates to my Ph.D. research at TAMU, so we are trying to establish an academic way for exchanging different ideas and facilitating the final expected outcomes. The different weather conditions of Lausanne and Houston vary the energy usage for buildings in terms of healthy air quality. Also, this present us with the bilateral insight into the common goal of healthy air environments and energy efficiency, and in turn generating a completed research achievement with characteristic weather conditions to propel innovative architectural design.

In sum, the experience of research in EPFL provides me a valuable opportunity to learn some new knowledge and skills for my future research, and to establish a potential long-term academic network as well. Furthermore, the field trips for some interesting architectural projects in Switzerland enrich my professional experiences. Finally, I deeply appreciate the support of ThinkSwiss program and the suggestions from the department of Bilateral Reserach Cooperation. I wish to find a way with ThinkSwiss program and EPFL laboratory to go back Switzerland for potential academic collaboration in future.


Best,

Julian