YUAN Chao (Dr)
Associate Professor|Deputy Head (Research) (Tenure Track)
Department of Architecture, College of Design and Engineering, National University of Singapore, 4 Architecture Drive, Singapore 117566.
- TEL:
- 8428 5890
- EMAIL:
- akiyuan@nus.edu.sg
Professor Chao Yuan is a tenured Associate Professor in the Department of Architecture at the National University of Singapore (NUS) and Principal Investigator of the Urban Climate Design Lab. He was recently awarded the prestigious NRF Investigatorship by Singapore’s National Research Foundation and previously received the distinguished Presidential Young Professorship at NUS.
Prof. Yuan’s research pushes the frontiers of climate-sensitive urban planning and design, with a focus on urban wind environments, air pollution, anthropogenic heat, passive cooling technologies, and urban greenery. He leads interdisciplinary initiatives that integrate science, technology, and design to pioneer innovative strategies for resilient, high-density tropical cities. His work is deeply collaborative, engaging international partners such as MIT and ETH Zurich to drive solutions for future urban resilience.
At NUS, he also serves as Co-Director of NUS Sustainable Futures, a university-level institute dedicated to advancing interdisciplinary sustainability research. Prof. Yuan is an Editorial Board Member of Landscape and Urban Planning and has published extensively, including authoring the acclaimed book Urban Wind Environment.
ROBUSTNESS-BASED URBAN PLANNING AND DESIGN, WHICH ENCOMPASSES PREDICTION, DIAGNOSIS, AND MITIGATION, IS WARRANTED TO IDENTIFY KEY DECISION VARIABLES. THIS ENABLES URBAN PLANNERS/DESIGNERS TO TACKLE THE COUPLING EFFECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE AND URBANISATION ON THE RESILIENCE OF HIGH-DENSITY CITIES.
Advanced weather station network and technologies, such as ultrasonic sensors, are installed at downtown to investigate the microclimate to bridge the gap between numerical modelling and real life.
ON ONE HAND, THERE IS THE INSATIABLE DESIRE FOR DEVELOPMENT; ON THE OTHER HAND, THERE IS LIMITED CARRY CAPACITY OF OUR NATURE AND CITY. IN THIS DESIGN, WE PROVIDE AN ALTERNATIVE TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE OF LAND SCARCITY, AND SET OUR DESIGN OBJECTIVES AS CONNECTION, CONSERVATION, AND CULTIVATION (C3), WHICH SUMMARIZE OUR ANSWER FOR HIGH DENSITY LIVING. A SYSTEM OF SYSTEMS, IN WHICH MULTI-SCALE PASSIVE STRATEGIES ARE CONDUCTED, IS APPLIED TO RE-DEVELOP AN EXISTING INDUSTRIAL AREA IN SINGAPORE TO FULFIL SELF-SUFFICIENCY, SOCIAL INCLUSIVITY, NATURAL & ECOSYSTEMS, AND RECIPROCITY NEEDS.