YUAN Chao (Dr)
Associate Professor|Deputy Head (Research)
Prof Yuan is an associate professor with tenure at the Department of Architecture, National University of Singapore (NUS). He was the recipient of the Presidential Young Professorship when he was an assistant professor and is also the founder and Principal Investigator of Urban Climate Design Lab in NUS. Being an architect, urban climate researcher, and educator, Prof Yuan’s teaching and research focus on climate-sensitive urban planning and design for sustainable, resilient cities. The topics cover urban wind environment, traffic-related and transboundary air pollution, anthropogenic heat, passive cooling technologies, and urban greenery. His goal is to support and develop practical planning and design in real life to build sustainability and resilience.
Prof. Yuan currently leads his research team – in collaboration with MIT and ETH Zurich – to conduct several studies on urban climate and future resilience for high density cities. Prof Yuan serves as Director of Research in NUS Cities, Associate Editor for Urban Climate (Elsevier), and Editorial Board Member at Landscape and Urban Planning (Elsevier). His work has been published in leading peer-reviewed scientific journals, book chapter, as well as a self-authored book, titled Urban Wind Environment – Integrated Climate-Sensitive Planning and Design, by Springer Nature.
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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.
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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.