Sean Lu
Lecturer, Institute of Architecture, Faculty of Engineering
Contact
Research Summary
1.The Solar Performance of Deployable Origami Structure
This research explored the structural morphologies and application of deployable origami structure for climate responsive building envelope related to façade strategies, principles and solar performance, hence improve building energy efficiency by integrating those kinetic structures into building facdes as bioclimatic building envelopes.
2. Biomimetic Structure Morphologies
Natural growth pattern and form represent the diagram of environmental force such as gravity or surface tension. This research investigated natural geometry and their application for high rise building structure design and building enclosure optimisation. The relationship between form, function and energy efficiency have be expolored by employ parametric design/ simulation tools.
3. Architectural appropriate technologies
Vernacular architecture, indigenous building tectonics and passive technologies provide reliable implement for architectural design, this research investigated, reclaimed and evaluated local construction systems, materials, environmental strategies and building forms in term of technology optimisation and appropriate application, outcomes would contribute to both engineering realm such as construction for relief work or emergency, and architecture design methodology toward the sustainable critical regionalism.
Selected Publications
LU, CHUNXCIAO and GADI, MOHAMED., 2005. The numerical model of solar radiation of deployable origami structure In: SET2005 -4th International conference on sustainable energy technologies.
SEAN C. LU, 2009. Case Studies of Architectural Appropriate Technology-Design Toward the Sustainable Critical Regionalism In: The Sixteenth International Seminar on Urban Form (ISUF 2009). (In Press.)
SEAN C. LU, 2009. Teaching and Learning Through Making In: Teaching and Learning conference Nottingham 2009.
Future Research
Constrained Generative Surface Structure
A Performance orientative design system for building envelope/structure design by using Genetic Algorithms Subject Conventional facade and structural design base on modularity methods, which building surface or structural system is divided into individual parts(modules) and analysed locally, whilst every module is treated identically, hence the result of whole system is either the simply assigning facade or structural configuration to every module or simply summing structural preference of those individuals. On the other hand, structure and facade optimisation is usually employ iterative methods requiring repeated samples of a physics-based model. All those aforementioned questions are about the theme of how gobble solutions emerge from the individual setting and interacting locally. This process can be computationally solved by using the Genetic Algorithm (GA). Objective
- Appling the intelligent algorithms such as GA for decision making and geometry generation / controlling in architecture design, hence every facade module will be parametrically modified to respond local condition such as the curvature, orientation and wind load.
- Creating the constrained generating system as a new approach for architecture design, which the environmental restriction play the role of "form giver" to constrain building's morphology (geometry generation).
- Using genetic algorithm to calculate the maximum permissible size of planned buildings with sunlight design constraint, this problem can be regarded as a combinatorial optimization problem.
Self-Organisation Panelised Structures
Subject
There are three key aspects for designing a building: Structural Efficiency, Environmental Efficiency and Aesthetics. They are interdependent and interactive, thus the building should be a synthesis of those three key issues. However, the conventional man-made structural system such as rigid frame is usually designed as a single function element and lacks the possibility to cooperate with the environmental control system. Inspired by biomimetic concept, a series of surface structure system and their potential of integrating building envelope into them are proposed. Consequently, the structure is able to be a climate adaptive system in a miner of responding the temporal-spatial change, thus the new aesthetics emergent.
Object
- Discovering and selecting suitable prototype example from nature according to their potential of integrating building surface.
- Investigating both the adaptive mechanism and surface structure efficiency of this prototype. Understanding the cooperation condition of such integration.
- Obtaining the improved panelled model of this prototype by using Reverse Engineering methods such as 3D scanning tools and advanced computer modelling technologies such as the grid / tiling generating techniques
- Validating both the structural and environmental performance of this panelised model by ANSYS, CFD and Ecotect.
- Designing the structural details such as interlock system for this panelled building envelope by using parametic modeling program.