Biography
Yu Zhang is an Assistant Professor in Architecture and Design in the Department of Architecture at the University of Cambridge. Her research interest lies in exploring sustainable (re)generative structures in the Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) industry through digital technologies and sustainable processes.Her research endeavors to meticulously assess the ecological, economic, and social sustainability aspects throughout the life cycle of structures. The research objective is to establish a comprehensive and interactive design framework that fosters the creation of innovative, green, and high-performance structures, addressing the specific needs of target users and ensuring a thoughtful and impactful integration of technology in the pursuit of sustainable structures.
Publications
Journal Publications
• Zhang, Y., Tatarintseva, L., Clewlow, T., Clark, E., Botsford, G. & Shea, K. A Template Design and Automated Parametric Model for Sustainable Corbel Dwellings with Interlocking Blocks. Developments in the Built Environment, 100148, 2023. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dibe.2023.100148.
• Lu, X., Liao, W., Zhang, Y. & Huang, Y. Intelligent Structural Design of Shear Wall Residence using Physics-Enhanced Generative Adversarial Networks. Earthquake Engineering and Structural Dynamics, 2022. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/eqe.3632.
• Zhang, Y. & Shea, K. Computational Design Synthesis for Fabrication-Aware Assembly Problems using Building Objects with Dimensional Variations. Advanced Engineering Informatics, 2022; 52. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aei.2022.101621.
• Zhang, Y. & Mueller, C. Shear Wall Layout Optimization for Conceptual Design of Tall Buildings. Engineering Structures, 2017; 140: pp225-240. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.engstruct.2017.02.059.
Conference Publications
• Zhang, Y. & Shea, K. Sustainable Design Synthesis of Discrete Free-Form Structures Utilizing Existing Building Objects. IASS 2024.
• Aguilera, A., Zhang, Y. & Shea, K. Mobile Augmented Reality for Aided Manual Assembly of Compressed Earth Block Dwellings. eCAADe 2023.
• Zhang, Y., Tatarintseva, L., Clewlow, T., Clark, E., Botsford, G. & Shea, K. A Low-Cost Sustainable Design and Fabrication Process for Mortarless CEB Dwellings. Future of Construction Symposium 2022. Poster.
• Zhang, Y., Tatarintseva, L., Clewlow, T., Clark, E., Botsford, G. & Shea, K. Mortarless Compressed Earth Block Dwellings. ACADIA 2021; pp340-345.
Teaching and Supervisions
Dr. Zhang welcomes applications from prospective interdisciplinary PhD students interested in topics including, but not limited to, computational generative design, structural optimization for sustainable structures, uncertainty-based design optimization, AI-enhanced design, circular design, digital fabrication and construction, and sustainable design and construction in low-resource settings. Prospective candidates with academic backgrounds in architecture, engineering, computer science, and mathematics, or a combination of these fields, are encouraged to apply. Interested applicants should contact Dr. Zhang with a CV and a one-page research proposal outlining their research questions, methodology, timeline, expected outcomes, and scientific contributions
