Wenting Li

Profile

I’m a PhD student at the University of Leeds. I’m working on my doctoral research project in developing responsive facades based on AI-based technology and gamification approaches to promote energy efficiency as well as occupant acceptance, with my supervisory team as Dr Han Fang and Dr Michele W.T. Mak (both at the University of Leeds), as well as Professor Ornella Iuorio (Politecnico di Milano). I’m working within the Cities, Infrastructure and Energy Group at the School of Civil Engineering, Robotics Group in the Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences.

I have an international research and study background in which I obtained the Bachelor's degree of Science and Engineering in Wood Structure Construction in the Nanjing Forestry University (China), and I graduated from the University of Sheffield with the Master of Science in Digital Architecture and Design. I obtained 2 times of the Excellent Scholarship and the Title of Excellent Student, as well as the 1st price of innovation competition (designing and building structures according to the bearing capacity) during my bachelor’s study. One conference paper was published in the 38th eCAADe Conference (Germany, Berlin), Anthropologic: Architecture and Fabrication in the cognitive age (2019-2020), online presenting due to covid-19).

I worked as Assistant Construction Engineer in Karamay Engineering Construction Administration Bureau (2018-2019), which helped the construction engineer and designer deliver the structural design. Two placements in Crownhomes (2018), which is responsible for conducting a field investigation of wood structure construction; and Jiangsu Tiger Woods Construction Engineering Co., Ltd (2017), which took part in many real cases about wood structure building and materials; delivered a study on the characteristics and application of oak fire resistance.

Research interests

• Digital building construction
• Artificial intelligence in Architectural design and engineering
• Adaptive façade
• Gamification
• Advanced control algorithm
• Occupant-centric semi-automated control system design
• Digital twins system
• Advanced Simulation for Modelling Adaptive Architecture with microclimate
• Parametric design and computational modelling
• Emerging material and technology

My current stage of the research project is focusing on how semi-automated (override-equipped) control systems learn from override and grow up from the multi-domain exposure environments, so that developing adaptive facades based on AI-based technology and gamification approaches to promote energy efficiency and occupant acceptance.

I was key participating in research projects conducting parametric modelling and algorithms optimization, BIM techniques to construct data-enriched virtual models; generating scenarios of adaptation for adaptive architecture as informed by advanced simulation through Envi-met and Energy Plus, computational programming with Python and Arduino for data processing and dynamic environmental simulation based on high building performance-driven to for meeting the challenges of sustainable, liveable, and intelligent cities; at the same time, addressing and evaluating the critical application of BIM across the infrastructure building cycle within small group working process, identifying the limitations of currently available BIM software for building design, considering those limitations with case research study to develop a self-own conceptual framework for the role of BIM and related software and data in the architectural design process.

I explored algorithm-based generative circle patterns and responsive, flexible components; performance-based parametric design workflow to facilitate a smooth transition from design ideation to implementation; shaped computational generation development by using Python and function define by variables given to produce variation; data processing and visualization based on question setting, reflection, analyzation and addressing; BIM for curtain wall system customization creation design and its application, using Revit and Dynamo for BIM-based information integration, management and analysis (such as performance evaluation, energy, lighting, etc.) to develop individual BIM applications with computational and analytical strategies.

I worked: a) with Co-Living on the submitted plan of Rockingham Street Redevelopment in Sheffield. Combined with advanced simulation for modelling adaptive architecture course project, modelling the interaction between urban neighbourhood change and climate change to have optimal strategies for maintaining the health and well-being of urban ecology while reducing human-included carbon emissions; b) with Hawkins Brown on Residential Sector and Design Tool project. Researching on Revit residential scheme workflow to standardise residential scheme processes for 90% of jobs across the office; understanding the typical process residential teams undergo from feasibility to planning; creating scrips in Dynamo to replace massed unit shapes with detailed units, data collection and management, flat type views auto-creation and cropped, which is tweaked to auto-generate demise plans for all flats in a project; working out what needs to differ for it to work (key metrics/ inputs/ outputs/ parameters/ things to tweak).

Aside from this current research as part of my PhD, I am also interested in bearing capacity stability and anti-seismic design of light-frame timber structure, especially in wooden wall structure design, having studied this topic for my BSc(Eng) thesis dissertation, Prefabricated light-frame timber structure modular design and construction. I have experience in qualitative and quantitative method, and a preference for mixed research methods.

Qualifications

• The Certificate of CAD/CAM 2D and 3D Basic Training of Wooden Constructions
• MSc Digital Architecture and Design
• BSc(Eng) Wood Science and Engineering ( Wooden Structure Construction)
• The Certificate of CAD/CAM 2D and 3D Basic Training of Wooden Constructions

Research groups and institutes

• Cities, Infrastructure and Energy
• Robotics
• Cities, Infrastructure and Energy
• Robotics
• Cities, Infrastructure and Energy
• Robotics