Huajin Wang

Profile

I am a PhD student in the School of Civil Engineering at the University of Leeds, within the Architecture and Urbanism research group. My background is in architecture: I hold an M.Arch in Architecture Design from Xi an Jiaotong-Liverpool University and a B.Eng in Architecture from Yanshan University. Before starting my PhD, my architectural training combined design studio work with user-centred, community-engaged research, exploring how psychological and socio-cultural considerations intersect with sustainability, urban intervention and heritage conservation, including a graduation project reimagining Singapore's Greater Southern Waterfront, which was exhibited at Suzhou's "Blending & Embracing" exhibition and represented the university in the RIBA competition, and a study on the adaptive reuse of the Holiday Inn Express Beijing Shougang Silo-Pavilion. I also led a mental health comfort programme for underage students in Chengde that combined developmental psychology with participatory design.

Research interests

My PhD research grows out of this interest in how institutional arrangements and stakeholder power structures shape cultural value in the adaptive reuse of post-industrial heritage. My thesis examines how state-led governance and stakeholder power dynamics determine whether cultural value is preserved or eroded in heritage regeneration, drawing on a qualitative multi-case comparative methodology combining spatial mapping, document analysis and stakeholder interviews. It carries forward my earlier interest in urban acupuncture, psychological resilience and community participation, extending it from the scale of the building and site to questions of governance and institutional power.

Qualifications

• M.Arch in Architecture Design, Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University
• B.Eng in Architecture, Yanshan University