Research
Perceived Environmental Qualities and Human health & wellbeing
Task1: Investigating how colour and lighting (natural and artificial) impact on occupants' psychological and physiological performances in offices, houses, schools, healthcare facilities and caring homes.
Task2: Investigating effects of 'View' on human satisfaction and productivities at workspaces in terms of Biophlic Design principles and Biophilia hypothesis.
Task3: Identifying the 'Biophlic Elements' of Vernacular Architecture and testing their potential to improve health and wellbeing in modern buildings.
Task4: Testing the impact of perceived housing qualities on the occupants' health and wellbeings in cities and rural areas.
Daylighting and solar design: urban scale and buildings
Task1: Studying urban planning strategies and methods in terms of daylighting availability (or solar access) in highly dense cities.
Task2: Investigating passive solutions to achieve human health & wellbeing through applying advanced daylighting systems (light shelves, light pipes, etc.) in buildings.
Task3: Investigating passive and renewable solutions to improve the growth of plant and vegetables in greenhouses; providing indoor farming industry with optimized design solutions of Agricultural facilities.
Lighting design, light pollution and environmental conservation
Investigating the impact of Artificial Lighting at night (non-street/road lighting systems) on the risk of light pollution in dense cities. The Artificial lighting at night (ALAN) includes decoration lighting, sign/advertisement lighting, media façade, etc.
Research collaborations
Prof Man Zhang
Improving Residents' Health and Wellbeing through the Application of Optimized Conservation Strategies in Historic Residential Areas along the Grand Canal.
Beijing University of Civil Engineering and Architecture
Research project funded by National Natural Science Foundation of China (2025-2028).
Prof. Quan Nguyen
Housing environmental quality and health in Vietnam: a pilot study of social housing in Hanoi
National University of Civil Engineering (NUCE), Vietnam
A project funded through the scheme of David Foster Wicks Bequest, University of Liverpool (2021)
Prof Xin Zhang
Investigating key technologies of an innovative window system to achieve circadian rhythm adjustment using diffused daylight
Tsinghua University, China
Research project: funded by National natural science foundation of China. (2021-2024)
Prof Xin Zhang
Research project: Fundamental Studies of Non-visual and Biological Effects of Daylight on the Sleeping and Alertness in Young and Middle-aged Adults
Tsinghua University, China
This research project was funded by National Natural Science Foundation of China (2018-2021). Daylight has significant impact on human psychology and circadian rhythm. This project, on the ground of the theory of non-visual effect of light, aims to investigate effects of daylight on sleep quality and daytime alertness of middle-aged and young adults in typical built environment.
Prof Xin Zhang
Research project: Lighting Models and Energy-efficient Design Strategies in Chinese Retail Spaces
Tsinghua University, China
This project was funded by National Natural Science Foundation of China (2015-2018).
Prof Hong Jin
Research Project: Regulating Principles and Design Methods of Urban Microclimate in Severe Cold Regions
Harbin Institute of Technology, China
This research project was funded by National Natural Science Foundation of China (2015-2019).