Newsletter of the College of Architecture at Texas A&M University
With help from the Swiss government, a Texas A&M architecture Ph.D student conducted research in Europe last summer, further developing new digital technologies for sustainable building environments.
Julian Wang worked with the media and design lab at Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne and the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich with the ThinkSwiss Research Scholarship.
He won the scholarship after submitting a cover letter of his doctoral research.
“My research is exploring buildings’ energy efficiency and health environment based on bio-adaptation,” he said. “Natural models of bio-adaptation are inspiring, such as the adaptive movement of mammal’s hair in response to temperature changes, and plant leaves’ tracking the sun’s position to absorb sunlight.”
The research, he said, could generate some interesting possibilities and new design strategies for pursuing energy efficiency and stable indoor microclimate.
In cooperation with American partners, Swiss organizations in the U.S., such as the Swiss embassy, as well as the five Swiss consulates general, organize events, workshops, exhibitions and study trips to Switzerland.
ThinkSwiss also offers research scholarships and grants for stays at summer schools at top Swiss universities.
- Posted: Oct. 6, 2009-
Julian Wang
