Hongxi Yin

Hongxi Yin, PhD, is a professor in building science and architecture at the Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts at Washington University in St. Louis. Yin is a LEED-certified expert on green neighborhood development. His primary research interests are whole building performance analysis, passive technology application, human health and productivity, and integrated design methods for sustainability. At the Sam Fox School, he has advanced collaborative and interdisciplinary research around energy, the environment, and sustainability, securing more than $1.2 million in research funding, including a National Science Foundation grant to research thermoelectric concrete building envelopes.

Yin has incorporated his research on enhancing the energy performance of buildings and urban systems into curricular and co-curricular opportunities for students. This includes his leadership of two Race to Zero and two Solar Decathlon competition teams for WashU (for the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon 2017 and Solar Decathlon China 2018), which yielded designs and built examples of net-zero aspirational housing units. Through these experiences, students also explored new uses of 3D printed molds, high-performance concrete veneers, and hydraulic heating and cooling systems. Yin has also helped the Sam Fox School foster fruitful on-campus partnerships, particularly with the McKelvey School of Engineering, as well as with industry partners.

Select Articles, Chapters, and Publications

“The PreDI matrix-a common terminology for offsite construction: definition, verification, and demonstration in environmental impact studies” in Architectural Intelligence, 2024, v. 3, article 32. Chaudhary, K., Pan, A., Yin, H. et al.
“Energy-Saving Technologies for Building Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning Systems,” in Annual Review of Heat Transfer, 2020. Ming Qu, Xiaoli Liu,Zhiyao Yang, Feng Wu, Liang Shi, Xiaobing Liu, Tao Zhang, Yi Jiang, Hongxi Yin.
“Digital Reconstruction and Restoration of Architectural Heritage: Samara House” in TAD: Technology I Architecture + Design, 2022, issue 6.2. Junhao Li, Huzefa Jawadwala, Annika Pan, JungHo Jeon, Yi-Chun Lin, Meghdad Hasheminasab, Hongxi Yin, Ayman Habib, Hubo Cai & Ming Qu.
“Combining Stormwater Management and Park Services to Mitigate Climate Change and Improve Human Well-Being: A Case Study of Sponge City Parks in Shanghai,” in Land, 2022, vol. 11, issue 9. Tong, Peihao, Hongxi Yin, Zhifang Wang, and Ian Trivers.

Select Exhibitions and Presentations

“A Literature Review of WAAM and Future Application in Buildings,” Annika Pan, Wenqi Lai, Haixin Zhou, Sebastian Bernal, Kaden Chaudhary, Amanda Ridings, Hongxi Yin; presented at ACSA 111th Annual Meeting | IN COMMONS, 2023, St. Louis, Missouri.
“Outdoor Comfort in Public Spaces, a Critical Review,” Mingliang Li, Hongxi Yin, Ming Qu, Ian Trivers; presented at International High Performance Buildings Conference, 2022, West Lafayette, Indiana.

Select Awards and Grants

2023-24 — $50,000, Here and Next, Strategic Planning Early-Stage Demonstration Project, Washington University in St. Louis, Principal Investigator
2023-24 — $25,000, McDonnell 2022 Global Incubator Seed Grants, Washington University in St. Louis, Principal Investigator, Investigators: Ian Trivers (Co-PI), Zhifang Wang
2022-23 — $50,000, Solar Decathlon Build Challenge 2023, U.S. Department of Energy, Principal Investigator
2022 — Charles E. Peterson Prize, 3rd Place, HABS, National Park Service

Hongxi Yin

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