Dr Ning Gu

Biography

Dr. Ning Gus most significant research contributions have been made towards research in architectural and design computing, including topics such as generative design systems; computational design analysis, computer-supported collaborative design; virtual environments; Building Information Modelling (BIM); agent-based computing; digital design and rapid prototyping; and design education. The outcomes of his research have been documented in over 70 academic articles and published designs.

He is an Assessor for the Australian Research Council (ARC). He is a reviewer/guest editor for various international journals (Automation in Construction; CACAIE; ITCon), and reviewer/chair for various international conferences (CAAD Futures; DCC, CAADRIA; CONVR; ANZAScA; IASDR) in the field of architectural and design computing. As an expert in the field, he was invited as a visiting scholar at Columbia University in 2002.

Dr. Ning Gu specialises in teaching leading-edge digital and virtual architectural subjects such as digital design and rapid prototyping; Building Information Modelling (BIM); and parametric design. Before joining the University of Newcastle, he also taught a wide variety of digital design subjects, such as computer-supported collaborative design; design computing studio; virtual architecture; CAD modelling and project management; and web site design, at the University of Sydney between 2001 and 2006. As a pioneer of applying emerging information technologies such as 3D virtual environments in design education, Ning has designed and implemented a wide variety of virtual environments and applied them in his design teaching to support distance learning and remote design collaboration in numerous Australian and international tertiary design schools, including MIT and Columbia University. He is very knowledgeable with design teaching in both virtual as well as traditional design studios and has since developed and published principles of designing and teaching in virtual environments.

Nings career highlight includes receiving an ARC Discovery Project Grant (2010-2013, AUD$550,000) to develop computational design analysis of 20th Century canonical buildings; and being the Research Leader of a Cooperative Research Centre for Construction Innovation (CRC-CI) project (2007-2008, AUD$100,000) to examine the use of BIM as collaboration platforms for the architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) industry. In the BIM project, he has collaborated closely with leading industry partners and government sectors such as Bovis Lend Lease, Woods Bagot, John Holland, Thiess, Leighton Contractors, the State of Queensland and Sydney Opera House. He was also awarded the University of Newcastle Early Career Researcher Grants to investigate architectural design representation and analysis using design grammars and bond graphs, and their roles in distant design collaboration (2007-2008, AUD$10,000); and to explore adaptive design through procedural content generation in 3D virtual environments (2008-2009, AUD$10,000). Previously at the University of Sydney, he participated in three other CRC-CI projects researching on the topics of collaborative design in 3D virtual environments (2005 and 2003) and mobile computing (2006) in design, for the AEC industry.

Qualifications

• Doctor of Philosophy, University of Sydney, 2006

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Research

Research keywords

• Building Information Modelling
• Computational Design Analysis
• Computer-supported Collaborative Design
• Digital Design and Rapid Prototyping
• Generative Design Systems
• Virtual Environments

Research expertise

Dr. Ning Gu's most significant research contributions have been made towards research in architectural and design computing, including topics such as generative design systems; computational design analysis, computer-supported collaborative design; virtual environments; Building Information Modelling (BIM); agent-based computing; digital design and rapid prototyping; and design education. The outcomes of his research have been documented in over 70 academic articles and published designs.

He is an Assessor for the Australian Research Council (ARC). He is a reviewer/guest editor for various international journals (Automation in Construction; CACAIE; ITCon), and reviewer/chair for various international conferences (CAAD Futures; DCC, CAADRIA; CONVR; ANZAScA; IASDR) in the field of architectural and design computing. As an expert in the field, he was invited as a visiting scholar at Columbia University in 2002.

Ning's career highlight includes receiving an ARC Discovery Project Grant (2010-2013, AUD$550,000) to develop computational design analysis of 20th Century canonical buildings; and being the Research Leader of a Cooperative Research Centre for Construction Innovation (CRC-CI) project (2007-2008, AUD$100,000) to examine the use of BIM as collaboration platforms for the architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) industry. In the BIM project, he has collaborated closely with leading industry partners and government sectors such as Bovis Lend Lease, Woods Bagot, John Holland, Thiess, Leighton Contractors, the State of Queensland and Sydney Opera House. He was also awarded the University of Newcastle Early Career Researcher Grants to investigate architectural design representation and analysis using design grammars and bond graphs, and their roles in distant design collaboration (2007-2008, AUD$10,000); and to explore adaptive design through procedural content generation in 3D virtual environments (2008-2009, AUD$10,000). Previously at the University of Sydney, he participated in three other CRC-CI projects researching on the topics of collaborative design in 3D virtual environments (2005 and 2003) and mobile computing (2006) in design, for the AEC industry.

Collaboration

Dr. Ning Gu has researched and published extensively in the broad areas of architectural and design computing, including topics such as generative design systems; computational design analysis, computer-supported collaborative design; virtual environments; Building Information Modelling (BIM); agent-based computing; digital design and rapid prototyping; and design education.

Languages

• Chinese
• English

Fields of Research

Code	Description	Percentage
120199	Architecture Not Elsewhere Classified	60
120299	Building Not Elsewhere Classified	30
120399	Design Practice And Management Not Elsewhere Classified	10

Centres and Groups

Centre

• Centre for Interdisciplinary Built Environment Research

Memberships

Committee/Associations (relevant to research).

• Member - Methodological Peer Review Committee, Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment, University of Newcastle, Australia
• Member - The Association for Computer-Aided Architectural Design Research in Asia (CAADRIA)
• Member - Australian and New Zealand Architectural Science Association (ANZAScA)

Conference Chair

• The 16th Conference on Computer-Aided Architectural Design Research in Asia (CAADRIA)
• The 15th Conference on Computer-Aided Architectural Design Research in Asia (CAADRIA)
• The 9th International Conference on Construction Applications of Virtual Reality (CONVR)
• The 42nd Annual Conference of the Australian and New Zealand Architectural Science Association (ANZAScA)

Editorial Board.

• Editor - Automation in Construction (International Journal)

Appointments

Visiting Scholar Center on Organizational Innovation, Columbia University (United States)	01/01/2002 - 01/05/2002
Grant Assessor Australian Research Council (Australia)	01/04/2010
Student Academic Conduct Officer (SACO) School of Architecture and Built Environment, University of Newcastle, Australia (Australia)	01/03/2010
Outreach Officer Association for Computer-Aided Architectural Design Research in Asia (CAADRIA)	01/04/2009
Associate Masters Research Supervisor (External) University of Sydney (Australia)	01/07/2008 - 01/11/2009

Awards

Research Award.

2007	CAADRIA 2007 Conference Best Presentation Award The Association for Computer-Aided Architectural Design Research in Asia (CAADRIA) (China) Best Presentation Award in a Research Conference

Invitations

International Presenter Series Australian Studies Centre, Thailand (Invited Presenter)	2009
Specifying a Mixed Reality-Supported Collaborative System to Increase the Level of Co-Presence University of Sydney, Australia (Research Masters Examiner.)	2008
Faculty of Information Technology Research Seminar, UTS Faculty of Information Technology, University of Technology, Sydney, Australia (Invited Presenter)	2006

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Administrative

Administrative expertise

Dr. Ning Gu is the Student Academic Conduct Officer (SACO) at the School of Architecture and Built Environment, and he is currently on the Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment Methodological Peer Review Committee. He is the Outreach Officer of the Association for Computer-aided Architectural Design Research in Asia (CAADRIA), and also the University of Newcastle Representative in the Architecture Foundation.

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Teaching

Teaching keywords

• Design Computing
• Design Innovation
• Digital Architecture

Teaching expertise

Dr. Ning Gu specialises in teaching leading-edge digital and virtual architectural subjects such as digital design and rapid prototyping; Building Information Modelling (BIM); and parametric design. Before joining the University of Newcastle, he also taught a wide variety of digital design subjects, such as computer-supported collaborative design; design computing studio; virtual architecture; CAD modelling and project management; and web site design, at the University of Sydney between 2001 and 2006.

As a pioneer of applying emerging information technologies such as 3D virtual environments in design education, Ning has designed and implemented a wide variety of virtual environments and applied them in his design teaching to support distance learning and remote design collaboration in numerous Australian and international tertiary design schools, including MIT and Columbia University. He is very knowledgeable with design teaching in both virtual as well as traditional design studios and has since developed and published principles of designing and teaching in virtual environments.