The study reported in this paper focuses on the creation of captivating and innovative interactive science and technology museum exhibits by leveraging digital technology to support interdisciplinary collaborative design in the context of a rapidly evolving technological landscape. In introducing new prospects for science and technology museum exhibit design we focus on a specific theme-related question: How can the distinctive properties of graphene, a key future material, be made accessible in a high quality educational spatial experience through a collective, collaborative, and interdisciplinary design process that transcends boundaries of scale and conventional professional purview? To address this question, we first observed a multidisciplinary team comprising architects, material scientists, educational experts, and technology designers engaged in applied spatial interactive exhibit design for science and technology museums. Based on a critical analysis of this design process, we propose a new type of design workflow, leveraging the synergetic effects of interdisciplinary cooperation to foster novel types of digital spatial design approaches. The paper finally reports on the simulation and testing of the technical features of the designed exhibit and summarizes generalizable observations regarding the viability of the design process in broader contexts.

This paper investigates the potential role of AI (Artificial Intelligence) technology in the design of future-oriented interdisciplinary exhibitions for science and technology museums. With AI leading technological advancements in the field, this paper explores how AI can not only be the subject of exhibitions but also support the design of exhibits. Drawing on applied design experience from an ongoing science museum project in China, central questions for designers and researchers working with AI-based techniques is whether and how such tools can support original design outcomes: Are ideas developed by designers before using AI tools or in the process of AI generation? Can skilled use of AI allow designers to set aside more time for creative ideas, thus enhancing their productivity? We describe in detail the process of exhibition design from the perspective of the exhibit designer, and focus on the dynamics of AI-supported design processes, where schemes are quickly iterated until suitable results are produced for final selection. Finally, we discuss how we have employed the potentials and addressed challenges introduced by creative AI use in our work.

Façades are key building components, determining building performance and forming the interface between inhabitants and the general public. Accordingly, façades should integrate high aesthetic value with the capability to bear relevant loads. Contemporary architectural façade design strategies often employ complex shapes, which presents civil engineering challenges in terms of assessing structural performance as well as determining effective fabrication strategies. Using 3D concrete printing for fabrication can achieve freeform shapes but has several limitations including limited structural performance. Instead of directly 3D printing concrete elements, this paper presents an approach to fabricating geometrically complex façade elements in ultra-high-performance fibre-reinforced concrete using 3D printed formwork to achieve greater accuracy and cost efficiency compared to conventional fabrication methods. Following compression test and flexural test to examine the feasibility of using 3D printed formwork for concrete fabrication, a façade prototype with a non-standard shape using 3D printed polymer formwork and UHPFRC is examined for its structural behaviours. Results show that compressive strength and flexural strength are not affected negatively by the exterior 3D printed formwork. Meanwhile, the proposed façade prototype demonstrates good concrete flowability and load test results, promising a new construction method for concrete fabrication.

This paper extends the current focus in sustainable building design on aspects of building technology such as assessment of carbon emissions, embodied carbon or energy expendi-ture by including concerns of human inhabitants as well as ecological aspects. Sustainable design schemes increasingly feature green elements on and around buildings, including green roofs and green facades. While their benefits are recognized from a technical per-spective, such as the regulation of air quality and reduction of noise as well as the reduc-tion of building energy expenditure, the ecological aspects of such facades have not re-ceived much attention yet beyond a few case study buildings. In contrast, the potential contributions green building features can make to local biodiversity, urban ecological con-texts and human well-being are not yet widely embraced. This paper discusses façade sys-tems integrating green features for ecological as well as energy and carbon emission bene-fits alongside other sustainable design technologies, with a focus on the subtropical climate regions of China. We argue that successful façade design needs to address three aspects that remain understudied in recent literature: the capability of architectural facades to adapt to the human need to connect to exterior environments, to perform a host role for locally specific ecology and biodiversity and the role of local climate and urban context in com-prehensive future façade design. To this end, the paper presents a cross-disciplinary, eco-systemic analysis of a building case study located in Shenzhen, China which was complet-ed in early 2022. A discussion of design principles employed in the case study is comple-mented with a biodiversity analysis and proposals for alternative design approaches for ecological façade features.

While net-zero carbon buildings have been the focus of many previous studies, existing research tends to focus on low-rise buildings in temperate climates with cold winters. However, much of current building activity across the world, particularly in China, is located in hot and humid subtropical climates and typically features high-rise buildings. This review article systematically surveys recent literature on advanced façade systems that have been widely used across Europe and North America to determine their suitability for implementation in the subtropical climatic environment of southern China. To support the further research and design of net-zero carbon buildings in this context, this paper reviews existing technologies enabling zero carbon buildings, particularly those related to high-performance building facades, with a focus on South China. To this end, we present a systematic literature review of relevant studies in English conducted in the past 10 years. Following a definition of the scope of zero carbon building and design factors related to such building types, the paper discusses the rationale and mechanisms of key advanced facade technologies and their suitability for high-rise buildings in the hot and humid subtropical climate of South China, including double-skin façades, building integrated photovoltaics, façade greening systems, advanced shading systems, phase-change materials, and smart windows. The results of the review illustrate a shortage of relevant studies as well as a shortage of design tools supporting the integration of key technologies in the early architectural design stages, where decisions will have a significant impact on a building’s subsequent performance.