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ArchiLambda Lab is housed within the Department of Architectural Engineering at The Pennsylvania State University and maintains close affiliations with the Materials Research Institute and the Department of Architecture. Our laboratory seeks to deepen the understanding of thermal and optical processes, dynamics, and interactions across scales ranging from the nano/micro material level to components, buildings, communities, and urban environments, elucidating their broader implications for resource efficiency, occupant comfort and health, climate resilience, and sustainability.

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Our research focuses on three interconnected domains: climate-responsive building systems, human-environment interactions, and building-urban/climate dynamics. To address these areas, we employ a robust methodology that integrates experimental investigations, computational modeling, and subjective assessments. Through this multifaceted approach, we inform innovative engineering and design strategies, support the development of more resilient built infrastructures, and ultimately foster healthier, more sustainable environments for all.

Recent News

Selection to FOE of NAE 2023

Julian was selected as one of 100 engineers to present in the Frontiers of Engineering" (FOE) program organized by the National Academy of Engineering (NAE). (09/2023)

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Yanxiao Feng: Assistant Professor at NJIT

Congratulations to Yanxiao Feng on her new position as an Assistant Professor at the School of Applied Engineering and Technology at the New Jersey Institute of Technology! Her joint appointment in the Hillier College of Architecture & Design is a testament to her multidisciplinary expertise and dedication to advancing knowledge in her field. We are incredibly proud of her accomplishments and wish her all the best in this exciting new chapter of her academic career.

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NIH/NIA Fund

This project proposes to develop and evaluate the impact of a smart ambient bright light (SABL) intervention, including both daylighting and electrical lighting, to reduce agitation and other behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) for nursing home (NH) residents living with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD). (09/01/2022)

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Window coatings for energy savings

We have been recently interviewed by the Penn State News team for discussing the recent work published in Energy Conversion and Management. This work examined the energy-saving properties of a coating comprising nanoscale components that can reduce heat loss and better absorb heat. They also completed the first comprehensive energy savings analysis of the material at the building scale (02/2022).

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New PhD Graduate

Qiuhua Duan has completed her doctoral research in May 2021 and accepted the Assistant Professor position in the Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering Department at the University of Alabama (07/2021).

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USDA CIG Project

A research project ($598,715 three years) is supported by the Conservation Innovation Grants program of the USDA for studying the application of spectrally selective materials in greenhouses. (04/20/2020)

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ASES Annual Conference 2023

Six lab members attended and presented at the ASES Annual Conference. (08/2023)

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NFRC Meeting in San Diego 2022

Eight lab members attended and presented at the NFRC (National Fenestration Rating Council) Fall Conference in San Diego, CA. (10/2022)

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NSF CBET Fund

Compounding the effects of the building (envelopes and systems) and built environment characteristics, the social and behavioral characteristics of households and urban-rural inequality can result in differing levels of vulnerability to extreme temperature events. This NSF-funded research aims to build an urban-rural regional assessment, preparedness, and response system for extreme temperature events for use during the transition to global sustainability. (08/01/2022)

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Podcast - lighting for energy savings

On the latest episode of the Growing Impact podcast, Julian Wang and Anne-Marie Chang have discussed their seed grant project that investigates how indoor lighting can be adjusted to affect user thermal responses to save energy on a building’s heating and cooling and positively impact human health (09/2021).

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NSF CMMI Fund

We receive a new research grant from the NSF CMMI program for investigating new building envelope technologies with dual-modality characteristics: generating thermal radiation in winter via the photothermal effect and reducing summer solar heat gains in summer via the photovoltaic effect. See the details in this link(07/13/2020)

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IEE SEED Grant

The lab's proposal of “Building Energy Savings by Tuning Indoor Lighting” is selected for funding by the Institutes of Energy and the Environment (IEE) Seed Grant Program of Penn State University. The project is to discover the potential thermal-visual interactions in the controllable indoor environment. We will be collaboratively working with Dr. Anne-Marie Chang in Biobehavioral Health and Nursing and Dr. Javad Khazaei in Electrical Engineering on this interdisciplinary project. (04/01/2020)

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Recent Publications

Energy and Buildings

In the context of rising urban temperatures, this investigation delves into the impacts of solar reflectance on glazed facades, shedding light on urban microclimates and the resulting thermal experiences. Recent retrofit strategies have employed low emissivity and high solar reflective materials to enhance energy efficiency and indoor comfort against climbing outdoor temperatures. Despite these advances, adverse effects on outdoor heat conditions are often reported due to the intrinsic relationships among the glazed facades’ optical and thermal properties, highlighting a gap in thorough, quantitative assessments in this domain. Accordingly, this study aims to bridge this gap, examining the comprehensive effects of glazed facades’ solar reflectance on building energy performance and the Universal Thermal Climate Index (UTCI) in densely populated urban settings. Utilizing computational simulations and empirical …

Dual impacts of solar-reflective façades in high-density urban areas on building energy use and outdoor thermal environments

Get Intouch

contact
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Department of Architectural Engineering

206 Engineering Unit A

The Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA 16802

julian.wang@psu.edu 

814-863-5133

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