Pursuing Sustainable Architecture
A saying once made famous by Confucius says: Everything has its beauty, but not everyone sees it. For Yilin Lee, she has always held a fascination and admiration for buildings. As far back as she can remember, she has always found appreciation in how humans can experience them. But it wasn’t until she stepped foot into The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) was she able to translate that appreciation into a research career.
“It was such a blessing and life-changing opportunity to study at CUHK. The scholarship allowed me to leave my profession as an architect to wholeheartedly focus on research,” she said.
Born and raised in Germany, Yilin moved to Hong Kong with her family when she was nine years old. Later on, she moved overseas to the UK and Australia and credits these diverse international influences and global upbringing to her fascination with buildings.
“But in terms of how I got into architecture that wasn’t always a straightforward choice,” she said. Yilin started out by doing a degree in math and chemistry but soon found that they were not suitable for her.
“Instead, I really liked how architecture can be so hands-on and practical, and it also requires a lot of problem-solving skills. Since I was small, I was really fascinated with buildings and how we experienced them, so all these factors ultimately led me to study architecture,” she said.
An Obvious Choice
After pursuing her qualifications in architecture in Australia, Yilin came back to Hong Kong and worked at an international architecture practice where she had the opportunity to work on high-end hospitality projects, retail malls and commercial buildings.
“But after some time, I realised I would like to practise architecture that would benefit the more vulnerable and low-income populations,” she said. Moreover, her time in Australia had fostered a keen interest in sustainable design, particularly in the context of high-density, subtropical cities like Hong Kong.
So, when it came time to consider a postgraduate degree, CUHK came up as her top choice.
“The construction industry is obviously very big and there are so many developments going on here,” she said. “CUHK offers a lot of support and knowledge in the field of sustainable design, which is really an edge compared to other universities.”
World-class research and leadership teams
With a strong research team in urban and building climatology and sustainable design led by her supervisor Professor Edward Ng, she was immediately drawn to the programme. Professor Ng’s contributions to the field are noteworthy and is ranked among the world’s top 2 per cent of scientists and the Top 100 in his field — Yilin was able to work under the best.
“I knew I would learn a lot from my supervisor as well as the research teams and receive the support and encouragement,” she said.
Yilin's supervisor, Professor Edward Ng is renowned for his research in Green Building, Environmental and Sustainable Design, and Urban Climatology for City Planning
With a Hong Kong PhD Fellowship scholarship (HKPFS), Yilin has been able to conduct research into the passive design of residential buildings in cities like Hong Kong under the context of climate change. She recognises that sustainability is important for almost every industry but contends that research into green architecture or climate-sensitive design is more important than ever given the context of climate change and global warming.
“We can’t deny that it is getting hotter everywhere in the world, constantly breaking the record for the hottest days. So, my research investigates how buildings can be designed to mitigate the negative impacts of such scenarios,” she explained.
When the Stars Align
Reflecting on her time at the University, she says the academics were only one component that made it such an unforgettable experience. She cites lifelong friendships, a picturesque environment and the plethora of choices when it comes to food, all factors that have contributed to making her postgraduate experience an exceptional one.
Above all, she felt that her personal goals perfectly aligned with CUHK’s broader sustainability goals, which included reducing the University’s per capita energy use and greenhouse gas emissions by 2025.
“CUHK is committed to promoting the Sustainable Development Goals, and this creates an environment that is very supportive of my research interests,” she explains.
Since joining the University, she has had countless opportunities to collaborate with external organizations such as the Hong Kong Green Building Council and the Housing Authority to promote sustainability on campus and beyond. And this has helped her to fulfil many of her dreams.
“CUHK has helped me advance my personal and career goals by allowing me to research and practise architecture that could benefit those that need it the most,” she said.
