Zhenxiang Huang

Zhenxiang Huang is a dedicated PhD researcher affiliated with the Institute for Computational Design and Construction (ICD) at the University of Stuttgart.

Zhenxiang's academic journey began with a B.Arch degree from Tongji University, laying a strong foundation for his subsequent pursuits for digital fabrication and architectural geometry. He furthered his education by earning a M.Sc degree from Cornell University, where his master's thesis under the guidance of Professor Jenny E. Sabin concentrated on the design method and fabrication strategy of reconfigurable bi-stable systems.

Zhenxiang’s professional experience ranges across both United States and China. He served as the brain of the Data Studio in Arrowstreet Inc from Boston for more than two years, where he developed and maintained several plugins, websites and applications for design and visualization purposes, with an emphasis on the interaction between design geometry and project data. Additionally, Zhenxiang actively contributed to Fab-Union during his internship, significantly impacting the design and fabrication phases of multiple projects related to robotic construction. One of his notable achievements was his involvement in the realization of the 3D-Printed Café pavilion located within Venue B of the Shanghai Westbund World Artificial Intelligence Conference.

Zhenxiang's research pursuits are rooted in revolutionizing the design process through a profound and interactive connection to the physical world, i.e. manufacturing processes, material behavior, and structural performance. He is committed to merging his creative acumen for conceiving innovative designs with an analytical capacity to rigorously simulate and evaluate production processes. To achieve this, he adeptly leverages advanced techniques, including differentiable simulation, design space exploration, constrained optimization, and more. Prior to joining ICD, he actively engaged in various research projects in collaboration with Tongji University, contributing to publications in esteemed conferences and journals, such as ACADIA and Architectural Journal.

Currently, within ICD, Zhenxiang is an integral member of the EXC 2120 RP 3 group, focused on advancing computational design, engineering, and development within the realm of digitally fabricated, high-performance, multi-storey wood building systems. His primary role revolves around the comprehensive analysis, programming, and allocation of robotic tasks related to the fabrication of building elements within large-scale timber construction projects.