Fang Xu
About Fang Xu
Fang Xu is an Associate at Foster + Partners in London, specializing in architecture with a focus on public interest design and digital simulation technologies. He holds a PhD from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and has previously worked as a lecturer and instructor in various academic institutions.
Current Role at Foster + Partners
Fang Xu has been working as an Associate at Foster + Partners since 2021. The firm is known for its innovative approach to architecture and design. In this role, Xu contributes to various projects, leveraging expertise in architecture and design methodologies. Foster + Partners is recognized for its commitment to sustainability and user-centered design, aligning with Xu's professional interests.
Education and Expertise
Fang Xu holds a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Architecture from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, where he studied from 2006 to 2013. Prior to this, he earned a Master's Degree in Architecture from Tongji University, completing his studies from 2001 to 2004. Xu also obtained a Bachelor's Degree in Architecture from Tongji University, studying from 1996 to 2001. His educational background provides a strong foundation in architectural theory and practice.
Previous Academic Positions
Before joining Foster + Partners, Fang Xu served as a Visiting Lecturer at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign from 2013 to 2016. He later worked as a Full-Time Instructor at South Dakota State University from 2016 to 2021. In these roles, Xu engaged with students and contributed to the academic community, sharing knowledge and expertise in architecture.
Research Interests and Initiatives
Fang Xu promotes course-based public interest design (PID), which incorporates urban residents' experiential environmental knowledge into community-participatory design initiatives. He recognizes the importance of interactive digital simulation technologies for improving designer-user communication and evaluating user performance during the design process. Xu also explores simulation-based user pre-occupancy evaluation (PrOE) through digital simulation investigation.
Innovative Approaches in Architecture
Fang Xu advocates for a transactionalist research epistemology, focusing on the reciprocal ecological relationship between humans and the built environment. He develops digital automation techniques for the collection and analysis of empirical and simulated environmental research data. His work emphasizes the integration of technology in architectural design and research.