Video
PAIR Seminar : Building Environment and Energy : Challenges in Different Scales
Prof. ZHAI Zhiqiang of the University of Colorado Boulder, USA, delivered the 26th PAIR Seminar, titled “Building Environment and Energy: Challenges in Different Scales”, at PolyU on 12 June 2026. The seminar attracted nearly 50 in-person participants and garnered over 17,700 online views across multiple social media platforms, reflecting strong interest from both the public and academia in sustainable building development.
In his presentation, Prof. Zhai highlighted the systemic challenges facing the built environment amid intensifying climate change and rapid urbanisation. He introduced the concept of Grid-interactive Efficient Buildings (GEB), developed by the Building Technologies Office of the U.S. Department of Energy. This holistic framework goes beyond the energy performance of individual buildings to incorporate their interactions with the electricity grid, aiming to enhance the overall system’s efficiency, flexibility, and resilience. He explained that GEB can enhance energy performance, facilitate two-way communication, support flexible demand management, and strengthen smart sensing, control and data analytics.
From a spatial perspective, Prof. Zhai examined a series of interconnected challenges spanning four scales, namely micro-scale physical interfaces, meso-scale occupant–building system interactions, macro-scale urban structures, and regional-to-global atmospheric processes. He pointed out that these scales are interrelated: challenges arising at one level may be amplified or intensified at another, underscoring the importance of integrated thinking in architectural and urban design. His analysis emphasised that future building performance cannot be understood from a single perspective, but must be considered within a broader system linking materials, occupants, infrastructure, and climate.
From a temporal perspective, Prof. Zhai further explored how multi-scale issues are shaped by both short-term environmental changes and long-term climate trends. By addressing immediate operational needs alongside long-term climatic shifts, he outlined a forward-looking, comprehensive roadmap for the key challenges facing next-generation smart buildings and cities. His framework highlights the importance of adaptive strategies that enable buildings and cities not only to respond to current demands but also to cope with the uncertainties posed by evolving environmental conditions.
Event date: 12/6/2026
Speaker: Prof. ZHAI Zhiqiang
Hosted by: PolyU Academy for Interdisciplinary Research
In his presentation, Prof. Zhai highlighted the systemic challenges facing the built environment amid intensifying climate change and rapid urbanisation. He introduced the concept of Grid-interactive Efficient Buildings (GEB), developed by the Building Technologies Office of the U.S. Department of Energy. This holistic framework goes beyond the energy performance of individual buildings to incorporate their interactions with the electricity grid, aiming to enhance the overall system’s efficiency, flexibility, and resilience. He explained that GEB can enhance energy performance, facilitate two-way communication, support flexible demand management, and strengthen smart sensing, control and data analytics.
From a spatial perspective, Prof. Zhai examined a series of interconnected challenges spanning four scales, namely micro-scale physical interfaces, meso-scale occupant–building system interactions, macro-scale urban structures, and regional-to-global atmospheric processes. He pointed out that these scales are interrelated: challenges arising at one level may be amplified or intensified at another, underscoring the importance of integrated thinking in architectural and urban design. His analysis emphasised that future building performance cannot be understood from a single perspective, but must be considered within a broader system linking materials, occupants, infrastructure, and climate.
From a temporal perspective, Prof. Zhai further explored how multi-scale issues are shaped by both short-term environmental changes and long-term climate trends. By addressing immediate operational needs alongside long-term climatic shifts, he outlined a forward-looking, comprehensive roadmap for the key challenges facing next-generation smart buildings and cities. His framework highlights the importance of adaptive strategies that enable buildings and cities not only to respond to current demands but also to cope with the uncertainties posed by evolving environmental conditions.
Event date: 12/6/2026
Speaker: Prof. ZHAI Zhiqiang
Hosted by: PolyU Academy for Interdisciplinary Research
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