Hongxi Yin

Hongxi Yin, PhD, is the InCEES associate professor in advanced building systems and architectural design. Yin was the first Chinese LEED certified expert on green community development. His primary research interests are whole building performance analysis, passive technology application, human health and productivity, and integrated design methods for sustainability. At the Sam Fox School, he has advanced collaborative and interdisciplinary research around energy, the environment, and sustainability, securing more than $1.2 million in research funding, including a National Science Foundation grant to research thermoelectric concrete building envelopes.

Yin has incorporated his research on enhancing the energy performance of buildings and urban systems into curricular and co-curricular opportunities for students. This includes his leadership of two Race to Zero and two Solar Decathlon competition teams for WashU (for the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon 2017 and Solar Decathlon China 2018), which yielded designs and built examples of net-zero aspirational housing units. Through these experiences, students also explored new uses of 3D printed molds, high-performance concrete veneers, and hydraulic heating and cooling systems. Yin has also helped the Sam Fox School foster fruitful on-campus partnerships, particularly with the McKelvey School of Engineering, as well as with industry partners.