Yi Min ‘Mike’ Xie
Hohai University, China
Title:
Generalized Topology Optimization for Architectural Design
Abstract:
Topology optimization has been increasingly used for designing innovative and efficient structures. This talk presents basic concepts and practical applications of the bi-directional evolutionary structural optimization (BESO) method developed by the speaker’s team, and challenges many assumptions commonly used in conventional topology optimization. These assumptions include: (1) to find the unique and globally optimal solution—the ‘best’ design, (2) under prescribed support conditions, (3) for given loading conditions, (4) within a predetermined design domain, and (5) without considering the designer’s aesthetic preferences. Through a systematic discussion and a variety of examples, this talk demonstrates that the conventional assumptions are not only unnecessary but also imposing severe limitations on design freedom and hindering creativity in architectural designs. The generalized topology optimization framework that removes these assumptions will enable topology optimization techniques to find more novel, desirable and practical solutions.
Bio:
Professor Yi Min ‘Mike’ Xie is currently Dean of College of Future Technologies at Hohai University in China. Previously, he was an Australian Laureate Fellow (2020–2024) and a Distinguished Professor (2016–2024) at Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) in Australia.
He played a key role in developing the evolutionary structural optimization (ESO) and bi-directional evolutionary structural optimization (BESO) methods, which have been used by thousands of engineers and architects around the world to design innovative and efficient structures including several landmark buildings.
He was elected a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering in 2011 and a Foreign Member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering in 2025.
Professor Xie is a Clarivate Highly Cited Researcher, with over 45,000 citations in Google Scholar. He has collaborated with a wide range of local and international companies, including Arup and Boeing.