Visual determinants of outdoor thermal comfort: integrating explainable AI and perceptual assessments
Lujia Zhu, Holly W. Samuelson, Filip Biljecki, Chun Liang Tan, Nyuk Hien Wong, Yu Qian Ang · Building and Environment, Volume 293, 2026, 114322
One may take pride in his/her achievements,
but he/she should be even prouder of his/her unfulfilled intentions.
Such pride remains to be invented.
On peut être fier de ce que l’on a fait,
mais on devrait l’être davantage de ce que l’on n’a pas fait.
Cette fierté reste à inventer.
— Emil Mihai Cioran, Aveux et Anathèmes
Research interests
Computer vision & Generative design
Visual features, scene understanding, and perception-driven modeling for urban environments.
Thermal comfort & Cooling devices
Outdoor thermal comfort assessment, interventions, and low-cost cooling strategies.
Perception study (neuroscience)
How perception and cognition shape comfort, preference, and behavioral responses.
Featured projects
Present
Project 4 — Coming soon
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2025-2026
How visual elements affect people's thermal perception
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2023-2025
Project 2 — Updating
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2018-2023
Project 3 — Updating
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Experience
Research Assistant (Urban studies, Planning and Health)
NUS Business School · Part-time · Jan 2025 – Sep 2025 · Singapore · On-site
Research Assistant (Thermal comfort)
City Syntax Lab · Part-time · Jan 2024 – Aug 2025 · Singapore · On-site
Education
NUS College of Design & Engineering
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Built Environment
2025 – Present
NUS College of Design & Engineering
Master of Landscape Architecture
2023 – 2025
Southeast University
Bachelor of Engineering (BE), Landscape Architecture
2018 – 2023
Publications
From Sight to Sensation: Understanding Visual Elements’ Impact on Thermal Comfort via Computer Vision and Thermal Voting
Lujia Zhu, Holly Samuelson, Nyuk Wong Hien, Yu Ang Qian · ASim Conference 2024 · 5, 555–562
Get in touch
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