Shade Seekers: Computational and Experimental Fascinations with Shadows, Heat, Trees, and Humans
October 22 @ 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm
Shade Seekers: Computational and Experimental Fascinations with Shadows, Heat, Trees, and Humans is part of the AIBC’s Fall 2025 PD Series.
Over the years, the work of Dr. Yuhao Lu and Dr. Justin McCarty has gravitated towards the study of urban trees and how they impact various aspects of human-urban interaction. This presentation will review their initial work at UBC SALA on typifying the urban form of three cities in B.C. and examining simulations on solar irradiance in Vancouver to support urban greening. Then, they will share how Yuhao’s current research on urban forestry, remote sensing, and landscape planning complements Justin’s work on photovoltaics, waste heat, and building facades to better understand the impact of shading conditions, and the urban and architectural circumstances that create that shade. Architects will learn the importance of considering shade impacts in their design inquiries and practice.
Date: Wednesday, October 22, 2025
Time: 12 – 1 p.m.
Location: Online via Zoom
Cost:$50 (Architect AIBC & Architectural Technologist AIBC); $40 (Intern Architect AIBC & Retired Architect AIBC)
Learning Units (LUs): 1 Core
Registration: Register by 12 p.m. on Monday, October 20, 2025
Presenters: Yuhao Lu M.Arch, Ph. D and Justin McCarty M.Arch, Ph. D
Dr. Yuhao Lu is an Assistant Professor at the University of Manitoba, where he leads the Future Elements Studio, an interdisciplinary research lab that measures and visualizes the intricacies of human settlements, using geospatial analytics, cartography, and an array of sensing technologies such as optical remote sensing and laser scanning. Prior to joining the University of Manitoba, Dr. Lu contributed to urban research and planning initiatives at the Future Cities Laboratory (ETH Zurich) and elementslab (UBC), with projects spanning western Canada, Southeast Asia, and the Pacific Rim.
Dr. Justin McCarty is a Postdoctoral Researcher at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) in Zurich. He holds a Bachelor of the Arts degree from Dickinson College in Environmental Studies and a Master of Architecture degree from The University of British Columbia. His undergraduate research was concerned with an analysis of technology transfer mechanisms under the global climate change treaty. After his undergraduate career, he worked in the Western USA, designing small homes for clients with off-grid needs. His graduate research concerned building design given climate change uncertainty, residential retrofit policy in British Columbia, and urban-scale scenario studies of the building envelope, morphology, and energy systems.