Skip to main navigation Skip to search Skip to main content
Xiaoxiong Xie

    Accepting PhD Students

    Overview

    Profile summary

    I am a Lecturer in Building Engineering in the Built Environment discipline at the University of Plymouth. My research sits at the interface of building physics, urban climate and building energy. I investigate how thermal, morphological and operational processes across buildings and urban environments shape energy demand, indoor and outdoor thermal conditions, and climate-related thermal risk under changing climates.

    A central aim of my research is to understand how built-environment interventions can support both climate mitigation and adaptation. I am particularly interested in when measures such as retrofit, natural ventilation, and electrified heating and cooling can reduce energy demand and thermal risk, and when they create trade-offs or shift impacts between buildings and the wider urban environment. My work combines building performance simulation and urban climate modelling, with a growing emphasis on empirical and data-enabled approaches.

    Before joining Plymouth, I was a Research Associate at the Welsh School of Architecture, Cardiff University, and completed my PhD in Energy and Environmental Engineering at the University of Reading. I am Principal Investigator of the UMAR project, which develops an urban microclimate-aware framework for climate-resilient energy-demand reduction through building retrofit.

    I welcome enquiries from prospective students and collaborators interested in urban climate, building energy modelling, low-carbon retrofit, thermal resilience and climate-related heat exposure.

    Professional memberships

    • Elected ECR Secretary (2026-2028) of International Association of Urban Climate (IAUC)
    • Member of International Building Performance Simulation Association (IBPSA)
    • Graduate Member of Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE)
    • Interim CEng

    Roles on external bodies

    I am currently Secretary of the Early Career Committee of the International Association for Urban Climate (IAUC).

    I have served as a peer reviewer for a range of international journals, including Architectural Engineering and Design Management, Building and Environment, Building Simulation, Environmental Research Letters, Journal of Building Engineering, Nature Communications, Scientific Data, and Weather, Climate, and Society.

    Teaching interests

    I am currently leading building engineering and research-related modules:
    • BLDG507 Low Energy Building Design
    • BLDG511 Building Services Engineering
    • BLDG608 Building Control and Commissioning
    • BLDG611 Research Methods

    Additional information

    Academic qualifications

    PhD Energy and Environmental Engineering, University of Reading

    2018 → 2023

    MSc Architectural Engineering Design, University of Sheffield

    2017 → 2018

    BEng (Hons) Building Services Engineering, Hong Kong Polytechnic University

    2013 → 2017

    External positions

    Research Associate, Cardiff University

    2023 → 2024

    Research Interests

    • Climate-responsive indoor environments
    • Urban microclimate impacts on building performance
    • Multi-scale urban-building modelling
    • Climate-resilient retrofit
    • Vulnerable occupant exposure and environmental inequality

    Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals

    In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):

    1. SDG 3 - Good Health and Well-being
      SDG 3 Good Health and Well-being
    2. SDG 7 - Affordable and Clean Energy
      SDG 7 Affordable and Clean Energy
    3. SDG 11 - Sustainable Cities and Communities
      SDG 11 Sustainable Cities and Communities
    4. SDG 12 - Responsible Consumption and Production
      SDG 12 Responsible Consumption and Production
    5. SDG 13 - Climate Action
      SDG 13 Climate Action

    Fingerprint

    Dive into the research topics where Xiaoxiong Xie is active. These topic labels come from the works of this person. Together they form a unique fingerprint.
    • 6 Similar Profiles

    Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years

    Recent external collaboration on country/territory level. Dive into details by clicking on the dots or
    Your message has successfully been sent.
    Your message was not sent due to an error.