This blogpost was authored by Dr Ralph Evins. Dr Evins is an Associate Professor in Civil Engineering at the University of Victoria, Canada. He visited the University of Bristol as a Next Generation Visiting Researcher in Summer 2024 to collaborate with Professor Peter Flach the School of Computer Science.
I recently visited the University of Bristol to deepen collaborations between engineering and artificial intelligence (AI), aiming to accelerate low-energy building design. I am an Associate Professor on sabbatical from the University of Victoria, BC, Canada, where I run the Energy in Cities group.
Since this initial work in 2019, I have focused on “surrogate models”—Machine learning (ML) algorithms that quickly approximate complex engineering simulations. These models offer a groundbreaking solution to one of the most time-consuming aspects of engineering: evaluating design scenarios. By providing accurate, fast estimations of outcomes, surrogate models allow architects, engineers, and policymakers to explore design options in real-time, reshaping the decision-making process for sustainable buildings. For instance, dashboards equipped with these models enable users to interactively test scenarios and assess building performance—an invaluable tool for promoting energy-efficient designs. This work has attracted considerable attention, both within academia and from industry professionals and policy-makers eager to leverage AI in sustainable construction. This growing interest reflects the urgency of climate challenges that require innovative tools to create efficient, low-energy buildings at scale.
During my visit, I collaborated with the Centre for Doctoral Training (CDT) in Interactive AI, the City Futures group from the Cabot Institute and the Engineering Systems, Design and Innovation group. My thanks go to Professor Peter Flach and Professor Theo Tryfonas for supporting my visit, and to Dr Patrick Tully for help with logistics. I also had very fruitful exchanges that will lead to future collaborations with Dr Ges Rosenberg and Dr Neil Carhart. I attended an excellent workshop “Systems Thinking & Systems Change in the Built Environment” hosted by Mark Enzer from the Institution of Civil Engineers, and also visited Buro Happold Ltd at their headquarters in Bath. These cross-disciplinary exchanges will help in enabling further advances in this emerging field and lay the groundwork for the next generation of energy-efficient building design tools.
