Associate Professor JuHyun Lee

Architectural design and computing
I developed a Glenn Murcutt shape grammar in 2012 (as part of ARC DP1094154 – “Computational analysis of the 20th century architecture”), proposing a new mathematical approach to analysing and generating design instances within a specific language of architectural design. The final output was invited to present a fully funded, plenary talk at Cultural DNA Workshop 2017. I have further developed an innovative method that combines Shape Grammar and Space Syntax approaches to offer a rigorous way of understanding an architectural style and then producing variations of that style. The two approaches have only rarely been connected in the past. This research has provided a new critical knowledge base about architecture in terms of forms, styles and spatial configurations. In 2016, I undertook a strategic pilot grants project, “New computational tools for assessing spatial and social cognition in aged-care environments”, which syntactically examined Australian and Korean facilities as well as hypothetical designs reflecting ‘best practice’ in the industry. These grammatical and/or syntactical studies over the eight years have resulted in a co-authored book, presenting advances into two of the areas of research. From 2022, I have conducted an ARC DP,  “Assessing Architectural Aesthetic Character: An ‘Intelligent’ Approach”.

Design cognition
Involved in strategic research on design computing and cognition in 2011, I developed a methodological framework for exploring parametric design processes. I also advanced protocol analysis techniques to analyse architectural design protocols. These works assisted in the development of HDR students’ formal methodologies and attracted a strong audience’ interest at international conferences such as Design Research Society (2012) and Design Computing and Cognition (2012) – invited to present in a plenary session. In late 2012, I started my own cognitive project, “Formal evaluation of creativity on parametric design”. I developed an innovative research framework, combining protocol analysis (process) and a consensual assessment technique (product), to investigate creativity in parametric design. Such a conceptual framework has not previously been available and is a catalyst for this research program on the language of design. 
My strategic pilot project (2014) on multi-cultural design communication was the first study into the relationship spatial cognition and spatial language in the field of architectural design. This research has proposed a significant conceptual leap viewing design cognition from a linguistic perspective and was invited to be published in a special issue of International Journal of Architectural Computing.
Awarded an international relations grant from the DFAT in 2016, I organised two ‘Design and Language’ symposiums (2016 Seoul, 2017 Newcastle). I also initiated a cross-cultural network, ‘Australia–Korea design language group’, to develop educational, cultural and industrial links between Australia and South Korea. My OLT project (2016-18) have also developed pedagogical solutions to the linguistic and cultural barriers in design education. It developed 23 design protocols produced by Australian and Asian architectural students from four architecture schools in Australia. It also recorded and examined two sets of interviews, (1) focus-group interviews and (2) face-to-face interviews. Since this multi-focused research contributes to fundamental knowledge-building pertaining to how different cultures understand and communicate design, it was invited to deliver keynotes at (Co)Design events (2017). From 2023, I have led an ARC DP,  “Architectural Design Across Spaces and Cultures: Technology and Language”.