Jiayi Kayee Li’s defense of her PhD dissertation

During her PhD studies, Jiayi Kayee Li presents a robust workflow for regenerative timber construction, establishing that circularity requires innovation at two integrated scales. The thesis first defines the system-level adaptability of volumetric timber modules, validating their structural performance under reconfiguration for urban densification. Crucially, the work then addresses component-level efficiency by developing a methodology to transform timber waste into high-performance structural slabs. Findings confirm that topology optimisation and material recovery can coexist, achieving significant material savings.

This research provides a decisive methodological step, offering architects and engineers an evidence-based methodology for making timber construction truly sustainable and fully circular.

Time: Friday 20 February 2026 at 13:00
Place: Building 3210, room 03.055, Department of Civil and Architectural Engineering, Aarhus University, Inge Lehmanns Gade 10, 8000 Aarhus C
Title of PhD thesis: Circular Timber Construction by System-level Modularity and Component-level Optimisation