Dr. Qian Chen leads the Construction Integration and Digitalization Lab at UBC Okanagan.
Dr. Qian Chen, Assistant Professor of Civil Engineering with UBC Okanagan’s School of Engineering, has been named one the campus’ six inaugural Impact Research Chairs in recognition of her leadership in advancing digital construction technologies and sustainable housing solutions.
The new program supports researchers whose work is driving meaningful impact within communities, industries and society.
Dr. Chen’s research focuses on digital and immersive technologies, optimization algorithms and fabrication-aware design to accelerate the transformation of the construction sector. Through her Construction Integration and Digitalization Lab, she works closely with industry and community partners to develop technologies that improve productivity, sustainability and affordability in the built environment.
Her work has already earned national recognition, including a recent honour from the Canadian Society for Civil Engineering and funding through the B.C. Knowledge Development Fund to advance Digital Integration for Robotic Fabrication in Construction (DIRFIC), a project aimed at streamlining digital workflows and enabling more rapid, affordable housing solutions.
“I am driven by a simple, urgent question: how can we fundamentally change the way buildings are made so future prefabrication and construction methods become more rapid, high-quality and low-waste?” says Dr. Chen. “This Chair will enable me to find answers by supporting the building of a novel construction platform using robotics and AI that can be adopted, trusted and scaled among the construction and prefab manufacturing industry.”
The School of Engineering congratulates Dr. Chen and her research team on this well-deserved recognition!