Abstract

The world faces interconnected existential threats: climate change, environmental degradation, biodiversity loss, and recurrent pandemic events. As the primary human habitat, the building environment accounts for approximately 40% of global energy consumption and 50% of material use while simultaneously serving as the main transmission site for airborne pathogens. These challenges exhibit strong coupling effects - for instance, pandemic mitigation measures often increase energy demand through enhanced ventilation requirements. This presentation will first examine the potential of a geodesic dome city, as originally proposed by Buckminster Fuller, to reduce city energy and material use by ≥50%. Parallel strategies for existing buildings will also be discussed. The speaker will present their first evidence-based framework for optimal air dilution strategies in pandemic mitigation. Insufficient dilution leads to infection, while excessive ventilation leads to waste. Through integrated systems design, future domed cities could achieve simultaneous climate resilience and likely near-complete suppression of influenza or covid-type pandemic transmission.

Biography

Yuguo Li is a Chair Professor of Building Environment at The University of Hong Kong. His research spans city climate, infection transmission, and sustainability engineering. His team investigates ventilation requirements for mitigating SARS-CoV-2 transmission and exploring resilient city design strategies and technologies. Their work prior to and during the pandemic contributes to redefine the transmission mechanisms of respiratory infection. Professor Li serves as a member of the WHO Infection Prevention and Control Guidance Development Group (IPC GDG) for COVID-19 and is the founding Editor-in-Chief of Indoor Environments, the official journal of the International Society of Indoor Air Quality and Climate (ISIAQ). He is a Fellow of the Hong Kong Academy of Engineering, currently serving as its Honorary Secretary, and has received numerous accolades, including the Pettenkofer Award, the Guanghua Engineering Science and Technology Prize in China, the Medal of Honour from the HKSAR Government, the Louise and Bill Holladay Distinguished Fellow Award, the Rydberg Gold Medal, and an honorary doctorate from Aalborg University.