STAFF PROFILE
Dr. Nic Bao
Dr Ding Wen 'Nic' Bao is a Senior Lecturer in Architecture and Architecture Technology Stream Coordinator at the School of Architecture and Urban Design, RMIT University, and Registered Architect in Australia and US, RIBA Chartered Architect in the UK.
Dr Ding Wen 'Nic' Bao is a Senior Lecturer in Architecture and Architecture Technology Stream Coordinator at the School of Architecture and Urban Design as well as a Researcher at the Centre for Innovative Structure and Materials and Post-Carbon Research Centre at RMIT University. Recently he has been appointed as a Visiting Professor in Civil Engineering at Shenzhen University. Before joining RMIT, Nic used to teach at the University of Melbourne, Monash University and Tongji University as a sessional lecturer. His research explores design methodologies for establishing a complementary relationship among architecture, computational design, structural engineering, behavioural algorithms, robotic fabrication, additive manufacturing, and intelligent construction.
Nic is a practising architect with ten years of professional experience, he holds Australian Registered Architect (ARBV). US Registered Architect (NCARB) and RIBA Chartered Architect. He used to work for Architectus, Bates Smart, Fender Katsalidis, Billard Leece Partnership and Noel Robinson Architects. Currently, Nic is the Director & Principal Architect of BW Architects (BWA) and Wonderform Studio, Founder of FormX Technology and Partner at Ameba Institute of Engineering Structure Optimisation. Nic is also a committee member of the Australian Institution of Architects (AIA) – Education Committee and Design Technology Advisory Group to the National Practice, as well as an officer/committee member and Chair of the award at the Association for Computer-Aided Architectural Design Research in Asia (CAADRIA). He is a core member of the organizing committee of DigitalFUTURES International conferences (2020 - now) and the IASS 2023 Annual Symposium. He is also an editorial board member of two high-impact international journals, including Sustainable Structures journal (IF12.1) and Architectural Intelligence journal (Springer).
Nic completed his PhD at the RMIT Centre for Innovative Structures and Materials, School of Engineering and School of Architecture and Urban Design, RMIT University, where he received the full PhD scholarship. He holds a Master of Architecture from the University of Melbourne and a Bachelor of Architecture degree from RMIT University. Nic used to exchange and study at The Chinese University of Hong Kong in China and Universitat Politecnica de Catalunya (UPC) in Spain.
Nic has published over 40 articles, including high-impact journal papers, book chapters and conference papers. Nic's work has been exhibited widely, and which is recognised at the national and international levels, including Hong Kong BoDW, Shanghai DigitalFutures Exhibition, Barcelona IASS Expo, Shenzhen Biennale, Melbourne Design Week, Venice Biennale, Melbourne IASS Expo, National Gallery of Victoria and Melbourne Design Fair, Current Chinese Science, etc.
Nic also played a role as a scientific reviewer and session chair for the international conference including CAAD Futures, CAADRIA, ASCAAD, eCAADe and CDRF - DigitalFutures as well as ran 12 workshops at international conferences including DigitalFutures, CAADRIA, ACADIA, and SIGraDi. Recently he led the AA Visiting School in Hainan, China and IASS Masterclass in Melbourne, Australia.
Recently Nic received the 2023 A'Design Award, 2023 DigitalFUTURES Young Award, 2023 RMIT Award for Research Excellence (Early Career Research), the third prizes of IASS Design & Competition of Innovative Lightweight Structures in 2023, 2022 IAI Design Award, 2021 Grand Prix Design Paris Gold Award, 2021 Muse Design Award, 2021 RMIT Prize for Research Impact (Design), 2021 Young CAADRIA Award, 2020 RMIT Engineering Publication & Impact Prize, 2019 CISM Research Excellence Award and two significant first prizes in structural optimisation and additive manufacturing competitions nationally and internationally in 2019 & 2020.
- Advanced architectural design, and algorithm development
- Bio-inspired Sustainable architecture and structures
- Building information modelling and building performance optimisation
- Computational design, robotic fabrication and additive manufacturing technologies
- PhD (Civil Engineering), 2022, CISM, RMIT University, Australia
- PhD (Architecture), 2022, PRS, RMIT University, Australia
- MArch (Architecture, Urban Design), 2014, University of Melbourne, Australia
- BArch (Architecture), 2012, RMIT University, Australia
Professional memberships
- Registered Architect, The Architects Registration Board of Victoria (ARBV), Australia
- Registered Architect, National Council of Architectural Registration (NCARB), U.S.
- Chartered Architect, The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA), U.K.
- Officer/Committee/Chair of Award Committee, The Association for Computer-Aided Architectural Design Research in Asia (CAADRIA)
- Officer/Committee, Digital Futures Association and Organization, Global/China
- Level 1, Full Member, The Australia Institute of Architects, Australia
- Committee, Australian Institute of Architects, National Practice Committee - Design Technology Advisory Group, Australia
- Committee, Australian Institute of Architects, Education, Australia
- Member, The International Association for Shell and Spatial Structure (IASS)
- Member, The Architect Society of China, China
Professional services
- Editorial Board Member, Sustainable Structures journal (Q1)
- Editorial Board Member, Architectural Intelligent journal (Springer)
- Editorial Board Member, Proceedings of CAADRIA conference 2023
- Editorial Board Member, Proceeding of CDRF -DigitalFutures conference 2024
- Scientific Reviewer, Frontiers of Architectural Research journal
- Scientific Reviewer, Construction Robots journal
- Scientific Reviewer, Frontiers in Virtual Reality journal
- Scientific Reviewer, Architectural Intelligence journal
- Scientific Reviewer, International Journal of Space Structures
- Scientific Reviewer, Thin-Walled Structures journal
- Scientific Reviewer, Architectural Science Review journal
- Scientific Reviewer, International Journal of Architectural Computing
- Scientific Reviewer, Proceedings of the international conferences, SimAUD, CAADRIA, CAAD Futures, SIGraDi, CDRF - DigitalFutures, ASCAAD, eCAADe, etc
- Chair of Architecture, Environment and Civil Engineering, Chinese Association of Professional and Scholars (CAPS), Australia (2018 - 2022)
- Masterclass Coordinator, International Association for Shell and Spatial Structures (IASS) symposia in Melbourne (2023)
Curation experiences
- Sole curator, IASS Expo "INTEGRATION OF DESIGN AND FABRICATION" in Melbourne (2023), The International Association for Shell and Spatial Structures (IASS)
- Co-curator of ACADIA & CAADRIA Joint Exhibition "HABITS OF THE ANTHROPOCENE' in Hong Kong (2023), The Association for Computer Aided Design In Architecture (ACADIA) & The Association for Computer-Aided Architectural Design Research in Asia (CAADRIA)
Professional experiences
- 2022 - now Director & Co-Founder of WonderForm Studio
- 2022 - now Partner | Ameba Institute of Engineering Structure Optimisation
- 2021 - now Co-Founder | FormX Technology
- 2016 - now Director & Principal Architect | BW Architects (formerly Studio Nic Bao)
- 2018 - 2018 Project Architect | Architectus Architects,
- 2016 - 2018 Registered Architect & Project Leader | Bates Smart Architects
- 2015 - 2016 Registered Architect | Fender Katsalidis Architects
- 2014 - 2015 Graduate Architect | Noel Robinson Architects
- 2013 - 2014 Graduate Architect | Architects Alliance (Billard Leece Partnership + Cox Architecture)
- Lin, S.,Chou, N.,Li, G.,Bao, D.,Wang, G.,Xie, M. (2024). A self-adapting woven net trap based on the evolution mechanism of orb-web topology In: Acta Biomaterialia, 173, 217 - 230
- Lin, S.,Chou, N.,Li, G.,Bao, D.,Cai, Y.,Xie, Y.,Wang, G. (2024). A gradient-evolutionary coupled topology optimization for sheet reinforcement based on the mechanics of Voronoi pattern on dragonfly wings In: Advances in Engineering Software, 190, 1 - 10
- Boyter-Grant, K.,Xin, Z.,Bao, D.,Yan, X.,Luo, D. (2024). Weaving Tectonics: Algorithmically Optimised Robotic FRP Weaving of Large Scale Planar Forms In: Phygital Intelligence - Proceedings of the 5th International Conference on Computational Design and Robotic Fabrication (2023), Shanghai, China, 24/06/2023-24/06/2023
- Lin, S.,Chou, N.,Bao, D.,Zhang, G.,Xiong, C.,Fang, J.,Xie, Y. (2023). Design and fabrication of artificial brain coral: Evolution principle, turbulent hydrodynamics and matter interchange In: Computers & Structures, 276, 1 - 14
- Yan, X.,Xiong, Y.,Bao, D.,Xie, Y.,Peng, X. (2023). A Multi-volume constraint approach to diverse form designs from topology optimization In: Engineering Structures, 279, 1 - 14
- Gomaa, M.,Schade, S.,Bao, N.,Xie, Y. (2023). Automation in rammed earth construction for industry 4.0: Precedent work, current progress and future prospect In: Journal of Cleaner Production, 398, 1 - 14
- Yan, X.,Bao, D.,Xiong, Y.,Snooks, R.,Xie, Y. (2023). Structural topology optimisation based on a multi-agent model In: Engineering Structures, 296, 1 - 17
- Yan, X.,Bao, D.,Ren, C.,Xie, Y. (2023). Constructing topologically optimized spatial structure using innovative mortise-and-tenon joints In: Proceedings of IASS Annual Symposia, IASS 2023 Melbourne Symposium: Design Competition (WG21), Melbourne, Australia, 10/07/2023-14/07/2023
- Bao, D.,Yan, X. (2023). Data-Driven Performance-Based Generative Design and Digital Fabrication for Industry 4.0: Precedent Work, Current Progress, and Future Prospects In: Architecture and Design for Industry 4.0, Springer, Switzerland
- Ma, J.,Gomaa, M.,Bao, N.,Rezaee Javan, A.,Xie, M. (2022). PrintNervi – Design and Construction of a Ribbed Floor System in the Digital Era In: Journal of the International Association for Shell and Spatial Structures, 63, 241 - 251
1 PhD Completions5 PhD Current Supervisions
- ARC Research Hub to Advance Timber for Australia’s Future Built Environment. Funded by: ARC Industrial Transformation Research Hub from (2023 to 2028)