About us
Welcome to our research group! We are a dedicated team that explores innovative ways to enhance construction safety, sustainability, and productivity. Our exploration of a wide range of approaches includes circularity in design and construction, as well as visualization technologies such as augmented reality, virtual reality, serious games, wearable technologies, and emerging technologies like ChatGPT. These approaches allow us to improve the design, construction, and operation of construction projects in a more efficient and sustainable manner.
We recognize that the construction industry is constantly evolving to address safety, sustainability, and productivity challenges. Thus, we believe it is critical to consider new approaches. With large-scale availability of artificial intelligence, companies are increasingly looking to leverage information technology to enhance design and construction. Understanding how to use these tools to improve construction appropriately is crucial, and our research group has the expertise to help.
Our research group focuses on providing solutions that can resolve the construction industry's safety, sustainability, and productivity challenges. By embracing emerging technologies and implementing circular economy principles, we provide cutting-edge solutions that help improve the construction industry’s overall efficiency and sustainability.
Dr. Zia Ud Din
Dr. Zia Ud Din is a faculty member at the University of Houston. He conducts research focused on enhancing construction safety and sustainability through the use of innovative technologies, such as serious games, augmented reality, virtual reality, mixed reality, and 360-degree data capture. In addition, Dr. Din employs digital twin and circular economy approaches to further enhance the environmental performance of buildings and infrastructure assets.
As an educator, Dr. Din is committed to training students to become both practical and intellectually capable individuals who can make informed decisions. He has taught several courses at the University of Houston, including undergraduate-level project controls, graduate-level building information modeling applications for construction management, and graduate-level Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) and green construction principles in construction management. Recently, he designed a new undergraduate course entitled "System Integration Through Building Information Modeling," which was offered for the first time in the fall of 2022. Dr. Din enjoys engaging with his students one-on-one, and he has supervised seven master's-level students as a committee chair and advised one other graduate student as a committee member.
Dr. Din is dedicated to serving the University, the professional society, and the community. He has served on tenure-track faculty search committees in the department and contributed to the development of a new undergraduate course for the Construction Management Program. Dr. Din has also served as a technical reviewer for several journals and conferences, including the International Journal of Construction Engineering and Management and the ASCE Construction Research Congress. Moreover, Dr. Din has presented invited talks on various occasions, served as a reviewer for conferences and journals, and moderated sessions at conferences. Additionally, he has participated in two Nelson lectures aimed at engaging high school students and encouraging them to consider the Construction Management Program.
Dr. Zia Ud Din is a dedicated and accomplished academic who is passionate about teaching and research in construction management. He has a compelling research agenda focused on enhancing construction safety, sustainability, and productivity through the use of innovative technologies. Dr. Din's commitment to serving the University, the professional society, and the community has contributed significantly to the advancement of academic knowledge and the improvement of industry practices.