Lei Zhang

Dr. Lei Zhang

Faculty of Humanities and Arts, Macau University of Science and Technology, Macau, Macao
+1
orcid
Ph.D. in Architecture from Macau University of Science and T...

Research Focus & Metrics

Academic Career Length

5Years (2022-Present)

(Calculated once Scilit publication data is synced: current year − year of first publication + 1)

Representative Publications

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10 December 2022 in Sustainability
Verified
Journal Article
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Lei ZhangLei Zhang
Lei Zhang
Liang ZhengLiang Zheng
Liang Zheng
Yile ChenYile Chen
Yile Chen
Huang LeiHuang Lei
Huang Lei
Shihui ZhouShihui Zhou
Shihui Zhou
With the development of society and the economy, the unified planning of architectural styles has become a significant problem in the balance between urban expansion and the protection of traditional buildings in villages and towns. This also allows people to re-examine the appearance of and quality of life, experienced by those in traditional village buildings. This research employs a conditional generative adversarial network (CGAN) to develop a generative technique for designing building facades in villages and cities. The provided results can be used to develop schemes and as design references for building facade design, enhancing the design efficiency of building facades. Simultaneously, we utilized this model for the rehabilitation of building facades in villages and towns, as well as in the visual design of rural tourism products, demonstrating its practical usefulness and design-related potential. We took villages and towns in the Wuyishan area of China as an example and carried out model training, image generation, and a comparison of the derivation results of different assumed buildings and product contours. The research shows that: (1) CGAN can be used to produce and supply reference schemes for conventional civil construction facade design in rural and urban areas. (2) In terms of adaptability, CGAN may develop architectural facade design schemes with a reference value for the hypothetical experimental building facades, and it can play a role in other design domains, as well. (3) The construction of this method is not only applicable to villages and towns in the World Heritage es Cities Programme, but can be further promoted and used in the future for cities and villages that have a demand for architectural style consistency.

18 November 2024 in Coatings
Verified
Journal Article
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Lei ZhangLei Zhang
Lei Zhang
Yile ChenYile Chen
Yile Chen
Liang ZhengLiang Zheng
Liang Zheng
BYBinwen Yan
Binwen Yan
JZJiali Zhang
Jiali Zhang
SLSen-Yu LOU
Sen-Yu LOU
As an important part of traditional Chinese architecture, Fuzhou’s ancient houses have unique cultural and historical value. However, over time, environmental factors such as efflorescence and plant growth have caused surface damage to their gray brick walls, leading to a decline in the quality of the buildings’ structure and even posing a threat to the buildings’ safety. Traditional damage detection methods mainly rely on manual labor, which is inefficient and consumes a lot of human resources. In addition, traditional non-destructive detection methods, such as infrared imaging and laser scanning, often face difficulty in accurately identifying specific types of damage, such as efflorescence and plant growth, on the surface of gray bricks and are easily hampered by diverse surface features. This study uses the YOLOv8 machine learning model for the automated detection of two common types of damage to the gray brick walls of Fuzhou’s ancient houses: efflorescence and plant growth. We establish an efficient gray brick surface damage detection model through dataset collection and annotation, experimental parameter optimization, model evaluation, and analysis. The research results reveal the following. (1) Reasonable hyperparameter settings and model-assisted annotation significantly improve the detection accuracy and stability. (2) The model’s average precision (AP) is improved from 0.30 to 0.90, demonstrating good robustness in detecting complex backgrounds and high-resolution real-life images. The F1 value of the model’s gray brick detection efficiency is improved (classification model performance index) from 0.22 to 0.77. (3) The model’s ability to recognize the damage details of gray bricks under high-resolution conditions is significantly enhanced, demonstrating its ability to cope with complex environments. (4) The simplified data enhancement strategy effectively reduces the feature extraction interference and enhances the model’s adaptability in different environments.
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15 April 2025 in Buildings
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Journal Article
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Lei ZhangLei Zhang
Lei Zhang
Yile ChenYile Chen
Yile Chen
Jiaying FangJiaying Fang
Jiaying Fang
Liang ZhengLiang Zheng
Liang Zheng
In the context of globalization and cultural diversity, the former residences of historical dignitaries in townships hold profound historical and cultural value, making them an important part of cultural heritage. However, as urbanization accelerates, these former residences encounter numerous challenges, necessitating a heightened focus on their protection and restoration. In this study, we utilized Wu’s Juren Mansion in Fujian as a focal point to delve deeply into the restoration design of the former residences of historical dignitaries in townships. This study covers the basic information, historical evolution, and surrounding environment of the building and investigated its damage in detail—including damage to the gatehouse, corridor, main building, roll roof, and walls—classified and counted the defect locations, and deeply analyzed the causes of damage. Based on relevant laws and regulations, we determined the nature, design principles, and foundation of the restoration project. We then formulated specific restoration measures, such as repairing and maintaining roofs, wooden structures, and walls, as well as measures for wood selection, adhesive use, and termite control. The restoration strategies and design schemes proposed in this study can effectively eliminate safety hazards, preserve the original style of the building to the greatest extent, and maintain historical and cultural value. At the same time, this research provides a reference example for the protection and development of former residences of historical dignitaries in townships and promotes the sustainable development of rural cultural heritage.

16 January 2025 in Materials
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Journal Article
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Lei ZhangLei Zhang
Lei Zhang
Yile ChenYile Chen
Yile Chen
Liang ZhengLiang Zheng
Liang Zheng
RZRUYI ZHENG
RUYI ZHENG
The ruins of the Imperial City of the Minyue Kingdom were an important site of the Minyue Kingdom during the Han Dynasty. Characteristic bronze arrowheads unearthed from the East Gate, with their exquisite craftsmanship, provide important physical evidence for studying ancient bronze casting technology and the military activities of that time. However, there is still a lack of systematic research on the alloy composition, casting process, and chemical stability of these arrowheads in long-term burial environments. The bronze arrowheads that were found in the East Gate warehouse are the subject of this study. Metallographic analysis, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) were used to carefully examine their composition and microstructure, as well as the casting process characteristics. The findings reveal the following: (1) The East Gate bronze arrowheads primarily consist of copper–tin binary alloys, and certain samples exhibit a lead (Pb) content of up to 11.19%, potentially due to element addition during casting or element migration in the burial environment. (2) The metallographic structure shows that the sample matrix has a typical α-dendrite structure, indicating that a high-temperature casting process was used, and then a certain surface treatment was performed to enhance corrosion resistance. (3) Under a scanning electron microscope, it was observed that a three-layer structure was formed on the surface of the arrowhead, including a fully mineralized layer, an intermediate transition layer, and the original core tissue. (4) The detection of molybdenum (Mo) in some samples suggests a close relationship between the complexity of the buried soil environment and human activities. (5) By comparing the microstructure and corrosion degree of the longitudinal section and the cross-section, it was found that the longitudinal section has a stronger corrosion resistance due to its denser structure. Comprehensive analysis shows that the technical details of the bronze arrowheads unearthed from the Minyue Imperial City in terms of material selection, casting process, and later use reflect the outstanding achievements of the Minyue Kingdom in the field of bronze manufacturing in the Han Dynasty.

14 March 2025 in Coatings
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Journal Article
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Lei ZhangLei Zhang
Lei Zhang
Liang ZhengLiang Zheng
Liang Zheng
Yile ChenYile Chen
Yile Chen
RZRUYI ZHENG
RUYI ZHENG
Huang LeiHuang Lei
Huang Lei
ZCZirong Chen
Zirong Chen
This study investigates the material properties, metallurgical processes, and corrosion mechanisms of bronze arrowheads excavated from the Imperial City of the Minyue Kingdom, a UNESCO World Heritage site in Wuyishan, Fujian, China. Using optical microscopy, SEM-EDS, XRF, XRD, and Raman spectroscopy, the researchers analyzed the cross-section and corrosion layers of the artifacts. Results show that the arrowheads are Cu-Sn-Pb alloys, with Cu (70.76%), Sn (8.73%), and Pb (8.72%), optimizing hardness, toughness, and casting performance. Corrosion analysis reveals a surface layer rich in Cu2O, CuO, SnO2, and Cu2(OH)2CO3, driven by oxidation, carbonation, and sulfidation reactions. The corrosion layer exhibits stratification, porosity, and cracks, indicating the influence of oxygen, carbonate ions, and sulfides in burial environments. This study provides crucial insights into ancient bronze metallurgy and the long-term preservation of cultural relics.

29 March 2025 in Buildings
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
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Huang LeiHuang Lei
Huang Lei
Liang ZhengLiang Zheng
Liang Zheng
Lei ZhangLei Zhang
Lei Zhang
Junming ChenJunming Chen
Junming Chen
Yile ChenYile Chen
Yile Chen
HLHaoran Liu
Haoran Liu
Wuyi Mountain in China is listed on the World Natural and Cultural Heritage List. With the vigorous development of urban cultural tourism, the sustainable development of heritage sites has become the focus of academic and industry circles, among which the rational use and scientific planning of natural resources have become increasingly prominent. In this context, in-depth research on resource development and protection strategies in the Wuyishan area has important practical significance and theoretical value. Therefore, this paper presents a case study of the tourist tea garden landscape design practice at the Wuyistar Chinese Tea Garden, located in Wuyishan City. This paper underscores the significance of incorporating the site’s existing natural environment resources, particularly its plant resources, into the tea garden landscape design, while adhering to principles within the framework of world heritage. The research method includes extensive field surveys combined with GIS analysis and biodiversity surveys, covering the topography and slope of the tea plantation, current natural resources, statistics on the number of tourists after completion, and the related benefits of local enterprises. These planning concepts are realized through a series of infrastructure measures, which are divided into four angles: restoring mountains and rivers, rereading cultural context, sorting out style and appearance, and improving functions. The design practice is carried out in different areas. Simultaneously, the creation of a distinctive tourist destination enables tourists to fully engage with nature and tea culture, while simultaneously fostering the growth of cultural tourism in world heritage sites. This study proposes a planning practice case, which provides a framework and ideas for designing tea gardens. From the aspects of resource protection and utilization, cultural inheritance and display, and tourism service improvement, it provides a model and method that can be used as a reference for the landscape design and planning of similar tea gardens, which will help promote the healthy development of the Chinese tea culture tourism industry. It also provides useful practical experience for the protection and development of world heritage sites.