Yunjoung Cho
EPFL ENAC IA LIPID
LE 1 114 (Bâtiment LE)
Station 18
1015 Lausanne
Web site: Web site: https://lipid.epfl.ch
+41 21 693 02 42
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Biography
Yunni Cho recently earned a Ph.D. in Civil and Environmental Engineering from the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Switzerland, where she was affiliated with the Laboratory of Integrated Performance in Design (LIPID). Her doctoral research investigated the dynamism of view-out in architectural spaces, particularly exploring relationships among daylight, visual attention, and spatial perception. She is now launching the BRIDGE proof-of-concept project “Dynamic Therapeutic Environments: Innovating Psychiatric Care through Nature-Integrated Design,” which unites psychiatric hospitals, cultural organizations, and academic partners in Switzerland, Austria, and Belgium to develop open-access guidelines showing how moving plants, fluctuating daylight, and interactive landscapes can lower patient stress and reduce readmission rates. Yunni holds a B.F.A. in Interior Architecture from the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) and dual B.A. degrees in Urban Studies and Cognitive Neuroscience from Brown University, obtained through the Brown–RISD Dual Degree Program. Her interdisciplinary educational background enables her to integrate architectural design principles with insights from neuroscience and urban theory, resulting in environments that thoughtfully respond to human perceptual and emotional experiences. Professionally, Yunni has worked internationally as a lighting designer and consultant at Ulrike Brandi Licht in Germany. Her work and research have been recognized through multiple fellowships and grants, enabling her participation in notable design exhibitions across Belgium, Switzerland, Italy, Morocco, Portugal, France, and the United States. By merging her expertise in architecture, neuroscience, and lighting design, Yunni aims to enrich architectural practice with a deeper understanding of the visual, emotional, and biological dimensions of built environments.Education
Ph.D.
Civil and Environmental Engineering
EPFL (École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne)
2025
B.A.
Cognitive Neuroscience
Brown University
2021
B.A.
Urban Studies
Brown University
2021
B.F.A.
Interior Architecture
RISD (Rhode Island School of Design)
2021
Awards
2025 : BRIDGE Proof of Concept : Innosuisse & Swiss National Science Foundation
2024 : Artist-in-Residence Award for Victor Horta Museum : Réseau Art Nouveau Network
2024 : PhD Mobility Award : EDCE
2023 : Sasso Art Residency Award : Casa Sasso
2021 : SciFilmIt Public Prize : SciFilmIt Geneva
Research
Dynamic Therapeutic Environments
This ongoing project, funded by the BRIDGE Proof of Concept grant from Innosuisse and SNSF, brings together psychiatric hospitals, cultural organizations, and academic partners across Switzerland, Austria, and Belgium. The initiative aims to revolutionize psychiatric care by developing evidence-based, open-access guidelines that demonstrate how nature-integrated design elements, including dynamic plant installations, adaptive daylight systems, and interactive therapeutic landscapes, can measurably reduce patient stress levels and decrease readmission rates.Dynamism in Views-Out
PhD in Civil and Environmental Engineering from the Laboratory of Integrated Performance in Design (LIPID), 2021-2025. Dissertation: "Dynamism in Views-Out: Capturing Movement, Daylight Variation, and Their Impact on Occupant Perception."Teaching & PhD
Teaching
Architecture
AR-464 Daylighting Design Seminar
MA, 3 credits, ArchitectureRole: Co-Instructor (with Prof. M. Andersen, Dr. S. Wasilewski)
Co-designed and taught a seminar for master’s students on integratingdaylighting concepts into studio projects and exploring daylight’s perceptual qualities in architecture.
MSc Master Thesis Supervision
Thesis Title: Dynamic Window Views and Visual AttentionDiscipline: Computer science (30 credits)
Role: Project Supervisor (with Prof. M. Andersen, Prof. J.P. Thiran)
Mentored a master’s student in developing machine learning and deep-learning algorithms to analyze and predict visual attention to movement in window using real-time eye-tracking measurements (ETMs).
AR-442 Comfort and Architecture
MA, 3 credits, ArchitectureRole: Teaching Assistant (lectures, labs for software, project critique)
Structured course content and semester projects and led lab sessions focused on geometrical modelling and evaluating daylight and thermal performance in built structures using advanced digital software.
MsC Master Semester Project Supervision
Project Title: Analyzing and Quantifying Luminous ChangesDiscipline: Computer science (12 credits)
Role: Project Supervisor (with Prof. M. Andersen, Prof. P. Fua)
Guided a master’s student in designing computer vision algorithms to analyze and quantify temporal changes in brightness and luminosity for sky dynamics.
CS-433 Machine Learning
8 credits, Computer scienceRole: Project Supervisor (with Prof. N. Flammarion, Prof. M. Jaggi)
Supervised two teams of master’s students in developing machine learning algorithms for view-out impression analysis and high dynamic range (HDR) signal recovery from low-dynamic range (LDR) images.
MSc Master Internship Supervision
Project Title: Sky Dynamics CategorizationDiscipline: Computer science
Role: Project Supervisor (with Dr. DH. Kim, Prof. M. Andersen)
Supervised a master’s-level researcher developing a novel image processing methodology for analyzing sky dynamics in architectural views, comparing the results to CIE sky classifications and daylighting standards.
MA Master Semester Project Supervision
Project Title: Rebuilt: Reversible & Low-Tech constructionDiscipline: Architecture (4 credits)
Role: Project Supervisor (with Prof. M. Andersen, Dr. S.A. Moreno)
Mentored three master's students in designing and simulating window systems to optimize daylight performance and ensure visual comfort for a new construction project in Lausanne.