Ruxin Xie

Ruxin (pronounced as Ru-shin) is a researcher, designer, and lifelong maker. Her work lies at the intersection of art, architecture, mechanics, and robotics.  
She lives with a tabby cat named TT — Tiny Tiger. ᓚᘏᗢ

Curriculum Vitae
Publications
Contact

2025
XXXBuildfest 2024Bethel, NY, USAXXIXRobotic SetupsPrinceton, NJ, USA
2023
XXVIIIThe ObservatoryCupertino, CA, USA XXVIITree House[Concept]XXVIGoogle StoreSanta Monica, CA, USAXXVCat LampCupertino, CA, USA
2022
XXIVSystems EngagementAnn Arbor, MI, USA
2021
XXIIICocoonAnn Arbor, MI, USAXXIISocial EquilibriaVenice, ItalyXXITopology Optimized Building Envelope Ann Arbor, MI, USAXXPoly-Fractal PackingAnn Arbor, MI, USAXIXPneumatic Origami Self FoldingAnn Arbor, MI, USA
2020
XVIIIDesign Ecologies of Glass[Concept]XVIIArchitecture {AI}[Concept]XVIVolumetric KnittingAnn Arbor, MI, USAXVShelf - Generative DeisignAnn Arbor, MI, USAXIVLight LeakAnn Arbor, MI, USAXIIITriByteAnn Arbor, MI, USAXIIMantaAnn Arbor, MI, USAXIHoursteelAnn Arbor, MI, USA
2019
XContext. Community. Co-op. Core[Concept]IXPlayscapeAnn Arbor, MI, USAVIIIExquisite LampAnn Arbor, MI, USAVIIKnitted InflatablesAnn Arbor, MI, USA
2018
VIEngageAnn Arbor, MI, USAVFantastic Beasts And Here They Are[Concept]IVAnimation and Architecture[Concept]
2017 and Earlier
IIISponge at Crossroad[Concept]IIBridge Church[Concept]IBirdwatching Pavilion[Concept]
Life

Drawings
Photography
Cooking




© 2017–2025 Ruxin Xie


    XXX

    Buildfest 2024
    Buildfest 2024 is a robotically fabricated installation that explores resource-aware approaches to building through digital design and fabrication. Created for the 2024 Bethel Woods Art and Architecture Festival, the project demonstrates how computational design, AI, and robotics can be used to construct efficient and expressive structures from a mix of reclaimed and newly sourced short 2x4 lumber.



      XXV


      The Future Is Muddy

      RadLab Workshop 
      StudioLab
      Princeton University



      XXIV


      ARCH 708 System Engagement
      This pavilion was built as part of the system engagement course, exploring how robotic tools and computational design can support low-carbon, locally sourced construction. Using short, off-the-shelf timber 2x4s, we developed custom algorithms to generate layered assemblies that were prefabricated by industrial robots and assembled on site.

      The process combined precision automation with hands-on coordination, demonstrating how human-robot collaboration can turn overlooked materials into a meaningful architectural system. It’s both a structure and a study in resourcefulness, craft, and future-oriented construction.

      1. Robotic Fabrication
      2. Sustainable Construction
      3. Computational Design
      4. Human-Robot Collaboration
      5. Timber






        XXIII


        Cocoon
        Cocoon explores creating concrete structures using robotic 3D-printed clay formwork, which reduces labor and material demands typical in complex formwork processes. By leveraging clay as a sustainable, recyclable material, this approach facilitates the production of intricate geometries that are challenging with other methods, with minimal labor for demolding.

        1. Clay extrusion
        2. Formwork 3D printing
        3. Additive manufacturing
        4. Glass fiber reinforced concrete
        5. Sustainability




          XXII


          Social Equilibria
          Social Equilibria is an installation that translates social and sensory diversity into spatial experience. Developed with Professor Sean Ahlquist, the project uses large-scale knitted structures to create interactive, tactile environments that reveal differences in perception and cognition. My role focused on testing alternative structural materials, refining assembly systems, and ensuring feasibility for outdoor installation.




          XXI


          Topology Optimized Building Envelope

          Topology Optimization (TO) is a mathematical method that optimizes material layout in a design space. It considers loads, boundary conditions, and constraints to improve performance. This method identifies and removes areas that do not contribute to stiffness or force flow.

          This project combines TO with robotic 3D printing of plastic to create an ultra-lightweight, recyclable, and material-efficient building envelope system. The optimization includes wind and gravity loads and connection points to the building structure. Large-scale pellet extrusion poses challenges in starting and stopping extrusion precisely. This research addresses this issue by developing advanced tool-path strategies and hardware control methods, improving the quality of printed components.




          XX


          Poly-Fractal Packing
          Poly-Fractal Packing marked my introduction to Python in Rhino. While fractal patterns are often explored in two dimensions, this work investigates their potential in three dimensions, generating complex geometries and unexpected spatial forms within a computational design workflow.

          Instructor
          Glenn Wilcox


          Affiliation
          Taubman College University of Michigan

          Course
          ARCH 703 Virtual Engagement

          Students
          Mehdi Shirvani, Ruxin Xie

          XIX


          Test Board 03
          This built prototype explores lightweight, self-folding structures that use pneumatic joints and origami principles to create adaptable, deployable forms. Designed with foam board and polyethylene, the system demonstrates potential applications as emergency shelters—portable, quickly assembled, and responsive to environmental conditions. The project highlights how creativity and technology can converge to address urgent humanitarian needs through sustainable, responsive design.

          XVIII


          Design Ecologies of Glass

          This research, in collaboration with Guardian Glass and Taubman College, investigates how ultra-efficient all-glass envelopes (R-20) could transform building typologies. Using parametric modeling and multi-objective optimization, the project explores new design possibilities by balancing solar exposure, daylight quality, and natural ventilation. By integrating evolutionary solvers with climate and energy modeling, it develops adaptable methodologies that challenge conventional envelope design and envision future ecological building systems. 




          XVII


          Architecture {AI}
          This thesis investigates how artificial intelligence can reshape architectural authorship and creative practice. Using neural style transfer, the project merges artistic styles with architectural drawings to generate new spatial forms, blending designer intent with AI’s computational capacity. Leveraging ZBrush’s ShadowBox to translate 2D abstractions into complex 3D geometries, the work develops branching, volumetric patterns applied to a conceptual building for Xiong’an City, challenging traditional notions of agency, process, and representation in architecture.