About

Ute Poerschke is an architect, urban planner, and professor who teaches architectural design and technical systems integration/comprehensive studio. Prior to her tenure at Penn State, she taught design, construction, and environmentally responsible architecture at the Technical Universities of Berlin and Munich from 1999 to 2005, and completed her doctoral degree in architectural theory at the Technical University of Cottbus in 2005. She is a licensed architect and urban planner in Germany, an international member of the American Institute of Architects, and a LEED-accredited professional. Poerschke is a principal of the firm Friedrich-Poerschke-Zwink Architekten | Stadtplaner in Munich, Germany, and co-editor of the architectural journal Wolkenkuckucksheim | Cloud-Cuckoo-Land. Her research focuses on the relationship of architecture and technology, the theory of functionalism, and how architects integrate aspects of technology with expression in architectural projects and education. Most of her recent work concentrates on high modernism from the 1920s to 1960s, particularly on how architects responded to advancements in lighting, heating, cooling, and ventilation science, technology, and engineering of that era.

Research topics

• Computer Science
• Geography
• Physical geography
• Environmental science
• Civil engineering
• Ecology
• Meteorology
• Engineering

Selected publications

• Solar-Hydrogen Building Skins: Validating Simulations through Experimentation

  2026-05-14

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  This study builds upon previous research that proposed a multifunctional building cladding-panel integrating photovoltaic cells and a proton exchange membrane electrolyzer to simultaneously harvest solar energy and convert surplus electricity to hydrogen. While prior work has shown good correlation between simulation and experimental results of a PV-hydrogen system, few studies have focused on systems installed on vertical building facades. Since the electrolyzer, as the energy conversion element, is assumed to be installed alongside the PV panels on the façade, it is particularly sensitive to environmental conditions. Therefore, an experimental setup that accounts for variations in ambient climate is preferred to better reflect real-world energy conversion performance. A MATLAB/Simulink simulation model had been developed to evaluate the system's performance in a built environment. An experimental setup was constructed to validate the simulation and gain deeper insights. Results indicate strong alignment between simulation and experiment under high irradiance conditions (>400 W/m²). However, under low irradiance and frequent cloud fluctuations, notable discrepancies were observed.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• The Investigation of Energy Conversion Potentials of a Building Envelope-Integrated Photovoltaic-Reversible Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell (Pv-Rpemfc) Hybrid System in Different Climates

  SSRN Electronic Journal · 2025-01-01

  preprintOpen access
  PublisherDOI

• A novel parametric workflow for simulating urban heat island effects on residential building energy use: Coupling local climate zones with the urban weather generator a case study of seven U.S. cities

  Sustainable Cities and Society · 2024-06-06 · 34 citations

  article
  PublisherDOI

• The Application of Statistical and Machine Learning Techniques in Building Performance Assessment and Prediction: A Review

  2024-04-25

  reviewSenior author
  PublisherDOI

• A Review of the Energy Performance Gap between Predicted and Actual Use in Buildings

  Building Simulation Conference proceedings · 2023-09-04 · 13 citations

  reviewOpen accessSenior author

  It has become a scientific consensus that buildings are one of the most critical sectors to achieving zero emissions, efficiency, and resiliency, thus mitigating and adapting to the impacts of climate change. Building performance is the means to communicate energy efficiency and carbon emissions, as well as detect performance issues and improvement measures. The traditional approach to assessing building performance is modeling the building performance with physics-based computer simulation engines and using the simulated results as the indicator of compliance, labeling, and certification related to energy-efficiency codes and standards. A significant drawback of this design-only simulation approach is that designs of buildings and completed buildings differ, and with them also the design-phase simulation and the actual use. Studies have indicated that there is a substantial gap between the computer-predicted performance at the design stage and the actual performance of buildings once constructed. This gap suggests that the in-use building does not align with the expected performance targets. The performance gap could lead to skepticism in high-performance building concepts, undermining public confidence in the building energy efficiency and decarbonization movement. Growing research attention has been drawn to this problem in recent years. However, the presented understanding of the performance gap and hence its significance remain incomplete and inadequate.With the purpose of enlightening the latest research status and future research directions, this paper reviews existing literature on this performance gap problem and yields an in-depth discussion on the magnitude and reasons for the performance gap and ongoing strategies to close it. Furthermore, unlike other review articles on this problem, this paper discusses the application of state-of-the-art techniques, statistic regressions and machine learning, in improving the prediction accuracy of building performance in addition to those used in traditional physics-based simulation engines.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Architecture in Times of Rebuilding

  The Plan Journal · 2023-01-01

  articleOpen access1st authorCorresponding

  How do you rebuild a country destroyed by war? In case of 1945 Germany, how do you rebuild not only buildings and infrastructures, industries and the economy, but also moral standards, democratic structures, and peaceful ties to neighbors and the global community? And what are the roles of architecture and architects in these processes? Lynnette Widder takes us back to the time between German "Year Zero" and the early 1960s to reflect on the relationships of architectural aesthetics with social, political, and economic life. For this endeavor, Widder selected two architects, Hans Schwippert (1899-1973) and Sep Ruf (1908-82) and interprets some of their works as representations of two "distinct approaches to a modern

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Urban Microclimate, Outdoor Thermal Comfort, and Socio-Economic Mapping: A Case Study of Philadelphia, PA

  Buildings · 2023 · 22 citations

  • Computer Science
  • Geography
  • Environmental science

  Urban areas are often warmer than rural areas due to the phenomenon known as the “urban heat island” (UHI) effect, which can cause discomfort for those engaging in outdoor activities and can have a disproportionate impact on low-income communities, people of color, and the elderly. The intensity of the UHI effect is influenced by a variety of factors, including urban morphology, which can vary from one area to another. To investigate the relationship between outdoor thermal comfort and urban morphology in different urban blocks with varying social vulnerability status, this study developed a geographic information system (GIS)-based workflow that combined the “local climate zone” (LCZ) classification system and an urban microclimate assessment tool called ENVI-met. To demonstrate the effectiveness of this methodology, the study selected two different urban blocks in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania–with high and low social vulnerability indices (SVI)–to compare their microclimate conditions in association with urban morphological characteristics such as green coverage area, sky view factor (SVF), albedo, and street height to width (H/W) ratio. The results of the study showed that there was a strong correlation between tree and grass coverage and outdoor air and mean radiant temperature during hot seasons and extremely hot days, which in turn affected simulated predicted mean vote (PMV). The effects of greenery were more significant in the block associated with a low SVI, where nearly 50% of the site was covered by trees and grass, compared to only 0.02% of the other block associated with a high SVI. Furthermore, the investigation discovered that reduced SVF, along with increased albedo and H/W ratio, had a beneficial impact on the microclimate at the pedestrian level within the two studied urban blocks. This study provided an effective and easy-to-implement method for tackling the inequity issue of outdoor thermal comfort and urban morphology at fine geographic scales.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• More vulnerable people live in Philadelphia neighborhoods that are less green and get hotter

  2023-12-18

  preprintOpen access
  PublisherDOI

• A Review of Potential Electrochemical Applications in Buildings for Energy Capture and Storage

  Micromachines · 2023-12-02 · 10 citations

  reviewOpen access

  The integration of distributed renewable energy technologies (such as building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV)) into buildings, especially in space-constrained urban areas, offers sustainable energy and helps offset fossil-fuel-related carbon emissions. However, the intermittent nature of these distributed renewable energy sources can negatively impact the larger power grids. Efficient onsite energy storage solutions capable of providing energy continuously can address this challenge. Traditional large-scale energy storage methods like pumped hydro and compressed air energy have limitations due to geography and the need for significant space to be economically viable. In contrast, electrochemical storage methods like batteries offer more space-efficient options, making them well suited for urban contexts. This literature review aims to explore potential substitutes for batteries in the context of solar energy. This review article presents insights and case studies on the integration of electrochemical energy harvesting and storage into buildings. The seamless integration can provide a space-efficient source of renewable energy for new buildings or existing structures that often have limited physical space for retrofitting. This work offers a comprehensive examination of existing research by reviewing the strengths and drawbacks of various technologies for electrochemical energy harvesting and storage, identifying those with the potential to integrate into building skins, and highlighting areas for future research and development.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Functionalism and Its Italian Entanglements

  2022-01-01

  other1st authorCorresponding
  PublisherDOI

Frequent coauthors

• Loukas N. Kalisperis

  Pennsylvania State University

  4 shared

• Lisa D. Iulo

  Pennsylvania State University

  4 shared

• John Messner

  Pennsylvania State University

  2 shared

• Farzad Hashemi

  Pennsylvania State University

  2 shared

• Malcolm Woollen

  2 shared

• Jelena Srebric

  University of Maryland, College Park

  2 shared

• Sebastian Feldhusen

  2 shared

• Madis Pihlak

  2 shared