Frederick Peter Ortner

Biography

F. Peter Ortner is Assistant Professor and MArch and PhD Coordinator for Architecture and Sustainable Design at the Singapore University of Technology and Design. Peter’s research leverages computational techniques to create sustainable architecture and urban design. His current research introduces optimization into the process of design for circularity, augmenting the ability of the architect to contribute to zero-waste, carbon neutral cities. Predicting urban metabolism data for urban design scenarios is another on-going research pursuit. In recent research Peter has applied computational design to challenges of urban resilience and automated mobility. His doctoral research built on insights from critical data studies and computational design to elucidate the changing role of architecture and architect in complex, data-driven urban systems.

Peter received a PhD from EPFL where his doctoral thesis was nominated for the EPFL and City of Lausanne prizes. At EPFL Peter was a collaborator with Media x Design Lab, a cross-disciplinary team of designers and computer scientists. He holds a Master’s in Architecture from Harvard University where he was recipient of the Faculty Design Award, and a Bachelor of Arts cum laude with distinction in architecture from Yale University. Peter has practiced architecture in the United States and Switzerland.

Education

• PhD in Architecture and the Sciences of the City, École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
• MArch, Harvard University, Graduate School of Design, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
• B.A. in Architecture, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA

Research Interests

• Data-driven Urban and Architectural Design
• History and Theory of Socio-technical Urban Systems
• Urban Automation and Urban Air Mobility
• Sustainable, Resilient Design via Urban Metabolism analytics

Selected Publications

• Ortner, F. Peter. 2019. Architecture in the Data-driven City. PhD dissertation, École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Switzerland
• Ortner, F. Peter. 2017. ‘Metric as Mediator: Data-driven negotiation over Heathrow’s Noise Landscape.’ in Boucsein et al. The Noise Landscape: A Spatial Exploration of Airports and Cities. nai010 publishers, Rotterdam. 215-226 (2017)
• B. Boucsein, F. P. Ortner and J. Jehle. ‘London-Heathrow Portrait.’ in Boucsein et al. The Noise Landscape: A Spatial Exploration of Airports and Cities. nai010 publishers, Rotterdam. 120-137 (2017)
• Ortner, F. Peter. 2019. ‘Circular Buiksloterham: A Case Study of Architecture in the Data-driven City.’ Scaffolds, Open Encounters with Society, Art & Architecture. (publication pending)
• J. Huang, T. Patt and F. P. Ortner. 2013. ‘Artificial Morphogenesis: The Guangzhou Tower Delta Studio.’ Landscape Architecture Futures. 138-149

Career Openings

I am looking for Research Assistant, Doctoral Students and Post-doctoral candidates in sustainable urban design with experience in computational design and optimization. Please contact peter_ortner@sutd.edu.sg for more details.