Re-using heritage for sustainable human well-being
Uta Pottgiesser has been appointed Professor of Heritage & Technology. She will continue the research programme on the technical aspects of architectural heritage, which is vital for the sound restoration of historical buildings.
“Dealing with creative problem solving and product innovation can improve human well-being in spatial contexts,” says Pottgiesser. “By combining architecture, engineering, and interior architecture, my research is in the fields of building and façade construction, interior, and user comfort. The re-use of existing buildings and heritage can allow for new functions and users, but only if the different qualities are identified, described, and evaluated. With the development of new concepts and products, we can create buildings that contribute to human well-being, orientation and mobility as well as to sustainability and energy saving.”
Uta Pottgiesser studied architecture at TU Berlin (Germany) and worked as a practising architect in Berlin. She obtained her PhD in 2002 on the topic “Multi-layered Glass Constructions. Energy and Construction” from TU Dresden (Germany). From 2004-2017 she has been Professor of Building Construction and Materials at the Detmold School of Architecture and Interior Architecture, HS OWL (Germany) with a focus on building construction and 20th Century architecture. From 2006-2011, she served as Vice-President for Research, Development and Internationalisation of HS OWL. From 2012 – 2016, she was the Dean of the Detmold School of Architecture and Interior Architecture. Until December 2018, she was Professor of Interior Architecture at the Faculty of Design Sciences of the University of Antwerp (Belgium) and is spokesperson of the Henry van der Velde Research Group.
She currently is vice-chair of DOCOMOMO Germany and chair of the DOCOMOMO International Specialist Committee on Technology (ISC/T). Uta Pottgiesser is internationally active as a board member and reviewer of international journals (e.g. JFDE, JID, Strategic Design Journal), in PhD commissions and organiser of several conferences and seminars. Besides her academic career she acts as a jury member in architectural competitions.
Ulrich Knaack (Head of Department): “Uta Pottgiesser focusses her research and education on materials, construction, and refurbishment technologies, mainly within the field of classic modern architecture. For this explicit combination, we are proud to have her as new Professor of Heritage and Technology, embedded in the section Heritage and Architecture.”