Jörg Rügemer graduated with a master's degree in architecture from the Southern California Institute of Architecture in Los Angeles. Additional studies include his architectural diploma as his first professional degree at the University of Applied Sciences in Cologne, Germany, as well as meteorology at the University of Cologne. Mr. Rügemer is a licensed architect in Germany and is eligible to practice in all countries of the European Union. He is an International Associate member of the AIA and a member of the Building Technology Educators Society BTES and the Society of Building Science Educators SBSE. He has worked internationally for architectural firms such as Frank O. Gehry, Bothe Richter Teherani, and Anshen+Allen, before founding Atelier Jörg Rügemer in 2001 in Berlin. Between 2004 and 2008 he run an architectural firm with partners in Shanghai, focusing on large urban developments and densified housing. He won numerous competitions and received research scholarships and various architectural awards for his completed work both nationally and internationally. Since 1999, he teaches sustainable architecture at universities in Germany and the U.S., including FIU in Miami and the UofU in Salt Lake City, where he focuses on resilient and cost-effective high-performance buildings. His research findings resulted in the design and construction of Utah's most energy-efficient and cost-effective house, which laid the groundwork for further explorations of high-performance, resilient structures, with the goal to make such buildings available to a larger clientele, including low-income and underrepresented minority groups.