This image showsMax Zorn

Max Zorn

M.Sc.

Research Group Leader | Optimization and Design Space Exploration
2021 - Current

Contact

+49 711 685 81939

Stuttgart
Deutschland
Room: 10.27

Publications:

  1. 2025

    1. Tay, J., Wortmann, T., & Ortner, F. P. (2025). Performance-informed urban design: training a generalized surrogate model for predicting building energy demand across residential morphologies in Singapore. Journal of Building Performance Simulation, 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1080/19401493.2025.2457343
    2. Zorn, M., & Wortmann, T. (2025). Enhancing Trust in Machine Learning-Based Architectural Design Space Exploration Through Uncertainty Visualization, a Pilot Study. Tagungsband Des 36. Forum Bauinformatik : 24.-26. September 2025, 301–308. https://doi.org/10.18154/RWTH-CONV-254899
    3. Boeva, Y., & Zorn, M. (2025). Computerbasierte Methoden und KI für die Planung klimaneutraler Gebäude: Untersuchung sozialer und technischer Potenziale und Herausforderungen der Anwendung computerbasierter Planungsmethoden in der Bauplanungspraxis. Stuttgart: ZIRIUS, Zentrum für Interdisziplinäre Risiko- und Innovationsforschung. https://doi.org/10.18419/OPUS-17313
    4. Zorn, M., Claus, L., Frenzel, C., & Wortmann, T. (2025). Optimizing an expensive multi-objective building performance problem: Benchmarking model-based optimization algorithms against metaheuristics with and without surrogates. Energy and Buildings, 336, 115562. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enbuild.2025.115562

  2. 2024

    1. Zorn, M. B., Claus, L., Frenzel, C., & Wortmann, T. (2024). Optimizing an Expensive Multi-Objective Building Performance Problem: Benchmarking Model-Based Optimization Algorithms Against Metaheuristics with and Without Surrogates. In SSRN eLibrary. SSRN. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.5002206
    2. Abdelaal, M., Galuschka, M., Zorn, M., Kannenberg, F., Menges, A., Wortmann, T., Weiskopf, D., & Kurzhals, K. (2024). Visual analysis of fitness landscapes in architectural design optimization. The Visual Computer. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00371-024-03491-3
    3. Zorn, M. B., Claus, L., Frenzel, C., & Wortmann, T. (2024). Replication Data for: Optimizing an expensive multi-objective building performance problem: Benchmarking model-based optimization algorithms against metaheuristics with and without surrogates. [DaRUS]. https://doi.org/10.18419/DARUS-4532
    4. Abdelaal, M., Galuschka, M., Zorn, M., Kannenberg, F., Menges, A., Wortmann, T., Weiskopf, D., & Kurzhals, K. (2024). Supplemental Materials for: Visual Analysis of Fitness Landscapes in Architectural Design Optimization [DaRUS]. https://doi.org/10.18419/darus-4164

  3. 2023

    1. Zorn, M. B. (2023). A novel software framework for architectural design space exploration. https://doi.org/10.13154/294-10106

  4. 2022

    1. Zorn, M., Catunda, N., Claus, L., Kobylinska, N., Frey, M., & Wortmann, T. (2022). Replacing energy simulations with surrogate models for design space exploration. Bauphysik, 44, Article 6. https://doi.org/10.1002/bapi.202200034
    2. Zorn, M., Catunda, N., Claus, L., Kobylinska, N., Frey, M., & Wortmann, T. (2022, September). Replacing Time-Consuming Building Performance Simulations with Real-Time Surrogate Models and their Application in Early-Stage Design Space Exploration. Proceedings of BauSim Conference 2022. https://publications.ibpsa.org/conference/?id=bausim2022

Max Zorn is a research associate at the Institute for Computational Design (ICD) at the University of Stuttgart. Max studied Architecture at Technical University Munich, and University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign and Integrative Technologies and Architectural Design Research (ITECH) at the University of Stuttgart. He holds a BA (TUM) in Architecture and a MSc in ITECH. During his studies, Max developed a deep interest in modeling and simulating architectural systems to increase building performance and personal comfort. His Master Thesis “Adaptive Intelligent Space", together with Grant Galloway and Lorin Samija, investigates the relationship between sensing, modelling and actuating indoor environments.

Prior to joining ICD, Max gained professional experience in simulating and analyzing building performance at the Chair of Building Technology and Climate Responsive Design, TU Munich and at Transsolar. Together with ICD's Agent-based Modeling and Simulation research group, he taught a workshop on ABM for students at UCL.   

His research focuses on interactive, multivariate visualization tools for design space exploration of architectural design optimization. Max joined the developer team of Opossum and was involved in the development of the ICD.AbmFramework. Max is part of the new Computing in Architecture group at the ICD.

To the top of the page