Bo Zhang

News and Activities in 2026

● Zhang participated in an invited national roundtable discussion published in the July issue of Landscape Architecture Magazine (edited by Jennifer Reut) alongside prominent design scholars to address policy and systemic pressures facing contemporary landscape architecture education.

● At the CELA 2026 Cincinnati conference, Zhang was announced as the CELA President-Elect.

● Project Fayuanli Courtyard designed by Zhang's team has been officially honored by the Brick Industry Association with a Silver Award in the annual Brick in Architecture Awards. The project will be honored in Orlando in April 2026.

● Zhang’s work published in the Landscape Architecture Magazine 2026 March issue. In 'Breaking down facades,' Zach Mortice writes about the Fayuanli Courtyard and its innovative use of glass blocks. The project demonstrates how contemporary design can be thoughtfully written into the fabric of a historic district.

● The Cowboy Journal (Vol 28-1) features on OSU Landscape Architecture students and the Park(ing) Day event they hosted in downtown Stillwater. https://issuu.com/cowboy.journal/docs/volume_28_number_1_-_winter_spring_0ed345b6a2d048. 

● Zhang has been honored with a jurorship for the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) 2025 National Professional Awards.

● Led a team for the Soul of NOLA Sketch Crawl at the ASLA 2025 Conference in New Orleans.

● Serves as Editor-in-Chief of Landscape Research Rrcord (LRR), increasing paper submissions to a historically high number and managing the anticipated online publication of Issue 14 in December 2025.

Bio

Dr. Bo Zhang is an award-winning landscape architect, urban designer, architect, and LEED-certified professional. Currently a full professor at Oklahoma State University, Dr. Zhang's research interests span a wide range of topics, including crowdsourcing data methods in design disciplines, ecological design and planning methodologies, and intercultural communication in 19th-century American designed landscapes. His work has been recognized with numerous awards, including the ASLA National Professional Honor Award of Research (2019), the CELA National Award of Excellence in Teaching (2022), the EDRA Place Award in Research (2023), and the LI (Landscape Institute of the United Kingdom) Landscape Research and Innovation Finalist Award (2023). His research has been supported by prestigious institutions such as the Winterthur Research Fellowship, Rockefeller Archive Center, Chiang Ching-two Foundation, Oklahoma Humanities Council, and Oklahoma State University. Beyond his research, Dr. Zhang is a dedicated educator and has shared his expertise through teaching, lecturing, and conducting over 100 workshops and courses on research methods for architects, landscape architects, and urban planners both domestically and internationally. His commitment to knowledge dissemination is further evidenced by his authorship of the book "Research Methods in Architecture, Urban Planning, and Landscape Architecture" (612p), published in March 2023.

Dr. Zhang is passionate about teaching and design. His studios are featured for the emphasis on artistic quality, imagination, experimentation, rigorous hand and digital skills, and contemporary theoretical issues. Committed to enriching student experiences, Dr. Zhang fosters creativity through collaboration and community engagement. For the past ten years, he has led an annual joint studio with UPC in Lima, Peru, exposing students to diverse cultural contexts and early design training. Additionally, he has co-led an interdisciplinary Architecture-Landscape Architecture program at OSU. By integrating numerous real-world projects into his studio curriculum, Dr. Zhang bridges theory and practice, creating impactful learning opportunities. His students have achieved recognition in over 35 domestic and international competitions and awards. Dr. Zhang is deeply committed to academic mentorship and welcomes invitations to serve as a committee member or advisor for Ph.D. students advancing research in landscape architecture, urban planning, architecture, and environmental design. Outside of work, he is an active watercolorist and avid sketch artist who deeply loves and excels at traditional hand-rendering, often integrating field sketching and visual arts into broader academic and community initiatives.

Dr. Zhang is an accomplished designer with an active practice in landscape architecture and urban design. His work has been featured in prominent publications such as Landscape Architecture Magazine (LAM, 2020, 2026) and Architect's Newspaper (2020). His recent design awards include the World Landscape Architecture (WLA) Built-Small Landscape Design Shortlist Award (2024), the Better Future Melbourne Sustainability Design Silver Award (2024), and Brick Architecture (Silver) Award (2026).

Dr. Zhang is actively involved in several professional organizations, serving on the boards of the Council of Educators in Landscape Architecture (CELA), the Environmental Design Research Association (EDRA), the Landscape Architecture Foundation (LAF), and the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) Oklahoma Chapter. He currently holds the position of Vice President of Research at CELA and Edictor-in-Chief of Landscape Research Record (LRR). Additionally, Dr. Zhang has contributed to the field as an editorial board member for two academic magazines and as a juror for numerous domestic and international design awards, competitions, and research grants for ASLA, LAF, CELA, and EDRA.

Dr. Bo Zhang maintains an active profile in professional practice and community outreach, regularly providing expert consultation and lead services across all phases of the built environment—including master planning, landscape design, architectural design, pre-occupancy programming, and post-occupancy evaluation (POE). His collaborative portfolio spans engagements with private design firms, municipal and federal government agencies, and non-profit organizations seeking evidence-based spatial solutions.