prof. Li Zhang

About Li Zhang

Li Zhang is Professor of Architecture and Assistant Dean in the School of Architecture, Tsinghua University. As an architect, he leads the 50-people office TeamMinus based in Beijing. He is also a guest vice architect -in-chief in the Tsinghua University Architecture Design Institute.

Prof. Zhang was educated in Tsinghua University, where he got his B Arch, M Arch and D Eng degrees. He has been a Frank Tsao Fellow in GSD, Harvard.

His field of interest is oriental philosophy and the organic symbiosis between man and his environment in contemporary cities. Prof. Zhang and his team believe that sustainability cannot be achieved by technology alone. Cultural continuity has to play a major role in making our cities genuinely sustainable.

Prof. Zhang and TeamMinus are very active in China. In the past decade, they have won and realized a series of projects of national or local significance, and have been bringing positive changes to different Chinese cities by design. Some of these projects are: Provincial Hall and Roof Park of China Pavilion, Expo 2010; Venue for National Flower Show Beijing; Ningbo Industrial Design Complex (Hefeng Plaza); Jinchang Culture Centre; Jia-Na-Ma-Ni Tibetan Buddhism Cairn Visitor Centre; etc.

Besides his teaching in Tsinghua, Prof. Zhang has lectured or taught in a number of institutions, including: National University of Singapore, Berlage Institute, Harvard University, Syracuse University, Barcelona Polytechnic, Turin Polytechnic, etc. He has appeared in international events such as Archilab 2002, IFoU 2006, College de France Conference on Sensual City 2009, Kuala Lumpur Architecture Festival 2011, etc.

The awards Prof. Zhang has won include: ASC Design Excellence Award (2011, 2010, 2009, 2008); National Grand Design Award (2009); Tsinghua Emerging Scholar Award (2008); IABR Design Competition in South Rotterdam 1st Prize (2007), etc.