Dr John Zhang

Dr John Zhang


As an educator, I lead the experimental 3rd year BA Architecture studio in conjunction with CAFA in China. Ima also the 3rd year design module leader for the BSc Architecture and Environmental Design Programme. I have a strong research interest in museums as spaces of climate action, mixed reality technologies as experimental representation, and housing in a global context. As an Architect, I am the founder of London-based architecture practice Studio JZ. Prior to this I was an associate at award winning practice DSDHA. I am also the co-founder of design and research collective Datascape Realities. I studied architecture at Cambridge University and the Royal College of Art, winning the Conran Foundation Design Award and the Will Alsop Award for Urbanism for his Master’s design thesis. I completed my PhD, also at the RCA, on the topic of contemporary Chinese architecture practice, funded by an AEDAS Scholarship. 


At the University of Westminster, I am part of the Design Practice Research Group. My research interests are focused on museums as spaces of climate action, mixed reality technologies as experimental representation, and housing in a global context. He is the co-founder of Datascape Realities, a cross disciplinary research collective with the aim to visualise vital research data for the purposes of research, exhibition, and outreach. His practice based research output has taken part in the London Festival of Architecture, Hong Kong Architecture Biennial, the Planet Summer programme at the Southbank Centre, the Collective Rebellion workshop at the Grant Museum, and exhibitions at both COP26 and the Royal Academy. John has also published written research on housing design and practice-based research in contemporary China, in both English and Chinese. 

I welcome PHD applications from students who have overlapping interests in the above.


  • Design Practices

Sustainable Development Goals
In brief

Research areas

housing, China, data visualisation and virtual reality

Supervision interests

Housing, Data visualisation and Representation as practice