Tommy CheeMou Yang

Tommy CheeMou Yang is a Professor at Carnegie Mellon University's School of Architecture, holding the 2021-23 Ann Kalla Professorship in Architecture. He coordinates the Bachelor of Architecture program’s Poiesis Studio sequence and teaches studios/seminars focusing on design ethics and socio-ecological systems. His research bridges architecture, ecology, and humanities through ethnographic storytelling, examining how cultural narratives influence urban and architectural change.

Education: M.Arch (Distinction) from Parsons School of Design, B.Sc. in Architecture from University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

Research highlights include community-empowered projects with Hmong refugees in Wisconsin, Thai villagers in Chiang Mai, and New York immigrant communities. His work addresses vernacular construction practices, material landscapes, and oral history methods, published in dense, Nature-Based Solutions for Cities, and The Nature of Cities. Exhibitions include venues in Wisconsin, NYC, Chiang Mai University, and the Chiang Mai City Heritage Centre.

Fall 2024 courses include ASO Studio: Compoundologies (exploring timber construction in Thailand) and Bizarre Details (critical analysis of architectural socio-ecological systems). Spring 2025 will focus on Poiesis II: Radical Empathy in Architecture, emphasizing cross-cultural environmental perspectives.

Awards include grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities and PJ Dick Innovation Fund. Collaborations with Urban Systems Lab and Urban Field Station Arts underscore his interdisciplinary approach.