Design Master of Jiangsu Province, famous architect. Professor, School of Architecture and Urban Planning, Nanjing University. Director of Sustainable Local Architecture Research Center. The founder and chief architect of Zhang Lei Joint architecture office.

Zhang Lei found his architecture office AZL architects 2001 in Nanjing. In May 2009 Zhang Lei was named by Icon Magazine as one of 20 architects who are transforming the future and changing the way we work. AZL was selected into one of the ten architecture offices as Design Vanguard 2008 by《Architectural Record》.

He has been invited as guest professor & critic in Hong Kong University, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Chiba Institute of Technology in Tokyo & GSD-Harvard.