A group of college age men and women stand together along the wall of a brightly-lit classroom. They are smiling and holding their hands in the pistol position that represents the OSU Cowboys on the OSU campus, with their thumb and forefinger pointed outward. — OSU and Peruvian University of Applied Sciences students present their final architectural concepts at the completion of the Studio Exchange Program. (Photo courtesy of Alyssa Hardaway)

OSU Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture celebrates milestone anniversary of Studio Exchange Program

Thursday, March 27, 2025

Media Contact: Sophia Fahleson | Office of Communications and Marketing, OSU Agriculture | 405-744-7063 | sophia.fahleson@okstate.edu

International collaboration is not uncommon for students in the Oklahoma State University Ferguson College of Agriculture. The Studio Exchange Program, a partnership between the OSU Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture and the Peruvian University of Applied Sciences, or UPC, celebrated its 20th year of in-person collaboration in spring 2025.

The Studio Exchange Program, established in 1998 by the late Charles Leider, a former OSU landscape architecture professor, was created to incorporate global learning in design education for both architecture and landscape architecture students. Since the program’s beginning, UPC architecture students have traveled to Stillwater 20 times, said Bo Zhang, OSU landscape architecture associate professor.

In February, a group of UPC architecture students traveled to Stillwater to participate in the program. UPC students were teamed with OSU landscape architecture students enrolled in the Studio 3 course, led by Zhang, and tasked with completing an architectural scenario of a maritime museum in Lima, Peru.

Prior to starting their projects in the studio, OSU students spent three weeks completing individual research on Peruvian culture, climate and architectural conditions while UPC students worked on architectural concepts. After the UPC students arrived in Stillwater, the teams spent three weeks working together, incorporating principles of architectural and landscape architectural design to complete their museum concepts.

Zhang said participants gain more than technical design experience through the program. Students also develop skills including teamwork, empathy, critical thinking and communication.

“When the students are paired together, they have to learn how to communicate with each other, problem solve, share design approaches and collaborate to meet project deadlines,” Zhang said.

Marcos Rivarola, professor in the UPC School of Architecture, said the exchange experience allows students to visualize a career in architecture or landscape architecture.

“It’s not only lines and colors and paintings, it’s real,” Rivarola said. “The students have a partner who thinks differently than them, and it’s crucial that they find agreements in their project work.”

Architects and landscape architects work closely together to create functional spaces, and the program’s collaborative nature gives students an understanding of this professional relationship, said Michael Holmes, OSU landscape architecture program director and professor.

“The goal is for students to be a sponge and take in as much as they can,” Holmes said. “The Peruvian and U.S. students are encouraged to share their cultures and ideas because they're going to be working across disciplines and will collaborate once they get into their careers.”

Thomas Caverlee, a second-year landscape architecture student, said this project was a positive learning experience.

“The program mirrors how I imagine the real world will be,” Caverlee said. “Not everything can be your own idea, and you have to compromise to come up with ideas together to complete the final product.”

Rafael Vergara Rebosio, professor at the UPC School of Architecture and consultant for the university’s Office of Academic Excellence, said the program’s cross-cultural collaboration is one of its most meaningful aspects.

“It’s enriching for both universities to learn from each other,” he said. “Students learn to work together not only in a different context but also with a different profession in a real-world setting.”

At the program’s conclusion, teams presented their final museum scenarios to OSU and UPC faculty. Their projects were evaluated on how effectively the building and landscape design integrates, Zhang said.

After the presentations, students were presented with certificates for program completion. Four teams were also recognized with awards for Best Team Collaboration, Best Landscape Architecture, Best Architecture and Leader of Facilitating Collaborations.

“The certificates recognize the students’ personal and professional advancements through the program,” Zhang said. “It’s a challenging and rewarding experience for the students. They overcome intercultural, interdisciplinary, language and measurement system challenges, but also inspire each other during the process. I’m proud of them.”

UPC student Renzo Barrios said he is proud of his accomplishments during this experience. Barrios and his partner, OSU landscape architecture student Coleman Junell, were presented with the Best Team Collaboration Award.

“I feel proud of everything I’ve experienced and learned, and if I had the opportunity to do it again, I would,” Barrios said. “I will continue to focus on my future career and hope to enjoy it alongside the students I made connections with during the program.”