RESEARCH — CASPER HO

Travel, observe, think & write.

As a traveler, I explore how different cultures narrate the story of nature, studying and documenting these insights through newspaper columns and online publications.

By merging research and design, I translate these findings into fresh and impactful experiences using a cross-disciplinary, research-driven approach. I have collaborated with zoos and architects on case studies globally, bringing an international perspective to my work.

# zoo visits
# books
# research-based designs
# online publications‍ 
‍# newspaper

Travel & Write for the zoos.

I have a strong passion for conducting research at zoos, as I believe they serve as an excellent environment for studying design. When visiting the zoos, I don't just go to see the animals; I spend most of my time examining how zoos establish connections between nature and their guests; from the barriers to the descriptions of the animals on the interpretations, these mediums honestly show how zoos want their guests to view the nature, and I firmly believe that zoos accurately reflect the culture of the cities they belong to.

Explore the world and visit zoos globally.

Since university, I have visited as many zoos as possible to broaden my horizons, traveling globally alone from Northeastern Asia to Tropical Micronesia, from Scandinavia to Tenerife in North Africa. I have visited 100 zoos to enhance my design skills with comparative insights.

133 zoos / 24 countries / 4 continents.

Ahtari Zoo, Finland
Antwerpen Zoo, Belgium
Atlanta Zoo, US
Basel Zoo, Switzerland
Berlin Zoo, Germany
Brookfield Zoo, US
Bioparc Fuengirola, Spain
Brevard Zoo, US
Bronx Zoo, US
Budapest Zoo, Hungary
Burgers' Zoo, Netherlands
Butterfly Pavilion, US
Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens, US
Central Park Zoo, US
Chester Zoo, UK
Denver Zoo, US
Duisburg Zoo, Germany
Frankfurt Zoo, Germany
Franklin Park Zoo, US
Gatorland, US
Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park, US
Hsinchu Zoo, Taiwan
Jurong Bird Park, Singapore
Koln Zoo, Germany
Kobe Animal Kingdom, Japan
Kobe Oji Zoo, Japan
Kyoto City Zoo, Japan
Leipzig Zoo, Germany
Lincoln Park Zoo, US
London Zoo, UK
Loro Park, Spain
Miami Zoo, US
National Aquarium, US
Nowe Zoo Poznan, Poland
Opole Zoo, Poland
Paris Menagerie, France
Paris Zoo, France
Pata Zoo, Thailand
Philadelphia Zoo, US
Prague Zoo, Czech Republic
Prospect Park Zoo, US
Queens Zoo, US
Riverbanks Zoo & Garden, US
Seoul Grand Park Zoo, South Korea
Shanghai Zoo, Mainland China
Shou Shan Zoo, Taiwan
Singapore Night Safari, Singapore
Singapore River Safari, Singapore
Singapore Zoo, Singapore
Smithsonian National Zoological Park, US
Stare Zoo Poznan, Poland
Suzhou Zoo, Mainland China
Taipei Zoo, Taiwan
Taiwan Insect Museum, Taiwan
Tennoji Zoo, Japan
The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore, US
Tiergarten Nuremberg, Germany
Tierpark Hagenbeck, Germany
Ueno Zoo, Japan
Vienna Zoo, Austria
Wangpi World, Taiwan
Warsaw Zoo, Poland
Whipsnade Zoo, UK
Wroclaw Zoo, Poland
Zagreb Zoo, Croatia
Zhongshan Park-Zoo, Mainland China
ZooTampa at Lowry Park, US
Zurich Zoo, Switzerland
Adventure Aquarium, US
Aquarium Berlin, Germany
Aquarium of the Pacific, US
Aquarium Tropical, France
atoa, Japan
Bailey-Matthews National Shell Museum & Aquarium, US
Clearwater Marine Aquarium, US
Coex Aquarium, South Korea
COS Museum, US
Daytona Aquarium & Rainforest Adventure, US
Downtown Aquarium, US
Fazi River Center, Taiwan
Florida Aquarium, US
Frost Science Museum, US
Georgia Aquarium, US
Kaiyukan, Japan
Kyoto Aquarium, Japan
National Aquarium Denmark, Denmark
National Museum of Marine Biology & Aquarium, Taiwan
New England Aquarium, US
New York Aquarium, US
NIFREL, Japan
Numazu Deep Sea Aquarium, Japan
Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium, Japan
Penghu Aquarium, Taiwan
Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies, US
SEA LIFE London, UK
SEA LIFE Orlando, US
Shedd Aquarium, US
Smart Aquarium Shizuoka, Japan
Taipei Aquarium, Taiwan
Taichung Aquarium, Taiwan
Tennessee Aquarium, US
The Deep, UK
Tokyo Sea Life Park, Japan
Tropen-Aquarium Hagenbeck, Germany
Xpark, Taiwan
Yehliu Ocean World, Taiwan
Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, US
Butterfly Encounter, US
Butterfly Rainforest, US
Calusa Nature Center & Planetarium, US
Choufeng Farm, Taiwan
CosmoCaixa Barcelona, Spain
Disney’s Animal Kingdom, US
Green World Ecological Farm, Taiwan
Kongni Clownfish Museum, Taiwan
Lake Biwa Museum, Japan
London Wetland Center, UK
Marine Science Center, US
National Museum of Marine Science and Technology, Taiwan
National Science Museum, Taiwan
Nishinomiya City Shellfish Museum, Japan
Ocean Park, Hong Kong
Orlando Science Center, US
Pattaya Elephant Village, Thailand
SeaWorld Orlando, US
Tiger Park Pattaya, Thailand

Book Published

“Taiwan: A Global History’’

Co-authored with
〈The Elephants That Walked East: From Hamburg to the Empire of the Rising Sun〉
How did Hagenbeck’s revolution reach Japan’s first colony?

│ Buy this book │

Featured Research-Based Design Projects:

BEFORE THE SIGHT

This project explores the potential of the mediums in aquariums. Beyond visual elements, can sound also serve as a bridge between humans and animals?

THE WORSHIP OF A FOREST

Redesigning a Japanese Shinto shrine without using cultural vocabularies.

ZOO BARRIERS EXHIBITION

In one of Poland’s oldest zoos, I witnessed the evolution of enclosures—prompting a reflection: Have these changes truly been for the animals, or have they been shaped by human morality?