FANG (FRANK) SUN



Fang (Frank) Sun graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Architecture degree from the University of Virginia, distinguished by an insatiable enthusiasm for the intersection of architecture, artificial intelligence, and digital fabrication.

After completing a four-year program and a year of practical experience, he has immersed himself in developing sustainable and resilient design solutions through robotics and digital fabrication. With a minor in computer science, he explores AI, computational methodologies, and adaptive modeling.

His current work focuses on rapid housing reconstruction for natural disasters, utilizing 3D printing, robotics, and automation to enhance efficiency, optimize material usage, and improve structural resilience.

Now pursuing dual master’s degrees in Architecture and Science in Design: Robotics and Autonomous Systems (RAS) at the University of Pennsylvania, he continues to blend technical expertise, creative vision, and innovation to advance digital fabrication and resilient design, while currently working as a Research Assistant in the Polyhedral Structures Laboratory (PSL).



                   Click below to learn more about FRANK
           ARCHITECTURE EXPERIENCE
    RESEARCH & TEACHING EXPERIENCE
       COMPUTER SCIENCE EXPERIENCE
                 LEADERSHIP EXPERIENCE
                SERVICE EXPERIENCE



Design Skills
>5 YEARs
  Revit ■ ■ ■ ■ ■
Rhino ■ ■ ■ ■ ■
Grasshopper ■ ■ ■ ■ □
AutoCAD ■ ■ ■ ■ ■
Photoshop ■ ■ ■ ■ ■
Illustrator ■ ■ ■ ■ ■
InDesign ■ ■ ■ ■ ■
Enscape ■ ■ ■ ■ ■

>3 YEARs
Sketchup ■ ■ ■ ■ ■
ArchiCAD ■ ■ ■ ■ □
Lumion ■ ■ ■ ■ □
V-Ray ■ ■ ■ ■ □
ArcGIS ■ ■ ■ ■ □

>1 YEAR
 Bluebeam ■ ■ ■ ■ ■
Dynamo ■ ■ ■ ■ □
Keyshot ■ ■ ■ ■ □
Maya ■ ■ ■ □ □



Program Skills
Java ■ ■ ■ ■ ■
Python ■ ■ ■ ■ □
C++ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■
C# ■ ■ ■ ■ □
JavaScript ■ ■ ■ ■ ■
HTML ■ ■ ■ ■ ■
React ■ ■ ■ ■ □
Arduino ■ ■ ■ ■ ■




01 Orbit Playhouse
This project, shortlisted in the Buildner Kinderspace Competition, explores how spatial geometry can shape a child’s learning experience. Instead of traditional hallways and classrooms, the kindergarten is organized through interconnected geometric forms—circles, rectangles, squares, and cylinders—each serving a unique program.

Inspired by building block toys, the design uses simple, familiar shapes to encourage creativity, movement, and imagination. These forms are linked by a continuous loop ramp, enabling seamless circulation and playful exploration. Children move freely across the site, discovering new experiences as they transition between learning, social, and play zones.

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Competition Work
Team Work
Team Leader
Spring 2025





02 The Church: Without Walls
This chapel acts as a spiritual and communal anchor for Moramanga, envisioned as a “Church Without Walls” that blurs the divide between worship and everyday life. Three naves replace the traditional single processional path, bringing the congregation closer to the altar beneath a 20-meter central vista that opens to the outdoors.

Inspired by local “hut” forms, the chapel arranges a series of pavilions around the east-facing altar. Conical roofs, deep eaves, and pivoting timber fins provide shade, ventilation, and acoustic buffering. Indigenous patterns and materials—timber, laterite, and brick—ground the chapel in its context and connect it to the Moramanga community.

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Competition Work
Team Work
Summer 2025




03 Welcome Center of the Columbia University
This project integrates sustainable development into a building in one of the world's busiest regions. To solve future flooding in Manhattan, the Welcome Center features a raised base level for resilience. It maximizes space efficiency and minimizes energy waste with meeting rooms, study spaces, libraries, auditoriums, and exhibition galleries.

The building’s form is created by splitting and interlocking modules in two and three dimensions, allowing it to expand from Columbia University to W 125th Street and connect with the southern park. This elongation demonstrates architecture’s potential to adapt, grow, and address environmental challenges by reducing spatial waste.

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Studio Work
Individual Work
Fall 2021





04 “Reborn”: A Mixed-use Building at the UVa
The railway dividing UVA’s North and South Grounds disrupts connectivity. This project at Lambeth introduces a skyline walkway over the rail, reconnecting the main campus, Carr's Hill Field, and Nameless Field. The building combines collective commons and student-faculty housing, with half-floors for viewing interior "flows" and a central courtyard channeling water from Dell to supply dorm residents.

Named "Reborn," the design is scalable, allowing future floors to replicate its pattern without new designs or materials. It ensures multiple entrances and integrates water circulation around the railway, fostering connectivity and sustainability.

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Studio Work
Individual Work
Spring 2022





05 A Renovated Bridge in an Old Water Town
The 150-meter bridge over the Yongxin River, shaped like a zipper, eases traffic by accommodating vehicles and pedestrians. Walkable aisles above and below the driveway are connected by stairs, with the lower aisle for passing and the upper for small shops. Ramps, stairs, and elevators at both ends provide direct access from the shore.

Supported by a mesh steel frame, the bridge’s middle section carries vertical forces across three floors while extending beams for horizontal support. This modern design combines functionality, convenience, and structural innovation.

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Personal Work
Individual Work
Fall 2022





06 An Aggregable Collective for Industrial Settlement
This design site in Berlin’s industrial park transforms the area into a compact, multi-functional building cluster designed to "grow." It includes basic spaces like apartments, offices, power plants, and labs, alongside shared areas such as learning and transportation zones.

The project’s prototype can be parametrically adapted to scale up into an entire city, fostering an innovative urban lifestyle. Its flexible, inclusive design integrates seamlessly into diverse city environments, promoting social interaction and dynamic growth.

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Personal Work
Individual Work
Fall 2022





07 Arctic Brewscape
Arctic Brewscape is an innovative Icelandic project that blends local culture with modern design. Featuring an asymmetrical sloped roof inspired by local needs and a scalable 6m x 6m modular column grid, the design supports future expansion while maintaining structural integrity.
 
Using regional materials like basaltic ash for spa tubs and wood/concrete for construction, the project enhances thermal insulation and regional authenticity. More than a building, Arctic Brewscape embodies Iceland's spirit and serves as a landmark for beer festivals, brewery tours, and winter spa sessions.  

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Competition Work
Team Work
Team Leader
Fall 2023





08 Lightwood House
This project is a wooden, illuminated rest station designed to provide a comfortable space for students and faculty to relax. Constructed with 20 wooden panels, more than 50 LED light boxes, and wooden blocks for support, the design explores the concepts of void and volume through a dual approach of excavation and infill. 

Using parametric slicing techniques, the project carefully controls the offset between each template layer, creating a dynamic expression of the void space. This collaborative project is currently exhibited at the Architecture Department of Fudan University.  

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Internship Work
Team Work
Summer 2021





09 Leisure Pavilion 
This project integrates material, structure, and form to create an efficient and sustainable architectural design. Inspired by nature’s inherent efficiency—where nothing is wasted—the design draws from the form of a butterfly, using its structural logic to optimize force distribution and achieve a balanced, resilient design.

The project uses advanced Grasshopper tools to simulate the structural behavior of the proposed reciprocal system, providing real-time visual feedback on mechanical forces. By automating structural calculations, the design process becomes more efficient, seamlessly connecting architectural creativity with structural logic.

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Personal Work
Individual Work
Summer 2020





10 Bamboo Valley

This project aims to create a small pavilion adjacent to a historic residential area known for its rich cultural heritage. The surrounding high-walled courtyards generate an urban fabric reminiscent of a village within the city, leading to a chaotic and crowded street experience.

However, upon entering these courtyards, a serene and calming atmosphere emerges through the delicate interplay of architectural forms and spatial relationships. My design for the pavilion seeks to recreate this experience by employing spatial strategies and design techniques that evoke a sense of winding, tranquil curiosity.

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Personal Work
Individual Work  
Winter 2020