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 ■ ■ ■ ■ ■



RESEARCH & TEACHING EXPERIENCE

Research Assistant
University of Pennsylvania
02/2025 - present Philadelphia, PA

• Assisted professor Smith in conducting various material tests and exploring plastic construction methods using robotic arms
• Developed different construction solutions for an ongoing housing project using the technique of 3D-printed concrete
• Documented research progress through diagrams, charts, and videos, contributing to project presentations and analysis



Teaching Assistant
University of Pennsylvania
01/2025 - present
Philadelphia, PA

• Worked as a TA for ARCH 2020: Design Fundamentals II under Professor Seher Erdoğan Ford; provided feedback on weekly assignments including sketching, modeling, and rendering.
• Held monthly workshops to teach modeling techniques, software applications, and photographic methods to undergraduate architecture students.
• Participated as a mid-review critic, offering constructive feedback and guidance on student projects



Fabrication Assistant
University of Pennsylvania
08/2024 - present
Philadelphia, PA

• Assisted students with laser cutting projects, ensuring proper techniques and adherence to safety protocols 
• Supported students in woodshop tasks, providing guidance and hands-on expertise for fabrication processes 
• Delivered monthly seminars on product design, promoting skill development and innovative thinking



Independent Researcher
University of Virginia
01/2023 - 05/2023
Charlottesville, VA

• Supervised by Dr. Ehsan Baharlou, developed Drive Easy, an innovative solution designed to improve drivers’ parking experience
• Identified potential parking constraints and used agent-based modeling to simulate viable parking solutions
• Applied graph theory and generative sorting algorithms to assign the optimal spot for vehicles to reduce time spending
• Integrated AR assistance in a test vehicle and simulated networkindependent navigation controlled by IoT devices only in the garage



Teaching Assistant
University of Virginia
09/2022 - 12/2022
Charlottesville, VA

• Worked as a Teaching Assistant for ARCH 1010: Lessons of the Lawn under Professor Peter Waldman, assisting 20 undergraduate students with architectural history and theory.
• Delivered lectures on Chinese religion and architectural history, connecting historical concepts to contemporary discussions
• Led discussion sessions and provided feedback and grading on weekly assignments related to architectural history and theory



Teaching Assistant
University of Virginia
09/2021 - 05/2022
Charlottesville, VA

• Worked as a Teaching Assistant for PLAC 4010 and 6010: Neighborhood Planning Studios under Betsy Roettger, assisting 16 graduate-level students with modeling coursework feedback and grading
• Conducted weekly workshops on ArcGIS, Rhino, and Illustrator to develop technical skills; coordinated meetings with local architecture firms
• Delivered two lectures on Chinese garden design in relation to modern urban studies; assigned written exercises, led discussions, and provided feedback



Research Intern
College of William and Mary
08/2021 - 04/2022
Williamsburg, VA

• Supervised by Dr. Gang Zhou at Lens Lab, helped develop a covert channel attack which leaks user data by encoding and transmitting them through smart bulb’s infrared emission
• Analyzed power usage pattern of the bulb instead of monitoring the infrared emission
• Helped design a power-auditing system and a CNN model which identifies the smart bulb’s leakage of private data