Architectural designer Xiefangzheng "Will" Sun is no stranger to renovations of education and culture spaces, like community libraries and world-class museums.
He worked at the acclaimed New York architecture firm LEVENBETTS, which is leading projects like a $69 million expansion of the Queens Museum and the renovation of the Red Hook Library in Brooklyn, anticipated to open in 2025.
In addition, Sun took part in the Baisley Park Library Renovation in South Jamaica, Queens, and the Borough Park Library Renovation in Brooklyn, both of which recently won major awards. He also helped in the early phases of the Aperture Foundation's new headquarters in Manhattan that has garnered coverage in The New York Times among other major publications.
Sun is an accomplished architectural designer who holds a Master of Architecture from Rice University in Houston, where he attended on a full merit-based scholarship, and a Bachelor of Science in Architecture from Washington University's Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts. He is the recipient of various awards, including the Gerry and Bob Virgil Ethic of Service Award ALBERTI program for making meaningful contributions to St. Louis, "a heavily segregated city with a lot of socio-economic issues," said Sun.
While studying at Washington University, he taught elementary, middle and high school students about architecture and the design process in the ALBERTI program. He also worked closely with Artists First, a community art organization that helps people living with disabilities express themselves through art.
Designing for culture and education spaces can often take a community-based approach. "I think, as a designer, we have to start with something very simple: understanding the community and their needs first before designing a space," said Sun.
He recently worked on the complete interior and exterior renovation of the Red Hook Library in Brooklyn. Along with LEVENBETTS, Sun helped the library to greatly improve the quality of its public spaces, build a dedicated space for teens and a children's story time room, procure new furniture, and much needed technology upgrades.
Sun says libraries are important communal institutions, with their presence vital to the neighborhood. When it comes to community-based spaces like libraries, Sun says: "We need to talk with, and listen to the community from the very beginning and make it easy for the members to engage with us."
"This often means doing whatever it takes to make the conversation accessible, whether it is doing it in person, or meeting at unusual times. Often those needing the spaces the most are the ones that are hardest to pin down."
The new Red Hook Library will be Brooklyn's first-ever "net-zero" public library - the total energy used on an annual basis will equal the energy created on-site. This is accomplished with energy-saving fixtures, robust building insulation, and rooftop solar panels.
He also played a major role in the renovation of the Queens Museum, a sprawling building in the heart of Flushing Meadows–Corona Park that was built for the 1939 New York World's Fair. The museum's glass block and masonry south facade, which has not been touched since construction, will be rehabilitated as part of this renovation project.
Sun was a key member in all aspects of the museum renovation since the very start of the LEVENBETTS involvement in the project, understanding all design aspects of the building inside and out. Not only did he draft a large portion of the building's drawing set, he also was responsible for coordinating with the various engineers and experts to make sure complex systems in the project function well together.
Another education project he worked on is the renovation of the Baisley Park Community Library in South Jamaica, Queens, which will soon go into construction. The renovation of the Baisley Park Community Library represents a key moment for the South Jamaica community.
"There is an overall growth in immigrant patrons who are driving the library to adapt to the shifting demands of the community it serves with this renovation," he said.
It was key to be reflective of South Jamaica. "It's located in a neighborhood full of families and many of its visitors and users are children," said Sun. "One central design feature is a big circular skylight with a children's play area below, I think this is reflective of the youthful nature of this evolving neighborhood."
