Meet Chun Huang, rising architect and Friend of Lincoln Square Park
Youngchae Lee and Chun Huang
Credit: Chun Huang
The Easter Pancake Breakfast served as the perfect venue for showcasing Chun Huang’s talent and hard work. A 2025 UC Berkeley Architect graduate and a Wa Sung Young Professional League member, Chun recently showcased his community project of his interpretation of the new Lincoln Recreation Center & Resiliency Hub.
His project involved studying the future Lincoln Recreation Center architectural drawings by Architect Youngchae Lee from Shaw Kawasaki Architects. Chun’s favorite part was the beautiful façade of floral designs on the exterior building exhibiting an inspiration of multi-Asian cultures.
Chun admired Youngchae’s usage of space giving a sense of central circulation, inside showed amenities and programs while the outside had basketball courts, playful activities and greenery incorporated on the exterior second floor, representing a garden.
Upon replicating his model from the architect's drawings and renderings, he was trying to figure out how tall the building should reflect and used his knowledge of standard door sizes for scale. The building's exterior floral designs were simplified to ensure they wouldn't overwhelm the overall architectural design.
The process started with creating the 3D computer model and making 2D surfaces to be input into the laser cutting machine. Wood was the chosen material because it is convenient for assembly and sturdy. The model is held together via glue.
At the same time, Chun still had college schoolwork going on and time constraints were challenging. It took 1.5 months and 50 hours to do this model. He recently had a job interview and shared this model project, which generated interest in his technical skills.
Chun’s model on display at the Wa Sung Easter Pancake Breakfast
On Easter morning at the 67th Wa Sung Easter Pancake Breakfast at Lincoln Square Park, Chun’s model was displayed for the first time to the public and the common questions he was asked was the orientation of the building: which street the model will be facing, what is the scale of the model! But his special moment was meeting Youngchae. who was at the event. It was an unforgettable moment for Chun, a testament to the respect and admiration he held for the experienced architect. For both, their conversation was overwhelming!
The presentation of the model had Chun's meticulous attention to detail and respect for Youngchae Lee's original design, it received widespread interest with attendees, praising the blend of aesthetic beauty and practical functionality
Chun's journey is a poignant reminder of the impact that passionate and dedicated individuals can have on their communities. His project is more than just a model; it is a beacon of hope and inspiration for future generations of architects and community leaders.
-Karen Dea