Structural Futures Lab

Prof. Demi Fang

Principal Investigator

Tanvi Agarwal

B.S. Computer Science ’28, Concentration in Artificial Intelligence

Tanvi is a computer science student at Northeastern with a strong interest in artificial intelligence, machine learning, scalable backend systems, and quantitative analysis. Her work spans applied ML, data pipelines, and data-driven modeling, with experience designing, building, and deploying production-grade backend systems across research, teaching, and collaborative technical projects. She is deeply engaged in the campus technical community through leadership roles and enjoys working at the intersection of software engineering, computation, and real-world problem solving. Tanvi is particularly interested in using AI and quantitative methods to engineer robust systems for analyzing complex data and supporting informed decision-making. At the Structural Futures Lab, she is applying data analysis and AI-driven approaches to support research on environmental performance and sustainability in architecture.

Justin Haime

B.S. Artificial Intelligence and Business Administration ’27

Justin appreciates how widely data science can be used and how much it can help solve problems in almost any field. He is especially interested in machine learning and computer vision and enjoys finding ways to make sense of messy visual data. Justin is highly motivated by the idea of using these tools on problems that have a real impact on the world around us. At SFL this summer, Justin is working on using computer vision and uncertainty analysis to enhance building stock modeling.

Marcella Hesser

B.S. Arch. ’27, Minor in Architectural Engineering and Urban Landscape Studies

Marcella is a fifth-year architecture student with a particular interest in policy and interdisciplinary design. As a co-op at Steven Winter Associates on their Sustainable Building Services Team, she applies her interest in building performance and climate-responsive design to real-world projects. Her prior experience includes researching building codes and policies across Chicago and Pittsburgh with the Sweet Water Foundation, designing Net-Zero projects as a co-lead for Solar Decathlon, and conducting building envelope assessments at Gale Associates. Marcella is working on LENS to investigate data-stakeholder interfaces for low-carbon design.

Elisabeth Molnar

M.Arch. ’26, LEED GA

Elisabeth is a recent graduate interested in the craft of building, responsible material sourcing, passive systems, and rehabilitating existing buildings as practices of regenerative design that exhibit deep respect for both humanity and the natural environment. Previously, she has conducted research on residential typology performance in African cities to understand the impacts of extreme temperatures associated with climate change on thermal comfort in these buildings. Her master thesis project investigated what a socially and environmentally responsible wood sourcing system in the Northeast might look like and how housing could be constructed under such a system. At SFL, Elisabeth is supporting research projects related to adaptive reuse and parametric facade modeling.

Lang (Samuel) Shao

B.S. Data Science and Mathematics ’27

Lang is a student at Northeastern University studying Data Science and Mathematics, with a strong foundation in data analysis, mathematical reasoning, and visual communication. He is passionate about applying quantitative thinking to real-world challenges; in his previous research experience at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, he contributed data analysis, machine learning, and data visualization to improve neuroimaging workflows in NIH-funded projects. Lang is actively involved in student organizations at Northeastern, and beyond academics, he is an avid music enthusiast, clarinetist, and music producer with a deep connection to sound and creativity. At SFL, Lang is performing building stock analysis, applying his skillsets to support sustainability in architecture.

Lillian Smeraldo

M.Arch. 3-year ’27, concentration in Sustainable Urban Environments

Lilly is a graduate architecture student at Northeastern University who is passionate about sustainable design and resilient spaces. With her concentration in Sustainable Urban Environments, she strives to combine historical preservation and adaptive reuse with community-centered initiatives that create positive impacts for decades to come. This summer, Lilly is working as an Energy & Sustainability Intern at West Work while part-time on LENS, bringing together the practice of energy modeling and data analysis with research initiatives in energy and material use on a regional scale.

Coming soon

Undergraduate/master’s student

Emily Wu

B.S. Civil Engineering ’27, Minor in Business Administration

Coming soon

PhD student