Franz Sam studied architecture at the University of Innsbruck where he graduated in 1984. From 1985-1992 he was a co-worker and project architect in the planning and construction phase of Coop Himmelb(l)au. Since 1992 he has been head of his own architectural office, sam-architects in Vienna and Krems. Sam has been a lecturer and assistant professor at the University of Applied Arts since 2002.

He has been a member of the cultural senate of the federal province of Lower Austria and chairman of the architectural advisory board of the Federal Province of Lower Austria. Currently he is a member of the architectural senate in a central Austrian town.

The main emphasis of his work with his students lies on questions related to form, material and related as well as up and coming technologies. At its core is the development of space-forming constructions under consideration of the chosen material and applied technologies as a unique design act.